With the magical date fast approaching, Portland is preparing itself for Halloween. Zombies are rising from the grave and Fantasy for Adults Only is quickly selling out of fishnet tights.
The yearly ritual for Portlanders includes suffering through the torrential rain, carving jack-o-lanterns and, of course, voiding their bowels in fear at the annual haunted house extravaganza known as Fright Town, located beneath the Memorial Colliseum.
“We have a formula,” said owner and fright-master Dave Helfrey. “People are afraid of things that are like people but aren’t.”
The event consists of three separate haunted houses, each filled to the brim with gore and scares, and each offering a variety of chills and thrills.
The oldest haunted house of the bunch, Baron Von Goolo’s Museum of Horrors, was the first house established by Fright Town 10 years ago. This section of Fright Town is campy, tongue-in-cheek and, according to foreman Chris Herndon, “unsettling.”
Elshoff Manor, the more traditionally designed haunt, features demons, vampires, ghosts and werewolves. The winding halls and foggy atmosphere harkens back to the classic style of haunted house.
The final addition to Fright Town this year is the newly renovated Black Box. This portion is designed to create a more “visceral” experience that includes corpses, skeletons and terrifying creatures from an alien planet.
“It’s very serendipitous the way everything pulls together,” Helfrey said. “We’re basically changing things up until Halloween night. It never develops exactly how I’ve imagined it, but it always develops great.”
Fright Town, which is run by 1031 Community Theater, is a major fundraiser for the local theater troupe. It is also the troupe’s only production. The funds from the event go toward supporting the theater’s artists, paying its administrators and supplying the company with funds for the following year.
The typical haunted attraction averages 8,000 paid guests, according to Hauntworld.com. During the month of October, Fright Town has historically brought in more than 10,000 patrons.
Since its inception in 2001, Fright Town has been fueled by creativity and a love for Halloween. Helfrey, an illustrator, once held annual parties for his former advertising agency. He would purchase Halloween decorations and then write them off on his taxes.
After his ad agency went bust, Helfrey decided to try his hand at Halloween attractions. Baron Von Goolo’s Museum of Horrors debuted a decade ago as part of Scream at the Beach, an annual Portland event.
The Museum of Horrors resided at Scream at the Beach for three years before being “kicked out,” according to Halfrey. At that point, they were approached by the Memorial Coliseum.
“We went from a bunch of silly guys doing a puppet show to a real production,” Herndon said.
Fright Town has faced its share of hiccups along the way. Whether it is weak-kneed customers, a lack of lighting or collapsing walls, they’ve always managed to make the best of a bad situation.
Herndon recalled a story in which an actor, dressed like a clown, “scared a group of people through a wall.” Holding the collapsing walls together with his bare hands, Herndon and his brother repaired the house while guests were still inside.
“We’ve been very lucky,” Helfrey said.
The price of admission for Fright Town is $20. Coupons for $5 off are available on the Fright Town website, and at Spirit Halloween Superstores and Video-Rama.
While Fright Town admits visitors of all ages, much of the content is aimed at a mature audience. Parents willing to terrify and permanently damage their child’s psyche are welcome to tour the haunted houses with their kids.
Fright Town is not responsible for bad dreams or ruined trousers.
Opening night is Oct. 7. Eager visitors are encouraged to come on “off-nights” in order to avoid the large lines that form as Halloween draws near. October 12 marks the 10-year anniversary of Baron Von Goolo’s Museum of Horrors; tickets will be two-for-one that day.
Box-office hours are Sunday through Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 to 11 p.m.
For a night of horror, laughter, art and craftsmanship, be sure to check out Fright Town.
“There’s more to this kind of entertainment than just scaring people,” Herndon said.