What do Das Krankenhaus, Twisted Tales, the Mansion on Meadow Lane and Cuckoos Nest 2 all have in common? They’re all part of this year’s Fright Nights at the South Florida Fairgrounds, held over three weekends — Oct. 11-13, Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 25-27. Midway hours are from 6 to 11 p.m. (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays). The haunted houses open at 7 p.m.
Admission is $30 and includes 30 fright tickets, which may be used for the haunted houses (seven tickets per haunt) or midway rides (two to five tickets each). Admission purchased online at www.myfrightnights.com will be $25. Online sales continue through Oct. 10. Group sales for 15 or more people also are available for $22 admission per person, which includes 30 fright tickets.
For those brave enough, a behind-the-scenes tour of the four haunts will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 10 for $10 per person. The 45-minute tours will be held at 7, 8, 9 and 10 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the featured characters, ask questions and take pictures. Each tour purchase includes a free promotional ticket for Preview Night on Oct. 11, which includes one free admission and one haunted house.
This year’s themed haunts are Das Krankenhaus, Twisted Tales, the Mansion on Meadow Lane and Cuckoos Nest 2.
Das Krankenhaus is an institution of horrific experimental torture featuring the Angel of Death, a depraved doctor at the helm of this hospital, who subjected his victims to gruesome experimental medical procedures, mutilation and psychological torture.
The forgotten Mansion on Meadow Lane is a setting of a dark, foggy road in the middle of a dense forest. Located on the edge of town, this once elegant and loving home was left to rot after a terrifying virus doomed the city’s residents. The military used the massive house as a makeshift morgue, and if guests listen closely, they’ll be able to hear something scraping and scratching inside.
The third haunt features Twisted Tales. While some fairy tales are pure and light hearted, others have a dark and macabre truth to them. Some people dread falling asleep as some of these savage tales are said to transcend time and speak from beyond the grave to unleash fear and terror upon the physical waking world.
The final haunt, the Cuckoos Nest 2, erupted in wailing and maniacal cheers when Misfit was freed from her padded prison cell. The patients’ eyes lit up and filled to the brim with happiness, as they knew mayhem and chaos would soon reign again. After last year’s murderous rampage, Misfit was deemed unfit to be in the general patient population. She was retrained and locked away for good. Order was restored to the Scharnhorst Mental Asylum, aka, “The Cuckoo’s Nest,” but not for long. Misfit is back this year with her jolly army for round two.
Through the years, Fright Nights has become the largest haunted house event in the West Palm Beach area. The carnival of terror offers four new haunted houses each year and includes scare zones, food and beverages, entertainment and midway carnival rides.
Fright Nights has come a long way since 2002 when it began in a tent on the fairgrounds. Today, the event takes place in the 40,000-square-foot Agriplex and on two acres of land on the fairgrounds.
For more information on Fright Nights, and to get discounted tickets and other offers, visit www.myfrightnights.com, or follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FrightnightsSFF.
