PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — It’s a Halloween tradition visiting haunted houses, but there are some changes because of the pandemic. At Erebus Haunted Attraction in Pontiac, things will be done differently this year.
“You guys are going to scream your faces off but that is why we are requiring a mask start to finish,” said Zac Terebus, and he isn’t talking about a Halloween mask.
Opening a haunted house in the middle of a pandemic can be a different kind of “scary,” but with safety precautions in place, Erebus hopes to give guests a bit of normalcy.
“We’ve been working on the haunted house to keep it scary, but we’ve also been working to keep you guys safe,” Terebus said.
In addition to face masks, they will practice social distancing. There will be added plexiglass at the ticket counter, and temperature checks at the door and a limited number of tickets will be sold every half hour.
“Anything that used to stop a group within the haunt, now has been eliminated, that way we have a constant flow of people from start to finish,” Terebus said.
Erebus added 40 cameras to make sure groups are moving.
“This year is private groups only, so if you show up with your group of two, you are only going through with your group of two,” he said.
They’ve increased pop-up props and limited the number of live actors. Actors will wear face masks, stay at least 6 feet away and their makeup is being applied by airbrush, minimizing contact with makeup artists.
The haunted attraction has hired a dedicated cleaning staff and you’ll find hand sanitizer throughout.
“Any place where you would touch a handrail, there is a sanitation station,” Terebus said.
Because of the changes, there are new surprises for their regulars. With many entertainment venues still closed, there might be some new visitors.
“Probably get some newcomers that are like, ‘hey we have never tried this. Let’s give it a shot.’” he said.
Erebus Haunted Attraction opens on Sept. 25.
You can buy tickets at: https://hauntedpontiac.com/
