Catacombs Part II

So during my last post - I was saying how amazing and scary the catacombs were but I forgot to mention how dangerous and deadly they were.

Last Monday we were adding detail throughout the haunt - you know the usual cob webb here; bloody head there; creepy moss everywhere...

So we swept the room - yes even haunted houses need cleaned every now and then and the catacombs was a masterpeice. I looked around in awe thinking this was truly an amazing design - one that will blow the minds of our customers. So after my moment or all awe - I pulled the emergency exit door shut thus blocking out my daylight and headed towards the actor back passage in the dark. I have gone this route 100s of time but for some reason - something was different and I walked eyebrow first into the edge of a catacomb. I knew immediatley based on the pain - that this was going to bruise.

I headed out and got an ice-cream cup (only thing we have in the freezer) and placed it on my eye. Then when it started to melt I ate it on the way home. That night about 3 hours after the catacomb incident my eyebrow had a bump the size of a ping pong ball. I thought my eye would be swollen shut by the morning at this rate. So I went to bed with an ice pack on my eye. To my surprise morning came and the bump had decreased and it was not that noticable. I went to my job and as the day progressed so did the black/purple shade on my eyelid. By day two I had people wondering why I only put purple eyeshadow on one eye until they realize it was a black eye.

I am still amazed how when I walked into the catacombs edge only my eye got hit. It sounds like one of those stories that you here a victim of abuse make up - I fell down the stairs and got this black eye but it is the truth. Unless..

Of course, it could have been the ghost of Julian Haunt that hit me in the eye and I just thought I walked into a catacomb.

Dallas Fort Worth Haunted House

The Spirit of Julian Haunt

On October 31, 1808 Julian Haunt was borned in the area that would later become the town called Gainesville, Texas. When he was 14 years old he killed his family and was sent to live his life at Cooke County Hospital for the Insane. On October 3, 1832 Julian started a killing spree at the hospital for two days. He killed over 70 people on that two day period. On October 31, 1832 Julian faced a jury that found him guilty of the killings and sentenced him to death. He was killed on October 31, 1832 by hanging at the age of 24. The newspapers across the country had called him "Doctor Haunt". Dallas Fort Worth's Scariest Haunted House is Dr. Haunt's Chamber of Fear

The spirit of Doctor Haunt has been felt in Gainesville since his death. A number of strange and unusual deaths have occured on October 31 in Gainesville for the past 170 years.

The Haunted House, Dr. Haunt's Chamber of Fear opened in 2003 and each of the actors that have portrayed the infamous doctor have done so for only one season. After portraying the legend "Dr. Haunt" on October 31 the actors have felt a curse and have quit working at the haunted house completely. No actor has ever been Dr. Haunt on October 31 and returned to work the following year. During the first season we had two main Dr. Haunt's in 2003. Neither actor has ever returned to that role. In 2004, a female took on his namesake and was one of the best Dr. Haunt's but on October 31 prior to the end of the night she had a nervous break-down and was hospitalized for two weeks. Then in 2005 we had two guys playing doctor haunt and both moved away after their expereince. One joined the military while the other left town. In 2006 a local played the Doctor and no cast or crew ever saw or heard from him again. The actor did not even attend the end of the year party in November to accept his awards for his role as Dr. Haunt. In 2007, it was once again a female that portrayed Dr. Haunt. She left college shortly after that and moved to West Texas.

Then there is the Dr. Haunt from last season, 2008. This actor played Dr. Haunt and says he will come back in 2009. Although this actor has not re-entered the Chamber since October 31. Some of the cast wonder if the curse has been broken while others wonder if a new legend is beginning. Since on October 31, 2008 the three females went missing from the haunted house. The character that played Dr. Haunt as well as one other actor was brought in for questioning in regards to the three females disappearnces.

Any way you look at it and if you ask any Gainesville local, they will tell you that Dr. Julian Haunt's presence and spirit is felt around this community.

Texas and Oklahoma's Scariest Haunted House Dr. Haunt's Chamber of Fear

Most people have never been to a haunted place but every person has known fear. It is fear that drives you to be the true person you are. When we are calm we act as our best self, much like we give our best impression on a first date but when we are comfortable in a relationship our true self shows and this is fear... nothing but ourself. When you are afraid do you fight or flee???

In 2003 I came to volunteer at a place called Dr. Haunt's Chamber of Fear, the haunted house attraction had come from New Mexico where it was rated the #1 haunted house in New Mexico. At first I thought it would be fun to be an actor inside this haunted house and so I started volunteering. It amazed me of the number of actors that could literally scare the pee out of customers but the actor was afraid to be left in the haunted house alone. Why was it that even the actors of this haunted house attraction are scared in it. I have found even myself afraid to work alone in this haunted house. During the first season two different volunteers at the haunted house swear they saw a ghost/spirit/ or unknown image. The first volunteer was out working on the lawn when they saw a black image of a person floating above the ground for a short period of time before it disappeared. At first we all thought this was just ghost stories but he was willing to swear on his 'babies eyes' and if your Italian you know that's a big deal. The second sighting came when we were playing a game of sardines. The entire group minus two were hiding inside the safe room when we heard this scream. At first we all laugh because we thought it was funny but then we realize the scream was one of true horror. The two volunteers were togther coming through the haunt when one of them saw a white face in the clown room. We do not have any dummies with white mask and everyone that was in the building was accounted for. Then of course there are the times when you are working in the haunted house and feel a presence or hear sounds.

It was only after the haunted house was hear in Gainesville, Texas for the last 3 years when we learned the reason the haunted house moved from New Mexico to Gainesville was because the New Mexico community forced the haunted house out of town. The haunted house cast and crew were accused of being satanic and a number of mysterious deaths occured involving the haunted house. The local tribal leaders of the indian tribe in Santa Fe believe the haunted house was cursed.

I personally do beleive in ghost but I believe the spirits can be good or bad. One of my friends whose really into the afterlife and spirits told me that spirits and ghost are attracted to our haunted house attraction because they know they are welcomed. I guess we do welcome them as long as they stay at the haunted house and not at my house.

http://www.drhauntshouse.com/ Scariest Haunted House in Texas and Oklahoma's