Bastyr University Haunted Trails

 

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BettyNEithon T.

Renton, WA

Betty and I have a custom of going to a "haunted house" or two each Halloween, since on one of our very first dates we went to one after dinner. Last year, we really enjoyed the Nightmare at Beaver Trail haunted spectacle in Sammamish, and looked for other outdoor "haunted houses" that might be as good.

We found the BU Haunted Trails tour online, put on by Bastyr University, a local naturpathic university in the Seattle area. We went after dinner with a few friends (see Matsu Sushi), and were greeted with a moderately-sized line.

Our wait was short, only 20 minutes, but once we got our tickets, we found out that we had to watch a number board till our ticket numbers were called. Fortunately, they had an indoor area where people can wait till their number is up.

Unfortunately, the wait took around 1.5 hours. Even worse, the haunted tour itself was only 10 minutes long! At the rate the number board was going, you would have thought it was a 20 minute haunted trail, when in fact a guide that goes with you keeps rushing your group of ~10 through all the different parts of the trail. What's worse, the trail was narrow and filled with jutting trunks and roots, so our guide would call out to us where they were, ruining the ambience.

The actors and props, however, were quite good, and it was obvious they too were enjoying themselves. And, the scares were well placed (tip: don't lead or be at the end of your group; be in the middle for optimum scariness). For the 2+ hour wait, though, this haunted trail was far too short. The price was right, though, at $10 a person, and it still beat the heck out of the KUBE 93 "haunted house" (40 minute wait, but 5 minute, boring, haunted house).

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