By: BRYAN CHRISTOPHER
If you’re anything like me, haunted attractions played a large role in your formative years. Every October I’d spend as much time in one of the local haunted houses as I would in my own. But this past Halloween, one of the haunts in Long Island suffered a setback that could close its doors for good. Fortunately, if you’re in the area you have a chance to help out, while getting one last good scare in before the new year.
This past Halloween, Chamber of Horrors owners Matt Guiliano and Marty Arominski found they’d lost most of that year’s take when thieves broke into their safe in the early morning hours. “This was a huge loss for us as owners and for our Haunt Family,” said Arominski after the incident. “It could be the end of our 6 year run.”
But all is not lost! In addition to the crew donating this past season’s pay to the organization, Robert Frankenberg has arranged a Christmas-themed haunt called Crooked Christmas. All proceeds will go to making sure the Chamber of Horrors owners can provide for their families and stay open for the 2018 season. “This is about more than the business of scaring people,” explains Frankenberg. “Matt has children. Christmas time is about giving back so that is exactly what we are doing. We are going to save these gentleman’s families.”
Of course, Crooked Christmas offers to provide patrons with some worthwhile frights to go with their warm and fuzzies. Frankenberg promises, “a killer Snowman, a Krampus for sure, Cannibal Christmas Dinners and even a Christmas light electrocution!” The event will run the weekends of December 8-9 and 15-16, and tickets will run $15 for two attractions along with a digital picture with Santa (I’d have to imagine he’ll be evil or mutated in some way). If you’re not in the area but want to support the cause through a donation or sponsorship, you can email retrosoulsny@gmail.com. For tickets or more information, check out www.chamberofhorrorsny.com.
For more from Bryan Christopher, follow him at @eviltaylorhicks on Twitter.
