The “haunted” Atlas Coal Mine is celebrating ten years of making people jump, scream, and look over their shoulders.
“Our theme is ‘Ten Years of Terror,’ said Jen Balderston, Director of Misery and Woe.
“It’s going to highlight the best spooks and scares of the last nine seasons, so it’s bound to be horrifying.”
Eeek. Might be busy that day....
Balderston said for the first time, the Atlas is offering tickets online for both the Big Boo and Little Boo.
The Atlas has been busy lining up the assorted ghouls and ghosts that make the event.
“Typically we use about 200 volunteer and staff members to pull these things off, over four days,” said Balderston, “and the community just really bands together.”
Balderston said businesses have also been really supportive over the years, including with the feeding of their halloween event volunteers.
For those not wanting to jump out of their skin every ten minutes, attending the kinder, gentler Little Boo is an option.
“It’s really activity based, so we get the families out,” said Balderston. “And with the kids, we encourage them to come in costume.”
Balderston said games and activities include pumpkin tossing and bobbing for apples.
Atlas volunteers all voted on what they thought was the best Little Boo activities over the nine years, and those will also be combined to make this year’s event.
Balderston said a popular attraction last year was the lie detector test.
“We had Detective Phibbs and The Truth Fairy in the washhouse, and the kids got hooked up to this lie detector that the Tyrrell Museum gave us, and were asked really silly questions such as “Have you ever peed in a pool?” It was a riot.”
This year the Big Boo runs October 18 and 25, the Little Boo runs October 19 & 26.
