Hailey Stessman
CONTRIBUTOR
The spooks are in full session with the arrival of October. The season of ghouls and goblins have people flocking to the pumpkin patches, stocking up on their favorite candy, and cozying up for Halloween movie marathons.
Some individuals may enjoy the more classic activities such as apple picking and carving pumpkins, while others seek to be shaken to their core. The city of Omaha has both in-depth paranormal histories and annual Halloween adrenaline attractions for anyone looking for some scares this season. Here are three locations to get the heart pumping and send chills down the spine.
Mystery Manor
716 N 18th St, Omaha, NE 68102
The worlds of both paranormal and pretend meet at the infamous Mystery Manor. On their official website, Mystery Manor reveals its dark history with the deaths of William and Greta Hall along with John Martin, all by ax, in 1929.
After the stock market crashed in October, Hall cut up his wife into pieces from frustration and anger and buried her in front of the manor the very next morning. John Martin, Greta’s brother, after finding out about his sister’s murder, then proceeded to kill Hall with the same ax.
On Halloween, the day after Hall’s murder, Martin was found with the ax lodged into his skull. The husband and wife lay next to one another underneath the front of the property to this day. The actual sequence of events of Martin’s death and who killed who continues to be a mystery.
Mystery Manor is celebrating its 35th season, making it Omaha’s oldest haunted attraction. People can expect actors in full makeup and costumes such as clowns with sinister wide grins, children dragging raggedy dolls, and humans with decaying flesh all over their bodies.
One might even be spooked by the ghost of William Hall himself. Paranormal investigative teams have reported hearing growls from corners, experiencing sensations of being watched, and electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recordings. Among the October nights, individuals may exit the manor with unexplainable experiences none of the actors can take blame for.
Museum of Shadows
502 Main St, Plattsmouth, NE 68048
Want physical artifacts? Potentially possessed objects? The chance to go on a ghost hunt? The Museum of Shadows provides all of that plus more. Located in Plattsmouth, NE, the Museum of Shadows is curated by Nate and Kaleigh Raterman who have been studying the paranormal for over 12 years and collect possibly haunted objects that have been donated for display.
Open year round, visitors are able to tour the museum, attend ghost hunts that can last up to seven hours, or be a part of special events such as a Ouija ghost hunt. Individuals may also be tempted to try the “Sit Challenge” where one has to sit in complete darkness for ten minutes in some of the areas known for intense paranormal activity. The individual is given only a flashlight and a walkie talkie they can use to tell when they are ready to leave the room.
Visitors have claimed experiences of being touched, seeing children run about the building, hearing voices not belonging to anyone in the group, and feeling uneasy. The museum’s website holds an archive of EVP’s and photos for individuals to explore and to investigate further for their future visit. General admission is $15 but prices vary for ghost hunts throughout the month.
Camp Fear
23301 W Maple Rd, Elkhorn, NE 68022
For an overnight ordeal full of laughs, screams, and films Camp Fear provides campsites, firepits, a Nightmare Theater playing horror movies, and other attractions for anyone wanting to get in the Halloween spirit.
At Riverwest Park in Elkhorn, parties can reserve campsites for an overnight stay or can just attend for the movies, food, or attractions. Throughout the night, creatures or spirits may wake up and scare sleepers around their campsites.
Within Camp Fear, attractions include the Bloodrush Forest of Terror, the Insinister Haunted House, Nyctophobia: Fear the Dark, and the Dark Ritual Escape Room. The Forest of Terror includes three separate zones named the House of the Father, the Butcher’s Hook, and The Stockyards that test the limits of those who dare to make the journey among the trees.
The Insinister Haunted House has expanded from past years with three mini attractions to give visitors some classic jump scares throughout the venues: Terror World, Slasher, and Killer Clown.
One of the newest components of Camp Fear, with its 2018 debut, is Nyctophobia: Fear of the Dark. Individuals have their eye sight taken away and have to rely on their other senses in order to reach the exit. As it being their very first year open, limited details have been released to keep future audiences wondering about what their fate will be.
For those who enjoy riddles with an impending time limit, the Dark Ritual Escape Room is the perfect match. Teams have to solve various riddles in order to escape the dark spirit of a woman named Ramona. However, only a few spots are available to attempt the nightmarish challenge.
