Cady Crowley

Have you ever been transported back in time to a 1910s nightmare? Pulled candy out of old glass canisters a few feet from a mad clown chopping up someone’s leg? Or shotgunned an energy drink off a vintage barrel before descending back into the smoke infused dance hall? If you spent your halloween at the House of Horror’s Dreamland event this past Tuesday, you sure did.

The event really started on the bus. Piles of costumed students in crazy colors and fake blood crawled into a double decker bus, chatting away with friends and strangers on tricks to make this halloween unforgettable. The chilly night had misted over the windows, so when we pulled up to the House of Horrors, all we could see were the blurry bright lights of the carnival ride and listen to the blasting sounds of old circus music. Once you get past the food trucks (mac and cheese panini was 12/10) and into the building, you’re greeted with complementary shots and an old church-like hall strung out in twinkling fairy lights. Barrels carrying energy drinks lay about the hall, and a doorway along the side welcomed you to the “Hell Gate Haunted House”. Inside Hell Gate, we were greeted by a wild clown butchering away at a human leg, and a set of contortionists twisting around in their cage. At the end of the room was an all-you-could-fill candy bar with old red and white striped popcorn bags, and a steady stream of party goers getting the sugar high in the dark room. The rest of Dreamland held a free candy floss stand, a well-packed bar, a ball tossing game, and a large dancehall that released regular vapor clouds over the ethereal room. The whole place was dimly lit by circus style fairy lights, and after a couple drinks (most important being the energy shot) all of us were properly dancing in that hundred year old burnt down carnival. And when we’d danced, eaten, and drunk are way through the night, there was a cab waiting just around the corner to bring us back to hall.

The House of Horror: Dreamland event was the perfect way to party through Halloween. And next year, if you’re feeling like having a spooky, partying, over the top halloween, don’t forget to buy your House of Horror ticket early. There’s a reason these events sell out fast.