There’s only one thing more bone-chilling than The 13th Gate: The 13th Gate in the pitch dark.
During the weekend after Halloween, the bravest and most foolhardy explorers can step inside the haunted house’s winding halls with all the lights turned off—armed only with a flashlight. Actors, effects, settings and scares will all operate at full creep factor, meaning you never know what horror might await you until your flashlight beam falls upon it.
It’s the most terrifying way to experience Baton Rouge’s famously spine-tingling attraction. So, of course, the 225 team had to try it.
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Come along with us as we see what’s lurking in the dark. Mind your head—you never know what’s out to get it.
Don’t be afraid to step onto this elevator when you arrive at The 13th Gate. It’s only going to take you on a jerky descent into your worst nightmares. And the operator is friendly, as you can see.
You know all the ghost stories and urban legends about possessed dolls? How they bring demonic energy into your home and come alive to torment you? Try not to think about that in the doll room. This claustrophobic little chamber is lined floor to ceiling with dolls of all shapes, sizes and evil intentions.
Meet Matilda, or Tilly for short. She’s a 14-year-old girl who was sent away by her mother after killing her baby sister. The nurses take care of her now—sometimes. You can hear her shrieking, laughing and singing “Ring Around the Rosie” in her hauntingly childish voice. She just wants someone to play with her. Tilly is a wanderer, which means if you visit 13th Gate more than once, you’ll never find her in the same place.
Are you just imagining button eyes following you around the room? Maybe. Or maybe there’s one doll in here that really is alive.
A grimy London-style street inside the haunted house transports you back to the era of disease, filth and Jack the Ripper. Watch out for this mangled blacksmith: He takes a special joy in watching you squirm.
Inside a blood-spattered surgical chamber you may encounter a deranged scientist. Are his experiments on his patients really for the good of science? Probably not.
New to The 13th Gate this year is the swaying deck of a haunted pirate ship, complete with water sloshing at its bow. The scoundrels of the deep await you, so watch out for their cutlasses.
On the staircase of a home where it appears a family has been murdered, you may stumble across a wandering clown, channeling both Pennywise from Stephen King’s It and serial killer John Wayne Gacy’s alter ego, Pogo. We’re not sure he does balloon animals, but he’s definitely going to make sure you leave with some unforgettable memories.
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FLASHLIGHT FRIGHT NIGHTS
Nov. 3-4, 6:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.
The 13th Gate is at 832 St. Phillip St.
It is also open for regular visits on select dates Sept. 22-Nov. 4. Visit midnightproduction.com for info.
This article was originally published in the October 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.