Haunting for a cause

“From Ghoulies and ghosties And long-leggedly beasties And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!” --Traditional Scottish Prayer

Or not.  For many, the ghoulier and bumpier, the better.  And for the older teen and adult crowd seeking thrills, there are plenty of scary attractions in Minnesota from which to choose—from rides, houses, and parks, to mazes, trails, and runs, with or without zombies.  And if these are no longer entertaining, then the truly hardy may want to join a Minnesota ghost tour for an authentic experience. 

Back to the scary fun.  According to AmericaHaunts.com, of the estimated 4500 haunted attractions in the U.S., over 3000 of them are charity attractions.  Haunts have become popular venues for local and major charities to raise money to support the military, local law enforcement, community organizations, and national charities like Boys and Girls clubs and the children’s Miracle Network.  Most are staffed by volunteers; see their websites if you are interested in joining them.  With the growth of haunted houses in the 1980s came the need for stricter safety codes.  The Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey caught fire resulting in eight fatalities.  Safety became a paramount concern with requirements tightening for building and emergency awareness and making haunted attractions safe for their guests.  Look for the Rules page for information about safety, precautions, available aid, and haunts that accommodate wheelchairs.

October is THE month for howling haunts and creepy occasions to scare yourself silly.  Why not check out some of the local sites-for-a-cause?  Nearby you will find unsavory characters hanging about the property south of Dundas at the site of the Rice County Gas and Steam Engine the last three weekends of October, evenings from 6 pm until 10 pm.  The popular Mill Town Haunt is back in business made possible by their sponsors and many dedicated volunteers who love a ghoulish good time.  For a safe and heart-pumping experience, they put together a haunted house creaking with mysterious sounds and shrouded in fog with surprises around every corner.  Watch your step and be prepared for the unexpected at this local Scare Factor runner-up fan favorite.   During the rest of the year, look for the frightening residents of Mill Town Haunt  at local parades like Northfield’s Defeat of Jesse James Days, fundraising events, or doing their part in MNDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program.  See their website and Facebook pages for more information about the haunt and their current charity.

Dakota County Fairgrounds in Farmington is home to Fright Night Obsession at the Support Our Troops Haunted House (SOT).  They will be spooking whoever finds their way into the 4H Building from 6:30 pm until 9:30 pm on October 5-6 and 12-13.  Catch them before they disappear into the night.  Cooking up scary scenarios for sixteen years, this SOT Haunted House is the primary fundraising event to support their programs to support soldiers currently deployed and their families.  They prepare Treats for the Troops care packages every November and have partnered with organizations such as Puppies for Soldiers as well as donated money to Quilts of Valor and start-up funding for the New Prague Veterans Memorial.  See the Hastings Star Gazette article here for more information on their projects and community involvement.  For more information about their haunted house, see their website and Facebook pages.

Two other frightfully fun and popular fan favorites located near the Twin Cities are the Fright Farm in Maplewood and Hamel Lions Haunted Acres in Corcoran.  The Fright Farm opened in 1996 by the Ramsay County Sheriff’s Department and funds the D.A.R.E. program and the Ramsay County Sheriff’s Foundation.  They are open 7 pm until 11 pm every weekend in October as well as October 31.  For those easily unnerved, the Fright Farm offers a Low Scare Matinee event on Sunday, October 28 from noon until 4 pm.  This is a “tamer version of our big haunted house that is meant for younger children and the faint of heart of all ages.”  For more information, see their website.  And, the Corcoran Lions Park is where you will find the Hamel Lions Haunted Acres.  Open October 12-13, 20-21, 26-27 from 7 pm until 10 pm, bring food donations for a discount on admission.  Money raised will benefit a food bank.  For more information about the haunt and its involvement in the community, check out their website.

There seems to be no end to the horrific fun of the dead and the decapitated.  Minnesota has many offerings that, thanks to the helpful hands of hundreds of volunteers, raise money to benefit many, many people.  Take your pick, from the benign to the spine-chilling or simply donate to a local charity.  Even from a ghostly graveyard, there is more than one way to help your neighbor.

Photo Credit:  pixabay.com and Mysticartdesign@pixabay