It’s not for the faint of heart
Emma is the parents editor for the Manchester Evening News. She covers news and events for families across Greater Manchester.
(Image: Scare City)
Twelve years ago I took my son to a Halloween trail for families and it ended abruptly when a hidden character shot up from a bench, made him cry and we all went home.
Fast forward to now and it takes a lot more for this 5ft 8″ 14-year-old and his mates to jump.
They’re only just old enough to attend Scare City though, the Halloween event inside the abandoned Camelot Theme Park in Chorley and I could tell they were already a little nervous as we headed inside for the opening night.
The first scare came as we waited inside the food and drink area for it to open and witnessed a young girl trying to retrieve her mobile phone from the Portaloo she’d dropped it down. Trust me, nothing is scarier to a teenager than the prospect of losing their phone. Or at least that’s what they thought.
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But this place, which came third in a list of the best fright night and scare events in the country, takes scaring folk seriously – so much so you have to sign a disclaimer before entering declaring that you’re ‘medically and physically capable to partake in this event’.
It’s a 2km walking trail overall, with both indoor and outdoor elements and you’re warned of ‘narrow passageways’ in a ‘physically demanding environment’ with ‘intense audio and lighting, extreme low visibility, strobe lights, fog and damp/wet conditions’. They really know how to sell it.
I took my son and his friends to Scare City for the first time(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
Yet year after year thousands of people sign up for the thrill of it and we were among the first to check out this year’s offering, promising to be ‘more terrifying than ever’.
There are 10 zones altogether including some new ones including ‘The Hollow’, a desolate woodland, and ‘Puppet Master’ – the toy maker’s workshop where innocent toys hide deep dark secrets.
And there’s also some familiar favourites including ‘The Slaughter House’, where Camelot’s resident cannibal lives, and Carnivalley, ‘the madhouse that is no laughing matter’.
Each zone lasts just a few minutes and you never quite know what’s going to greet you inside each one.
In some, the arrival of the characters is sudden and you’re running from a masked mad man with a chainsaw, or a giant rabbit; in others, they’re lurking in the shadows and just waiting to jump out when you least expect it.
There are times when you can’t see a thing – at one point you have to push yourself through a space with fabric walls pushing against your body and in ‘Abyss 2.0’, you’re put to the test in claustrophobic darkness with just a rope at the side to help guide the way.
At the half way mark comes a breather at Satan’s Soiree, where you can grab some food and drink. But even here the characters are lurking, including an unruly nun intent on causing trouble.
There’s also entertainment on stage with aerial and fire performers, live music and more.
The second half brings even more frights including scary clowns and a terrifying butcher pig inside the Slaughter House. The characters don’t touch you, but their breath does and everyone is warned there’ll likely be some extremely close encounters.
By the end I think we’re all relieved it’s over, not least the big brave teenagers who discovered there might well be something more terrifying than losing your phone after all.
When is Scare City open?
Scare City is open on September 27, October 3 and 4 and then every Friday to Sunday in October, as well as October 30 and 31.
How much is it?
Standard tickets cost £29.50 and Gold Entry tickets – with fast track entry to all zones – are priced at £44.50 per person. They can be booked on the website.
Are there age restrictions?
The event is designed for an audience of 16 years and up. Young people aged 14 and over are permitted as long as they are accompanied by an adult (over 18) at a ratio of 1:6 maximum.
How long is the experience?
It’s one continuous trail with a refreshment zone at the halfway point. Visitors tend to experience the event at their own pace, and some will be faster or slower than others. The length of the experience is entirely dependent on you, but experiences average between 45 and 120 minutes.
Some of the food on offer at Satan’s Soiree(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
Food and drink
There are food and drink vendors in the courtyard where you wait to enter, along with a merch truck, and then at the halfway point at Satan’s Soiree.
Food includes the likes of loaded fries, chicken, burgers and hot dogs, with mains costing around £9. There’s also the Dessert Foundry doing crepes, waffles and donuts for £6 each with toppings (an extra £1) including Nutella, Kinder Bueno, Biscoff, strawberries and more.
Tea of coffee is £3, hot chocolate (with cream and marshmallows) £5, slushies £5 and water £2.50.
There’s also a bar with pints costing £7, prosecco or large wine £6, spirit with mixer £6 and cocktails £10.
