Long Island is certainly not lacking when it comes to haunted houses during the weeks leading up to Halloween, but for those seeking a less scary, experience while still wanting to celebrate the season, Halloween House Long Island, located within the Broadway Commons Mall in Hicksville, New York, may be just what the ghoul ordered.
“This is an experience for all ages...there's something for everyone here,” said Michael Dessart, president of the company behind Halloween House Long Island. “This is a ‘more fun, less fear’ kind of attraction. A lot of people don't want to be scared to death, so we don't have actors or jump scares. This is an immersive experience, with a dozen different themes. Some are spooky, some are fun, and it's all about experiencing Halloween in a way that is very different from your typical haunted house.”
However, those who enjoy a good, visceral fright shouldn't be discouraged from visiting Halloween House Long Island, as it offers a universal appeal to fans of all things that go bump in the night, Michael noted.
“Even people who enjoy haunted houses love our experience as well,” he said. “This is because people who go to haunted houses are Halloween fans, appreciate all things Halloween, and the ways that we are different from the norm.”
Halloween House Long Island is an indoor, go-at-your-own pace series of interconnected rooms, each with a fun and spooky theme and associated activities that guests are encouraged to take their time experiencing, without the urge to rush through it that many typical haunts impose upon people.
“Each year we change things a little bit, and this year we have some fun new rooms, in addition to some fan favorites,” Michael said. “We added the ‘Shriek Easy,’ ‘The Haunted Carnival,’ ‘The To-Fright Show’ – a fun little take on ‘The Tonight show’ – as well as some of our classic rooms that our fans seem to enjoy year-after-year, such as ‘The Glow Room’ – a glow-in-the-dark room – and our ‘Illusion Room,’ which is inspired by the movie ‘Beetlejuice.’”
The experiences in Halloween House Long Island feature a linear flow, but guests can go in the order that they choose, and can even backtrack into previously visited ones if they wish; there's no time limit, so there's no need to worry about overstaying your welcome.
Also, customer feedback is key; people attending the attractions are often asked what their favorite aspects are and what they would like to see added, enabling Halloween House Long Island to see what's resonating and what creative direction to head in subsequent years.
Halloween House Long Island is located near the entrances to IKEA and the Round One Arcade in the Broadway Commons, where it has operated for the past two years.
The company that runs Halloween House Long Island first came into existence in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic; they initially put on annual Christmas attractions before adding in Halloween-themed events as well.
“In 2020, we started off with Christmas House. In 2021, we opened up another location on Long Island and produced both Halloween and Christmas attractions. And then, in 2022 – when I joined the company – we expanded to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.”
However, despite their expansions, Long Island remains the company's home base, and they've been running events here since the very beginning.
Halloween House Long Island is an incredibly popular and unique attraction amongst the crowded Halloween landscape this season, with Michael noting that this time of the year remains incredibly busy for them, with both new fans and returning customers flowing in-and-out each and every day leading up to All Hallows Eve.
“So far, reaction this year has been great. We've really been able to build momentum because we upgrade and change the attraction every year, there's always something new so we get a lot of customers who come back year-after-year,” he said. “One of the things about our attractions is that they become a family tradition for many of our customers. We see a high volume of people that are repeat customers for both our Halloween and Christmas events.”
Ticket prices range from $24.95 to children aged 13 and under, with adult tickets being $29.95; and discounted group passes are available as well.
Halloween House Long Island is currently running at the Broadway Commons, and will continue to do so through November 3rd, so there's still plenty of time to go down there and experience all of the spooky fun the Halloween season can offer. For more information, please visit their website at https://halloweenhouselongisland.com as well as their Instagram page.