Evernight Entertainment's newest haunted attraction
TRAVERSE CITY -- When the sun goes down in Traverse City, the ghastly ghouls and creepy creatures roam the streets! And this Halloween, a swamp is the new stomping ground of terror!
"Last year we did a small swamp room and as people were coming out, we heard their reactions," said Founder of Evernight Entertainment Joe Ritchie.
"We decided if a small room got that kind of reaction, what would a whole attraction based on a swamp get?"
The swamp of suffering may be indoors, but the screams echo through the blood and gore! And the guts and brains behind it -- no amateurs here! They've been doing it for 20 years.
"Obviously you're indoors, but with the way we designed things, and the lighting -- you really get the sense that you're in the swamp," said Ritchie.
"With the weather machine rolling and the thunder in the background, and that earthy sense of a swamp," said William Ritchie, "the more that feeling of disbelief goes into effect."
But behind the gory getups and frightening eyes, there's another reason they're set out to make you scream: Raising more than $10,000 for Breast Cancer.
"A couple of years ago I had a friend that had a run-in with Cancer, and it just went from there. Cancer was our biggest charity because it's something that touches everybody in one way or another. Everybody knows somebody who has gone through it. The Munson Breast Health Center has been the last couple years, and this year we've added the Wounded Warrior Project as one of our charities," Joe Ritchie said.
"You can do this kind of thing and have fun with it, but to be able to do something like this and contribute to a greater cause, it's amazing," William Ritchie said.
And the haunting depends on volunteers who seem to live for our terror!
"I did it last year and I loved it," said volunteer Karlyn Rouse. "To be able to hear people scream -- it's like, 'Ah ha, I scared you!' When they get outside, they're like, 'Oh my gosh, I almost just peed my pants!' It's like, good! I did my job then!"
"You're doing what you love and you're getting that kind of support out there," William Ritchie said.
"People get to come and enjoy a scary event, and at the same time they know some of the money is going to a good cause," Joe Ritchie said.
If you'd like to check out the Swamp of Suffering, it's inside the old Circuit City building in Traverse City (right near Home Depot). The Swamp is open through October 30th, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Admission is $8 per person, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the fight against breast cancer and the Wounded Warrior Project.
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