Jiminy Peak Transforms Lodge Into Haunted Village
 Crane lodge has been turned into the remains of a village torn apart by disease. |
The resort has transformed the bottom level of Crane Lodge into a maze of horror crafted around a story based on the early history of the Jericho Valley.
The haunt, "13 Nights at Jiminy," is one of a few ways the resort is trying to build on the "shoulder seasons" to become a year-round attraction.
"This is a new season we're creating," Assistant Director of Marketing Katie Fogel said of the resort's newest offering. "People are looking for those Halloween and fall-type events."
The haunt will be open weekend nights beginning Saturday, Sept. 29, through Halloween and includes the darkened remains of an 18th-century town ravished by disease. After maneuvering through the horror props and actors, attendees will be taken to the top of the mountain where, according to their crafted story, sheep mysteriously retreat to every fall, and where a ride around the summit will feature just as much horror.
"We wanted to be more than a haunted house and be a haunt that is scary. We want the scare people are looking for at Halloween," Fogel said.
The idea came from the company's sister resort Cranmore in New Hampshire. A haunt has been success for the last six years there so Jiminy employees went to learn the trade of scaring the heck out of people. They trained with companies with expertise in horror and for the last year have been planning their own haunt.
The haunt is just one of a series of new events Jiminy has organized for the spring and fall to lessen the dependency on the ski season. Jiminy has added the Hardcore Mud Run (Nov. 2-3), an obstacle course race up the mountain; the Eastern States Cup, a mountain bicycle race, and is growing a fall festival. Of course, the resort also has its Mountain Adventure Park during the summer.
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 Jiminy Peak has consulted with experts in the horror industry in creating its first haunt. |
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Tags: Halloween, haunted, Jiminy Peak, mountain resorts,
