With spooky season upon us, have you ever wondered what goes into prepping for a haunted house?
Baton Rouge’s 13th Gate Haunted House opened for its 21st Halloween season this past weekend. Located at 832 St. Philip Street, 13th Gate is regarded as one of the best haunted houses in the country by MTV, USA Today, The Travel Channel and several others for its extreme realism and detail. The attraction features 13 unique and distinct nightmarish realms within 40,000 square feet where “anything can happen,” according to its website.
Behind the scenes, the operation employs over 100 performers, dozens of crew members and a team of special effects makeup artists and hairstylists every season. During every night of operation, preparations begin promptly at 5 p.m. with costume pick up. The costume room is jam-packed with an assortment of clothing, masks and props ranging from clowns to Victorian ghosts to zombies. A team of makeup artists and hairstylists transform performers throughout the night using airbrush makeup kits, prosthetics, fake blood, face paint and several other special effect elements.
13th Gate operates every Thursday through Sunday from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. in October as well as Monday the 30th and Halloween night. General admission tickets cost $35 and are valid any night of operation.
