One could make a strong case that this is the scariest Halloween of many of our lives. 13th Gate is doing its best to ensure Halloween stays that way, but not without the attraction that Baton Rouge has known since 2002.
Lifetime Louisiana resident Dwayne Sanburn is the owner of the 13th Gate Haunted House, a Baton Rouge attraction that has gathered good reviews from the likes of MTV, USA Today and The Travel Channel. The entirety of the 40,000 square foot attraction has become a Louisiana staple. The 13th Gate’s use of over 100 professional actors and artists of all kinds, many who have made contributions to Hollywood films, propel the quality of scares to the next level.
The haunted house has been successful enough to see the addition of escape rooms and an outdoor carnival. The escape rooms have provided a year-round attraction and the outdoor carnival named ‘Carnevil’ has added live music, food and even axe throwing games to the Halloween festivities.
However, this year has brought forth a new 13th Gate that does not look like years prior.
Coronavirus has changed the landscape of our country vastly. Many businesses that have been open for a long time are being pushed to point of closing. Many of the businesses who have survived this gruesome era have not been able to return to normal operations. These businesses have had to make adjustments to adhere to government guidelines and be able to provide safe services to the public, and for Sanburn reopening 13th Gate has been no different.
Similar to previous years, 13th Gate has had requirements to meet with the fire marshal. Sanburn has been working back and forth seamlessly with state officials for the past two months on a plan that meets the new guidelines put in place in response to the pandemic. Around May, Sanburn began to network with other haunted houses and begun to realize the major changes that were to come.
The goal so far has been to keep people as far away from each other as possible and lines present a challenge.
“It’s kind of like a restaurant so it frees you up from standing in line,” Sanburn said regarding the new virtual queue line the haunted house is using which is run through a QR code system. The line which has been hours long previous years is no longer present and it also provides customers with the ability to visit places in the area to grab food or drinks without losing their place in line.
There are many more restrictions regarding the actual attractions of 13th Gate. All customers must come with their own group and are also required to wear a mask for the entirety of their time there. Masks have also been integrated into all of the costumes in a great way by the artists and actors to keep scaring while staying safe. Temperature checks are also an entry requirement for both customers and actors. Any part of the experience that was hands-on or close quarters has been completely removed from the setup without removing the scare. The smaller separated groups have increased isolation which increases the horror as well.
The amount of people allowed to come each day have decreased as have the games outside. Concerts at ‘Carnevil’ have been removed from the itinerary. Escape room games have been staggered to prevent having too many people in the area at once.
While the experience is lacking some of the unique aspects of the past, Sanburn is happy to be open in a time like this.
“These days for everyone, it is great for people to be able to do something. It’s been tough on every business, but I’m happy to open up,” Sanburn said.
If you are worried about the masses, he recommends booking online and coming on the slower Thursday and Sunday nights. The spooky season still has its go-to attraction available to all during this unusual time.