Last year’s visit to the Haunted House of Horror in Courtland, Alabama, was great, but when I saw online that they were offering an optional “touch contact” ticket on select dates this year, I made it an imperative to visit again.

It’s probably a good sign when the ticket line is still out the door at 10:30, even on a Saturday night.

The large waiting area inside was also crowded. A movie played at the front of the old gym in what was once the Courtland High School at 1205 Tennessee Street, Courtland, Alabama. Snacks and merchandise were also available at the inside, and a bobble headed scare actor on stilts prowled about, inducing panic and drama among some of the teenaged audience.

Tickets this year are $25 for general admission and $40 for a VIP ticket that takes you right to the head of the line. When the contact option is available, it adds $10 to the price and comes with a glow stick or glow necklace to let the actors know that you asked for it.

The contact option has only been available for three nights in October, so far, but it has been a popular addition.

I entered with a group of eight, containing a mix of teens and adults and also a mix of contact and non-contact customers.

Immediately upon entering the haunt we encountered Halloween’s Michael Myers multiple times as he slipped through hidden doorways to cut the corners of the winding trail. Somehow, I ended up at the front of the pack, but I kept an eye on the group to see how they reacted. The lady directly behind me loudly proclaimed to any actor in sight that she was not wearing a glow stick so please don’t touch her! The group you are in can sometimes be the best catalyst for the show.

There were a lot more actors in the haunt this year, and it also seemed like some work had been done on the sets and the lighting. There were plenty of screams and shouts behind me as jump scares and hidden actors of all sorts engaged more closely with their victims. Actors were mixed with some animatronics, elaborate sets, some clever use of video props, and all the neat little tricks and traps that haunts love to surprise us with.

Contact at the Haunted House of Horror was a gentle experience. Light touches lingered on legs, shoulders, and on one occasion even my face. That particular touch was accompanied with a sweet comment about the amount of salt in my beard. I tried to tell that actress that I am a grandpa now, but she had already moved on to the next victim.

The clowns had some competition this year as all the actors amped up their games. The funeral scene included a nice interaction as we stopped to admire just how good a job the mortician had done on the deceased. The ladies in the doll room and the doctor’s office were also more energetic in their act. The guys playing the butchers, executioner, and assorted psychos were all high energy, even at that late hour.

A new twist this year were the two final actors waiting for us outside. Despite the worries of the group, they weren’t setting us up for another scare, but instead Meleana was interviewing people to gauge their reaction to this year’s haunt.

The reactions I saw were all good, with high praise for the scare factor and the new touch option.

I agree. The gentle touches I experienced were creepy. In some cases, the almost friendly gesture was a set up for a good bit of acting that got right up to your face.

After the haunt, Stephanie Jones, owner of Haunted House of Horror with 13 seasons of haunting to her credit, had just enough time to answer a few of my many questions.

When I asked “Why touch?” she said the actors were the driving force behind the new addition. They have been asking for years, she told me, and this year she decided to test the waters, starting out slow and gentle.

Last year, many of the haunts I visited, including Stephanie’s, were still having trouble getting actors and workers thanks to the pandemic. When I mentioned that there seemed to be more going on in the haunt this year, she agreed and immediately attributed it to people being more comfortable to come back and act.

Another question from last year was about the building. In 2021, she had expressed concerns about the state of the old high school and whether it would continue to be a safe and sound location for future haunts. Fortunately, off-season building inspections had shown the structure to be in much better condition than expected, allowing various repairs to be conducted and general improvements to be added to the haunt.

I was curious about the crowd tonight, since I usually make it a point to come to Haunted House of Horror earlier in the evening, so I asked how many people had gone through tonight. She teased the answer by saying, “Not enough.” When I tried to follow up, she demurred with a smile, and told me she never gives out that information.

I guess it will remain one of the great mysteries of the Haunted House of Horror!

Check out their Facebook page for some great pictures and posts, especially the amazing senior pictures done by Joseph Romans Photography.

For more information about Haunted House of Horror, check out their Facebook and website. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.

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