Heart of Darkness open to both volunteers, fans of scary thrills

By Sal Engle on September 15, 2021

October is quickly approaching and the Heart of Darkness is getting ready to not only scare you half to death but also defend their title of number one haunt for the fourth year in a row. However, due to COVID-19, owner and haunt operator Kevin Shultz and the rest of the haunt family have concerns about safety, and there are still some very important requirements for patrons of The Heart of Darkness.

Guidelines as of 2021.

Masks are still recommended. The pandemic is still happening due to the lack of vaccinated people so if you plan on visiting please for your sake and theirs wear a mask. The experience is usually only about an hour so it’s not a large price to pay for safety.
Absolutely no direct contact with scare actors will be permitted. Those who purposefully touch, punch, poke or assault scare actors will be escorted off the property by security. They are volunteers and are not receiving any compensation for doing this, other than their love for haunt, so don’t ruin this for them and for others.
No food or drink in the haunt. All food purchased at the food stands must be eaten in the gated area with no exceptions.
Anyone who is drunk or high will be asked to leave. If you argue, you will be escorted off the property by security or arrested by the officer on premise.
If you arrive ticketless at or after 11 p.m., you will be unable to purchase one as the Heart of Darkness closes at midnight. This is to prevent having to rush groups through and dampen the experience for others. A link to purchase tickets can be found on the haunts website linked at the bottom of the article.
If you arrive before or after 11 p.m. with an online ticket purchase, you will be permitted access to the haunt.
Do not verbally assault haunt monitors or scare actors; they are here for both your safety and your entertainment, but they are also people, so treat them with respect.
Do not stay in one area for too long, as this will cause a clog and ruin others’ experience and break the social distance.
Do not argue about signing the waiver; it is legally required to enter.

Now that guidelines are out of the way, let’s talk about volunteering. Working at a haunted house can be one of the most rewarding experiences you ever have. You meet new people, you get new experiences, you get to learn how to make cool props for halloween, you get to wear fun costumes and most important of all, you get to scare people for free pizza.

Now there are some important things to keep in mind before you sign up. One, you do not have to show up every night that the Heart of Darkness is open. Just show up as often as you can. Two, respect others and our space. Pick up your trash, don’t smoke in the haunt, don’t be rude to customers, watch your language during work hours in customer spaces and most importantly don’t bring drugs like pot, alcohol or anything like that on the premises.

Important dates for volunteers:

Scareactor Training: Sept. 24 (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.)

Kids day, trick or treat: Oct. 17 (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.),

Fridays and Saturdays: Oct. 1-Oct. 31 (6 p.m. to midnight)

Thursdays Oct. 14-Oct. 28.