The path through Hendrickson’s House of Horror

Our reporter survived Valley Stream’s weekend haunting

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Typically, I’ll celebrate the season by watching the one horror movie I can stomach — “Halloween,” from 1978.

When it comes to other horrifying things, usually, I draw the line. That’s why I experienced some trepidation when I was assigned the task of taking on Haunted Hendrickson’s House of Horror at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park this year.

James Slater from the Herald’s finance department, our photographer Leianne Cramer and Mayor Ed Fare joined me on the journey. Fare made sure he stayed behind us so we could experience the full effect.

I arrived a little before 7 p.m. and was then introduced to haunted house’s designer Joe Allocco. The only insider information I got from Allocco was this: Be scared. I was.

“On a 1-to-4 fear factor, I’d say — four skulls,” Allocco said when I asked exactly how frightened I should be. “It’s pretty scary because we have a lot of live actors in there.”

Before we even entered, screams echoed throughout the attraction from other groups, so we knew we were in for it. The 10-minute walk-through felt like an eternity as we started in a spider cave and worked our way through the maze of dark rooms, which concluded with a chainsaw-wielding maniac and killer clowns. And of course, there were many screams along the way … most of which emanated from me.

We saw people dressed as Michael Myers — the villain from the 1978 classic film I love. He wandered throughout the attraction, even haunting unsuspecting customers waiting in line. Other characters who terrified our group included Leatherface, Jason Voorhees and Hannibal Lecter. The image of the Creeper from “Jeepers Creepers” coming to life and walking toward us in a dark, foggy room after hanging still on a cross isn’t something I’ll soon forget.

Perhaps no one summed up the harrowing experience better than Ava Zucco, 8, of Valley Stream, who went through with two other children her age and three adults.

“It was horrifying,” Zucco exclaimed. Having gone through it moments before myself, I understood her excitement.

If you made it out to the event this year then you know just how seriously Valley Stream takes the holiday. After the experience, I was reminded of a Charles Cyphers’ line from “Halloween.”

“It’s Halloween,” he says in the film. “Everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”

Mission accomplished.