Behind the masks: Hysterium Haunted House
By: Rebecca Brosnan
While hundreds of thousands of people attend haunted houses each fall, far fewer know what it is like to experience these haunts from behind the mask.
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According to the Haunted House Association, there are an estimated 2,700 haunted attractions across the country. Among these haunts is Fort Wayne’s Hysterium, which the association recently ranked as the 31st best haunt in the United States.
But according to Hysterium employee Jeff Walker, this success did not happen overnight.
Though the haunt is only open 18 days a year, Jeff said it takes five to six months of work to get it ready. He said preparation not only includes designing sets and creating props, but also training actors.
This year, Jeff said the actors are focusing more on creating backstories for their frightening personas to help them get into character, such as a doctor whose patients turned on him or an undead WWII-era girl
Despite the fake backstories, costumes and makeup, haunted house actor Jasmyn Norfleet said she feels like she is able to truly be herself when working at Hysterium. While struggling with schizophrenia, Jasmyn said she was initially attracted to working at the haunt because she needed a creative outlet.
“I’m honestly just releasing me,” Jasmyn said. “A lot of the time I’m really mellow and I usually have to wear a straight face and it’s blank, but working at Hysterium has helped me with actually being able to just let my schizophrenia run and I do and it’s tons of fun."
Signs outside Hysterium.
Hysterium actors putting on makeup and costumes in the dressing room.
Hysterium actors help each other put on makeup in the dressing room.
Signs outside Hysterium.
Similarly, other actors have also noted that acting at Hysterium provides them with a positive creative outlet.
New to the haunted house business, first-year haunter Cody Newman said scaring people makes him a lot happier due to the thrill it gives him.
“Your adrenaline just pumps and you just wanna keep goin’ and goin’ and goin,’” Cody said. “Like last weekend we had 6 groups walk out of lobby because we just scared them that bad. So they paid to come in and they got to one room and that was it, called it a day. So it is definitely, definitely fun.”
Andrew Hepworth who has been working at haunted houses for 10 years agreed. After playing a clown for many years, Andrew started running chainsaw last year. While he said it is awesome how, 9 times out of 10, people take off running when they hear his chainsaw, such a high-energy environment can get dangerous.
Andrew said he once had to break character to help a woman after a man nearly pushed her through a fence while running away from him. Additionally, Andrew said that seven people were trampled last year after they tripped and other guests were too scared to notice them.
But the customers aren’t the only people who get frightened at the haunted house.
According to a 2018 Chapman University survey of American fears, a random sample of 1,190 adult Americans revealed that common fears include reptiles, demons, small enclosed spaces, needles and zombies.
Actor Jeff Walker said he gets scared while working all the time, stating that he has even been startled by a few customers who he didn’t see walking around the corner.
Though fellow actor Andrew Hepworth said he does not get scared while working at Hysterium, he did admit to being scarred for life after an old woman who used to work at the haunt sat in a bathtub full of blood wearing only a bra.
Regardless of this incident, Andrew said his favorite thing about working at the haunted house is the friendships he has formed with the other actors.
Cody Newman agreed, saying he loves spending time with his coworkers because they all have such different personalities.
“This is my first year and all the people I’ve met are definitely different people than I have ever met before,” Cody said. “So I just enjoy the friends, we are pretty much a little family here. Definitely an amazing little family.”