PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Looking for sappy love festivities to celebrate Valentine's Day? You might want to skip this Philadelphia attraction.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House, in the city's Manayunk neighborhood, plans to spread fear rather than affection among sweethearts with Viktor's Valentine, A 'Dark' Love Story.
"We were looking at doing something different," Jared Bilsak, the haunt's co-founder, said. "We thought a story about cunning and evil was interesting, not one of love and forever."
The haunt's twisted Valentine's event, open Feb. 11th, 2023, deepens the legend of Viktor Kane, who owned Lincoln Mill during the Great Depression. Bilsak described Viktor as a sinister villain.
With the help of accomplices, Viktor tortured, experimented on, and, ultimately, killed employees of the former textile mill.
As the Valentine legend goes, one of the accomplices loved Viktor but also began to resent him. So, she developed a sinister plan of her own to take place on Valentine's Day in 1939.
Luring Viktor to a hidden chamber inside the mill with a trail of hearts, the woman stabbed Viktor in the heart and then killed herself, Bilsak said.
Guests will walk this same trail in darkness, with the assistance of just a candle. Bilsak said the trail will contain clues about the identity of Viktor's killer, who they eventually will encounter.
"There's a very good chance that they will experience the death of Viktor," Bilsak said.
He said the story is perfect for the middle of winter, which tends to be cold and gloomy. And, no other haunts in the Philadelphia area hold Valentine's Day events.
The dreary winter atmosphere adds to this different kind of date night, although, Bilsak said anyone looking for a scare is welcome attend the event.
"It's not just for couples," he said.
Bilsak said Lincoln Mill emphasizes storylines, and each event it holds will expand upon the mill's history and main villain, Viktor.
"We're very story-driven, and this kind of digs deeper into that story," he said.
The haunt will feature about 35 actors, only a few less than regular haunt season, and is about 20 minutes long, Bilsak said.
A single ticket costs $25, while the Lovers' Pair is $45. Each ticket option includes admission to the deck overlooking the Schuylkill River before or after the show.
Guests can expect to see animatronics in the haunt, but actors are the main event, Bilsak said.
"We do place the emphasis on our actors," Bilsak said. "They're the stars of our show."
