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by Tara Adams
Writer, Haunt Hunters App
WEST NANTICOKE, Pa. — In the shadowy basement of a former 1920s Mafia speakeasy, a grainy video casts an eerie glow over a group of curious visitors.
The video shows paranormal investigators entering the speakeasy to capture evidence, and the guests follow their steps through the investigation.
This is "Underground," the new attraction at Horror Hall’s 2026 season. And for those who step inside, the boundary between the investigation and lingering speakeasy spirits blurs very quickly.
Visitors slip through a hidden entrance into the old bootlegger speakeasy. One of their stops along the way includes a psychic, who sets a chilling scene by sharing a message from the spirit world.
“There's a spirit here with us,” the psychic warns the huddled group. “Let's see what she wants.”
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The guests are guided to place their hands on a Ouija board. The planchette slides across the board, spelling out a single word: Die.
“Die. It wants you to die,” the psychic gasps just as a sudden jump scare shatters the silence.
“Go! They're coming!” the psychic shouts.
It is high-octane theater, and by the time visitors emerge from the final, high-intensity scene, the adrenaline is noticeable.
“That was cool,” one thrill-seeker remarked as the excited group hurried off toward the next phase of the haunt, which is the walk-through that's been open for more than four decades.
Justin Davis, Horror Hall casting director, explained that the new attraction relies heavily on atmosphere and narrative.
“You'll see lots of high-tech things and evidence left behind by ghost hunters,” Davis said. “There's moments of entertainment and storyline and scares, and you'll see all of that.”
To pull off the nightly mayhem, Davis said there is a crew of 30 to 35 actors among both attractions, and three makeup artists, who begin preparing for the show hours before doors open. Many of the performers are haunt veterans who return year after year.
“They’re not new people,” Tilbury Community Center Director John Rinehimer said. “They've been here many years.”
For more than 40 years, Horror Hall has been a cornerstone of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Halloween culture.
The attraction celebrated its milestone 40th season in 2024, cementing its status as one of the region's most enduring traditions. It's also known as the longest-running indoor haunted attraction in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The frights have filled the halls of the former Harter High School on East Poplar Street since the 1980s, a multi-floor brick building that now operates as the Tilbury Community Center.
According to Rinehimer, Horror Hall’s longevity comes down to basic survival.
Decades ago, the Tilbury Volunteer Fire Company held an annual bazaar to raise funds, but the event sometimes struggled to turn a profit. After acquiring the former school in the early 1980s, the fire company pivoted to running the haunted house as its major yearly fundraiser. It proved to be a turning point, transforming the seasonal spookhouse into a beloved community staple.
While the fire company is no longer active, the mission behind the haunt remains fundamentally the same. Proceeds go toward maintaining the community center, with the remaining dollars donated to charities like the Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors.
“If we don't do this, we don't have an organization,” Rinehimer said. “Same as the fire company. If they didn't run the haunted house, they wouldn't have existed.”
Though the production is volunteer-driven, the organization takes care of its own. At the end of every operating night, the cast and crew are treated to a hot meal. The volunteers are also celebrated at an annual awards party every November, reinforcing the sense of kinship that runs deep through the operation.
That close-knit atmosphere is a big reason why people stick around for decades.
Diane Knoll, a longtime fixture of the haunt who played Vampira, is still active with the attraction. While she no longer performs, she greets patrons from the ticket booth.
Older fans of Horror Hall might remember Knoll's iconic local performance. Guests, who were seated in the former school's auditorium while waiting to enter the haunt, would be caught off guard by a flash, before Dracula and Vampira materialized on stage through billowing clouds of smoke.
The pair of traditional vampires would go over the haunt's rules of conduct, before serving as tour guides for a lucky group of haunt-goers.
Fittingly, Knoll is also the mother of Horror Hall’s scenic designer, Zak Knoll.
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| Vintage Horror Hall poster of Knoll as Vampira |
Reflecting on the decades they have spent at the haunt, Rinehimer remembers teasing Diane back when they were both much younger.
“Hey, you think we'll be coming here when we're using canes and in wheelchairs?” he asked her.
More than 40 years later, they are still there.
For thrill-seekers looking for an extra jolt, Horror Hall also offers a special adults-only event, Horror Hall After Dark, held on a single night at the close of the regular season. Unlike the standard, family-friendly tour, the late-season adult night takes the frights to an entirely different tier.
“They touch,” Rinehimer. “It's adult entertainment. The language is a lot different. They push it to the limits.”
During the event, guests who prefer not to be touched can wear a glow-in-the-dark necklace as a safeguard, though Rinehimer notes that most people who buy a ticket actively want the physical interaction.
The evening also features unique audience participation elements, including a roving spotlight inside the auditorium.
“When they go in the auditorium, every now and again, there's a big light that starts swirling around. If it stops on you, they drag you out of there,” Rinehimer explained, adding that pulled guests are eventually reunited with their parties, though perhaps a bit worse for wear.
This year’s Horror Hall After Dark is on Halloween night.
Whether it's a high-tech ghost hunt in a 1920s speakeasy basement or an intense adult-only night at the end of October, Horror Hall continues to thrive on East Poplar Street, fueled by spooky fun, haunt comradery, and a community refusing to let a tradition die.
“For as long as I've been doing this, it's always felt like home,” Diane Knoll said.
For more information about tickets and Horror Hall’s attraction, visit their website here.
