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| Photo courtesy of Waldorf Estate of Fear |
by Tara Adams
LEHIGHTON, Pa. - Spring might be in the air, but fear is in bloom at a haunted attraction in eastern Pennsylvania, which served as the set of an unsettling found-footage horror movie franchise.
And in a few days, fans of haunted houses, horror flicks, and the paranormal will get a taste of all three at Waldorf Estate of Fear's Third Annual Halfway to Halloween celebration.
The Lehighton attraction, which many paranormal investigators believe is haunted by multiple spirits, is hosting the event, Halfway to Halloween: The Lake of Fire Edition, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The event is named after the third movie in the Hell House LLC franchise.
“You are in a haunted house that has paranormal activity, you are in the dark, and there are actors scaring you,” Waldorf Owner Angie Moyer said of Escape Hell House, one of the events Halfway to Halloween attendees will experience.
Guests might even run into the creepy Hell House clowns.
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| Photo: Haunt Hunters App |
Moyer said the 180-year-old Waldorf, known as the Abaddon Hotel in the Hell House LLC movies, is a draw for fans of the films. Many fans travel from all over to see the property.
“People are coming just because it's Hell House,” Moyer said. “It has brought people in.”
The event's lineup includes a lights-on, behind-the-scenes tour of Waldorf led by movie cast members; an outside set tour; the Escape Hell House experience; dinner; and a showing of Hell House LLC: Lake of Fire. A late night paranormal investigation will follow the movie.
Stephen Cognetti, writer and director of the Hell House LLC movies, will be on hand for a question and answer session with attendees.
The eeriness of the Waldorf property made it a good match for the films, Cognetti said.
“When I was first given a tour of the Waldorf by Angie, I knew immediately that it was the perfect fit for my script,” Cognetti said. “It had so many creepy nooks, halls and doors to play out every scare and even come up with new ones while exploring. I absolutely love coming back to the Abaddon every year.”
There are four movies in the series, and a fifth Hell House LLC film, Hell House LLC: Lineage, will be out later this year. Lineage also is the first in the series that wasn't shot found-footage style and is said to be the last Hell House LLC film.
The premise of the first Hell House LLC movie, released in 2015, revolves around the opening of a new haunted house attraction that goes terribly wrong. Each additional movie delves deeper into the story of the Hell House universe.
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| Photo: Haunt Hunters App |
Halfway to Halloween attendees interested in exploring the haunted side of the property may purchase tickets for the paranormal investigation, which will begin after the Lake of Fire showing.
The Waldorf property was built on farmland in the mid-1800s, and paranormal investigators believe spirits of some of the original residents remain at the site, based on names that have come up during investigations. Some spirits, however, are only there temporarily, Moyer said.
“There are several spirits that live at the Waldorf,” Moyer said. “There are spirits that are just passing through.”
The types of hauntings include intelligent spirits, mimics, shadow people, and residual activity. Moyer and other investigators believe that the energy created from the haunted attraction - the screams, scares, and laughs - have stirred up the paranormal activity.
“They're attracted to the energy,” she said.
While none of the entities appear to be demonic, the activity is notable enough that it will be featured in an upcoming television series called “24 Hours in Hell,” Moyer said.
The series is in post-production, and producers have been in discussions with Terror Films about distribution, she said.
“They seem very interested in unleashing it and keeping Hell House alive,” Moyer said. “It doesn't have to end with Lineage.”
The TV series focuses on the experiences and research-based scientific findings of a team of investigators who spend 24 hours inside the property. Not all of the investigators make it through the 24 hours, according to the Waldorf Estate of Fear website.
“It's very cool. It's not just ghost hunting,” Moyer said. “They're trying to scientifically prove that there's something out there.”
Limited tickets to Halfway to Halloween remain. For more information on the event or to buy tickets, please visit https://www.waldorfestateoffear.com/.
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| Photo courtesy of Waldorf Estate of Fear |
