One great thing about travel is having the opportunity to experience something specific to the area one is visiting. It’s something I seek out on my trips and it has allowed me to participate in or witness some pretty unique things such as pilgrimages, Mexican wrestling, sweat lodge ceremonies, and coconut oil production.
In Kingston, Canada, I was able to participate in something a bit more prosaic but it was still awesome: a haunted house. It wasn’t just any house though – it was Fort Henry! Originally built by the English in the early 1800s, Fort Henry today is a major tourist attraction. But if you’re like me, you’ve already seen plenty of forts in your travels. So I was pretty excited to learn that there was a unique way to visit the fort, one that would make Fort Henry different from the other forts I’ve visited in the past.
Fort Fright: Spooky Fun Times
From late September to late October, Fort Henry turns into Fort Fright. It is essentially a large haunted house. And it makes sense that the fort would do so – it is supposed to be one of the top haunted places in North America!
As you follow the marked trail through the fort, you will experience nightmares, experiments gone wrong, zombies and snarly werewolves, witches and evil scarecrows, coffins, and the ever-creepy mental institution. There are also actors throughout, dressed as various characters, and they do their utmost to scare you. I’m not easily scared but I did find it a bit unnerving in parts as I let myself get caught up in the interactive experience. It was highly entertaining!
Do I recommend Fort Fright?
Yes! It’s a great way to get in the spirit of Halloween or to get the adrenaline going! From what I heard, Fort Fright is also popular as a date night for teenagers, LOL. The haunted house aspect of Fort Fright takes about an hour to complete. But I do recommend buying the “Total Scare” package to extend your visit. That includes a coffin ride (you lie enclosed in a coffin and experience your funeral and being buried), an Escape Room, and a ghost stories walk through the underground tunnels of Fort Henry. It really is a fantastic way to spend an evening!
FYI: Fort Fright is not really recommended for children. I did see parents with their kids but I also saw that a quite few young’uns were very unhappy…
