High-tech 'beautiful' horror awaits at Darkhill Cemetery

The haunted house has visuals that are more surreal and less gory. (Courtesy image Darkhill Cemetery)

ROCHESTER - For the eighth year in a row, 16-year-old George Farrow III has constructed another top-notch haunted event in his parent's garage, located in Rochester.

In the past years, Farrow has earned a reputation for scenics that rival the likes of Universal Studios and Disney World.
The sets, combined with a completely custom computer control system that runs the highest caliber lighting, sound, atmospherics, and multi-motion animatronics will surely elicit quite the scare out of those who walk through the attraction.
The attraction has also been a huge pioneer in utilizing professional show control technologies to haunted houses. The computer-control system is one of a kind, and has been designed, built, implemented and programmed in-house for the past six years. The system integrates and runs everything in the attraction.

This could be anything from a fog machine with custom theme-scented fog to an LED luminaire to a complex multi-motion pneumatic animatronic prop. Farrow is able to monitor the system on an iPad or iPhone while the attraction is in operation, allowing him to not be tied to the system completely. Live actors with custom costuming and makeup are also utilized effectively throughout the experience.
This year is loosely based around a hospital/asylum theme. Patrons will walk through five distinctive areas, each portraying an aspect of a hospital or asylum. However, there will not be much (if any) bloody/gory tactics used. Farrow believes that these are cheap scare tactics that are overused by haunted houses and horror movies alike.

At Darkhill Cemetery, Farrow and his team of volunteers have developed the concept of what they term "beautiful horror," where psychological fears illustrated in the scenes are utilized, rather than the cheap, cookie cutter scare tactics.
Since its inception, admission has been completely free. However, optional donations have been accepted and have always been directly given to a deserving local charity.

The attraction has partnered with St. Charles Children's Home, and Make-A-Wish Foundation of NH in the past. Last year, they gave to a wonderful local charity called Amy's Treat. Amy's Treat works to enrich the lives of those living with cancer, as well as the family members of those here in the Seacoast. Amy's Treat will once again be the recipient of the fund generated by the haunted house this year. To learn more about Amy's Treat, visit http://amystreat.org
Darkhill Cemetery Haunted House will be open to the public for two nights this season. The nights are Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30. The attraction is located at 26 Dodge St.

They will be open from 6- 9:30 p.m. For more information on Darkhill Cemetery Haunted House, visit http://darkhillhaunt.com