Review: Halfway to Halloween: Hell House Edition

Here are the event details before we get into a review. Halfway to Halloween: Hell House Edition was held on April 29, 2023. The event started at 5:00 pm and ended at 6:00 am. The Waldorf Estate of Fear (Filming location for 3 Hell House movies) was the obvious location. It can be found at 6325 Interchange Road, Lehighton, PA 18235.

I must have survived the night since I'm able to write this review. I'm happy about that. As always every event here is worth its weight in gold. This was the first overnight event they held. We were able to occupy a room for this one. We decided on Paul's room. If your a fan of the Hell House films and have the opportunity to get to an overnight event here make sure you do.

We arrived to the event around 5 pm. They had a check in booth along with a merchandise booth on entry. It is impossible for me to pass it without getting something. PARA - Palmerton Area Research Alliance was also there to head up the investigations. Alan and Larissa Rex and the rest of their team are a staple in this project without a doubt. We went for the VIP package so we collected out research equipment. They did have a very special raffle for this event which will have a winner drawn in July. The prize you ask? 2 VIP tickets to investigate Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia with an option to spend the night. Due to rain they had a large tent set up outside of the hotel. Everyone was inside chatting away about Hell House and horror in general. The fun began shortly after.

They had a panel of actors/actresses from the film along with Director/Writer Stephen Cognetti. I have to say he was a very down to Earth guy. He answered a gauntlet of questions that covered just about everything. Besides the Hell House trilogy he touched on the fourth installment of the film, The Carmichael Manor. The filming is complete at this point and it will hopefully be releasing in October on Shudder. He did not give away too much information which is a good thing. Can't spoil it in advance. He also spoke about his other horror project 825 Forest Road. I have been following this one for awhile waiting on an update. There is potential for this one to release the same time as The Carmichael Manor. Two for one in the epic found footage department if you ask me. The other panel members were more than game to answer anything they were asked. Scream Queen Angie Moyer also joined in for some Q and A. If you make it out to any event make sure to say hello. She host some of the best you will find. She is always willing to chat when she is not running around like a mad woman which she does a lot of the time.

They had a large flat screen in the tent and we watched the Director's Cut of Hell House LLC. Dinner was included with this event and it was great. Roasted turkey sandwich with salad and macaroni and cheese. What was this meal missing? Cake, but they had that covered after dinner as well. The nice thing here even though it is a small detail is the time that went into it. They didn't order pizza or anything like that. They home cooked this meal for the people in attendance. We were then split into groups to start the paranormal portion of the evening.

Our first stop was a 30 minute investigation in the garage. While there was not a ton of activity in there it was a learning tool. If you have never used any equipment for an investigation they went over all of it and how it worked. I have to say it really does help when you have a basic understanding of what is happening. That becomes very important later in the evening. We went back to the tent to hang out some more with a very cool crowd.

My favorite part of the evening everytime I go there was next. Escape Hell House. As you know you can't really escape, but that is the fun part. You recreate the scene from the film when people are sneaking into the backdoor of the Abaddon Hotel. Once your inside you are cut loose to explore the house. As your explore, rooms that were there are no longer accessible. You have to route your way through. Then another room is blocked and the previous is not. You really get turned around in there trying to find your way. To add to the stress there are a few evil characters lurking throughout the house. These are some dedicated people. They play their respective roles to perfection. For this one the dead girl takes the win. She was very creepy. The clown that we have come to know and love also has some surprises for your when you least expected it. Once you eventually make your way out it's back to the hangout tent.

Around midnight it's time to really get inside and investigate with professionals. Remember all the equipment I talked about earlier? This is where you see it all in action. You get a good amount of time in each area and hot spots. Our group had some great success with the attic, basement, and Paul's room really shining through. You get very invested here and before you know it your nearly two hours into it. They also allow you some time to investigate the house with the equipment on your own which you should take advantage of.

3 am finally rolls around and it is time to retire to your respective room. You are free to investigate your room, take nap, or have a snack. I am pretty sure I did all three. Since this was the first time anyone was allowed to spend the entire night it was very cool to be a part of that. 6 am rolls around really fast when your having fun. We packed up our stuff in the room and made our way downstairs. The PARA team copied your investigation footage to a micro SD for you to review and keep. Once outside coffee, juice, water, and an assortment of breakfast pastries were there to refuel before you go home.

I have to say that this event was a step up for me. I have been to Hell House before and had a blast. The sleepover element added that extra WOW layer to this trip. This one is highly recommended. I know they have a few other events coming up such as Hell House Paracon which I plan on attending and reviewing. I have zero doubt that this will be another solid evening of paranormal fun. If you are new to this there is plenty of experience and knowledge there to make you comfortable. If it is the Hell House element that draws you to the event it is a no brainer. I hope to see you there for the next one.