FALL RIVER, Mass. — It’s been 25 years of thrills, chills and screams at Factory of Terror in Fall River. So far this year, the scariest thing for Mike Quill was whether they would be able to open the doors.
They received word from the City of Fall River that they would be able to operate and scrambled to get everything ready. Then days ago, they received word that the haunted house would be classified as a theatre, part of a phase not yet allowed to open.
The attraction hopes the state and Department of Health will look at the 30-page safety plan they have put together to safely bring Halloween to those who love a frightening night.
“At this point we are hoping the state gets the chance the review it and give us the opportunity to open,” said Mike Quill.
Quill said they have been working since April to reinvent the scare experience for a socially distanced audience.
“We got really creative on how to scare people from six feet away or behind a partition,” Quill said.
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That includes switching out real actors for animatronics and building new positions.
“We custom made frames, plexiglass, to keep behind a partition,” Quill said.
Plus removing any shared surfaces.
“That was a big one, just trying [to] reduce things that people can touch. We’ve always had a no touching policy so that’s easy to adapt,” Quill said.
Guests arrive at separate times, groups would stay together, and arrows point out the direction with social distance between each group. Further adaptations include sanitizer, temperature checks for employees and more.
Quill said the procedures he has put in place go above and beyond the protocol guidance provided by the state.
“They can come here to celebrate Halloween, get scared, but do it safely,” Quill said.
Right now, it’s a wait and see for Factory of Terror; they hope to get the green light to open in the beginning of October. Other haunted houses, like Barrett’s Haunted Mansion in Abington moved their attractions outside, offering a drive-thru horror movie experience.
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