Merrill Boy Scout Troop 599 is excited to continue the fourth annual Haunted Sawmill with the introduction of an all-new theme, The Arcane Asylum. The entire Haunted Sawmill has been revamped and new passages and terrifying rooms have been added.
If you think you knew the Haunted Sawmill, you will soon learn that everything you thought you knew has been changed. Come and see the new terrors and horrors that await you at the Troop 599 Haunted Sawmill – the Arcane Asylum.
For this year, the Haunted Sawmill has furthered the storyline of its resident ghoul, Vincent Mudgett.
“We have a tremendous amount that’s new,” said Troop 599 leader Jerry Hersil. “Everything has been revised and revamped inside the sawmill. We have added new rooms and exciting new things. We’re going to blow some peoples’ minds this year.”
The time it takes to tour the haunted house has greatly increased this year, Hersil said. Some of the rooms have shows going on – not just a quick scare.
It takes 50-60 scouts and other volunteers to operate the sawmill, with at least 40 of those in costume each night.
The Troop 599 Haunted Sawmill – Arcane Asylum opens on Friday, Oct. 10 and is open every Friday and Saturday with the grand finale on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31.
Go to www.thehauntedsawmill.com for more information. Friend Vincent Mudgett on Facebook for a chance to win free tickets and Haunted Sawmill merchandise.
The show dates for 2014 are Friday, Oct. 10; Saturday, Oct. 11; Friday, Oct. 17; Saturday, Oct. 18; Friday, Oct. 24; Saturday, Oct. 25; and Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31.
The doors of the Haunted Sawmill open at 6 p.m. and tickets are sold until 11 p.m.
The Haunted Sawmill will also continue the extremely popular family events on Sunday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 26. The Sunday matinees run from noon to 5 p.m. and feature a lights-on version of the haunted house with games, trick-or-treating and candy for the kids and families.
The cost of admission to the Haunted Sawmill is $9 at the door or $7 with the donation of a non-perishable food-item for the local food pantries. The scouts of Troop 599 are continuing to serve the community by gathering donated food items.
Last year, the Haunted Sawmill drew 7,000 visitors and Troop 599 raised 2,000 food items for the food pantry. They were also able to sponsor 10 children in the Christmas Spirit Appeal, and made a donation to the Humane Society.
The Haunted Sawmill is the creation of the leaders and scouts of Boy Scout Troop 599. It is an annual fund-raiser that Troop 599 will use to continue to promote its service projects in the community and help the boy scouts of Troop 599 afford high adventure trips, summer camp and scouting activities. All of the profits from the Haunted Sawmill go directly to the boy scouts of Troop 599.
The scouts and the adult leaders have been working on the Haunted Sawmill nearly year-round. The boys learn many skills and even have creative input into the attraction.
“We ask the boys to design their own rooms and we have awards for the best rooms based on customer surveys,” Hersil said.
This past year, a lot of work has gone into improving the exterior appearance of the old factory building that houses the haunted house, which was done at the request of the city of Merrill.
The Haunted Sawmill is being recognized as among the best in the state and has even gotten nationwide mention on the internet. Troop 599 is starting to see its ideas popping up elsewhere, which they take as the sincerest form of flattery.
“One of the things we’re really noticing is that we’re getting imitated,” Hersil said. “That means we’re doing a good job.”