Connellsville’s Crawford School of Terror back for Halloween scares
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A bathroom scare at the Crawford School of Terror, 125 N. Seventh St., Connellsville. The school is open every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 31. Tickets are on sale between 7 and 11 p.m.
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The outside of the Crawford School of Terror, 125 N. Seventh St., Connellsville.
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A room at the Crawford School of Terror, 125 N. Seventh St., Connellsville.
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The Crawford School of Terror, 125 N. Seventh St., Connellsville, is open every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 31.
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The Crawford School of Terror, 125 N. Seventh St., Connellsville, is open Fridays and Saturdays through Halloween.
Even COVID-19 couldn鈥檛 keep the doors closed at the Crawford School of Terror for this fall.
鈥淲e鈥檙e open right now,鈥� said Troy Flesik, who owns the Connellsville attraction with his wife, Suzie. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 been great鈥搕he busiest one so far.鈥�
Flesik said the increased number of visitors could very well be a combination of people wanting to get out of the house from being at home during shutdowns, and the fact that bigger haunted attractions in Allegheny County have closed because of COVID-19 capacity restrictions.
鈥淚 think everyone has been cooped up in their houses too long and they鈥檙e ready to go,鈥� Flesik said.
For the fifth year of the event, Flesik said they鈥檝e expanded the carnival-themed area on the first floor, which is known as 鈥淔ayette County Fear鈥�.
The second floor, 鈥淐lassic Crawford,鈥� is the original area. It is a classroom-themed setting and has been totally changed around with new rooms and scares added.
Finally, the basement, which originally had visitors walking in blindfolded with only a rope to guide them, had to remove the rope and blindfolds because of COVID-19. The basement area has now been transformed into to a new theme, 鈥淭he Witching Hour,鈥� which Flesik said includes a witch蘑菇视频 cabin, a swamp area and a cemetery.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 like an outdoor scene,鈥� he said.
The two-story, red-brick building was built in 1916 and used to educate students in kindergarten through sixth grade until it closed in 1976.
Flesik said they have added additional safety precautions to the experiences of both the haunted attraction and the escape room for the safety of all involved.
For example, masks should be worn at all times, and the shorter 10-minute escape room won鈥檛 be running this year. The 60-minute escape room is still available, however, and guests can sign up for a wait list where they can wait in their vehicles or outside to avoid lines and will contacted through their phone when they鈥檙e next to enter.
One new feature the Flesiks wanted to premiere around this time was Crawford Axe Throwing. The idea came after they attended a Halloween convention in St. Louis and saw a mobile ax throwing trailer. They thought it would be a good idea for the Crawford School of Terror.
鈥淲e had an extra room and thought we could do it inside, to have it all in one building and have it all year around,鈥� Flesik said.
However, the endeavor proved to be too much to get ready in time, so they pushed back the opening to be in mid-November.
鈥淗aunts and escape rooms are not for everyone, but someone can find something to do,鈥� Flesik said, adding that he believes the closest axe-throwing attractions are around Greensburg and Monroeville.
The Crawford School of Terror, 125 N. Seventh St., Connellsville, is open every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 31. Tickets are on sale between 7 and 11 p.m.
Tickets for the haunt are $20 per person and can be sold online or in person at the box office, which only takes cash.
Tickets for the escape room are also being sold online for $25 per person with minimum number in a group at five.
Flesik said the Kickstand Kitchen, a local restaurant, will be set up with snacks and drinks every Friday and Saturday.
For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit www.crawfordschoolofterror.com