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If someone you know comes back from Gateway’s Haunted Playhouse saying it wasn’t so scary, then they went to the wrong haunted house at Gateway Playhouse.
There’s also a lesser-known Halloween attraction at the Broadway-caliber theater in Bellport called the Not So Scary Kids Adventure.
For $10 a ticket, families get to tour the haunted house. They also get unlimited access to face-painting, balloon-making, a bounce house and street performances. That, and the concession station is open all day. (The Gateway’s kids’ haunted house 2016 runs from Oct. 8-Oct. 30. Click here for more info.)
“The concept is to open the Haunted House to parents and kids to give them a place to come and spend the afternoon as a family, not just a quick in and out,” said Gateway producer Scot Allan.
The kids’ haunted house actually takes place in the same playhouse where the regular haunted house happens. It’s just that some of the gorier trimmings are covered up.
And, of course the storyline and characters are different from those you would encounter at night.
“The indoor attraction is supposed to give kids a fun, character-driven hunt for as many tokens they can score with a candy treat at the end,” Allan said. “They are guided on a well-lit tour where they encounter their favorite Halloween characters.”
The Not So Scary Kids Adventure is open every Saturday and Sunday through Halloween from noon to 4 p.m. Gateway’s Haunted House was first unveiled in 2009. The kid’s haunted house was introduced the next year.
Visit The Gateway Theater online for more information.
Photo: Tour guide Aubrey Kyler addresses some not-so-scared youngsters. (Michael White)
