PLYMOUTH – Now in its eighth year, Rogers Haunted Hill has grown from a small, haunted barn into a spooktacular fright-fest for people of all ages. And what once catered to a much younger crowd now draws thousands to this vast collection of all things strange, scream-worthy and downright scary.
According to Beverly Rogers, one of many organizers who plan and set up the event year after year, it’s a great way for families to celebrate Halloween – and it’s definitely worth the wait.
“I guess people just like to get scared,” laughed Rogers, who – along with daughter Debbie Thompson, property owners Dale and Shelly Rogers and nearly 50 other family members and friends – has been putting on the much-anticipated spook-fest for nearly a decade. “Basically, it’s all about having fun, giving people a good scare and it’s something we enjoy.”
From severed limbs (not to mention more than a few severed heads) to ghosts and pirates, skeletons, spiders, rats, bats and things that go bump in the night, people can expect “a little bit of everything,” said Rogers. This year, several colleges are planning to bus in groups of students to check out the event. It’s an opportunity Rogers and her fellow Haunted Hill organizers are looking forward to, she added.
“Those kids from the city, you can scare the dickens out of them,” said Rogers, who added it’s “all in good fun.”
According to Haunted Hill organizers, a lot of work goes into the yearly event. Preparation and construction of the maze-like structure – which features ambient lighting, black lights, fog machines and more – begins the last week of August, said Rogers. All in all, volunteers and organizers put in hundreds of hours evenings and weekends to put the Haunted Hill together. In addition, the nearby Plymouth Pumpkin Patch will hold hay rides from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for $5 per person, and will have pumpkins for sale.
“We have some new items that we hope are going to be scary and we hope people have a lot of fun,” added Rogers. “We all work very hard setting this up.”
The gate at Rogers’ Haunted Hill will open at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and will remain open “until everyone is done,” said Rogers. A not-for-profit event, a suggested $5 donation per person helps keep it and running. In addition, hot dogs, chili, coffee, hot chocolate and water will be available. To reach the Haunted Hill, take Hopkins-Crandall Road, northwest of the hamlet of Plymouth, off County Route 16.