The Haunted Fort in Prospect, Maine: A Good Haunted House

With Halloween being my favorite holiday, I have always enjoyed haunted houses. When some friends of mine said they were going to "Fright Night" at Fort Knox, I knew I had to go. This is not the popular Fort Knox in Kentucky, but the original one located in Prospect, Maine. I have been to the fort twice before, both times during the day. The outside right on the water is a picturesque view. The inside, however, is quite creepy, even in the day time. You can imagine then how scared you would feel walking through this dark fort late at night in complete darkness.

When we first got there, there was a very long line, but it seemed to be moving fast. Tickets were five dollars for adults and three dollars for children. We waited a total of about 25 minutes, then we came to the front of the line where we were put into a group of about 15 people. Our "tour guide" explained the rules (no cursing, no flashlights, etc.), and she began taking us around the outside of the fort to the entrance. She was dressed in an elaborate costume with full makeup and blood stains on her dress; she even put on an accent. As we followed her around the outside of the fort, we passed the actual dungeon of the fort where we could see people peeking through the windows and screaming to us for help.

When we got inside, it was like any typical haunted house. There were people in scary costumes jumping out and screaming. The difference, however, was the quality of the production. Very few people if any had on masks. They mostly had makeup and elaborate costumes which fit the time period of the fort. Also, unlike a typical haunted house, this was in an actual fort, where we walked through an actual dungeon. Even though the dungeon was never used, it was still exciting and very scary to be in one and have people jump out at me.

The actors were from the drama department of a local school, so the acting and realism was first-class. As with any haunted house, people jump out at you, and it may be too scary for small children. You can always turn back if you want to, and the tour guide can help you with that.