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The Story of Thrillvania Haunted House Park

Posted by Thrillvania in Haunted House News, Thrillvania History on October 19th, 2018

What’s new at Thrillvania Haunted House Park? Well, did you know that for a haunting to take place, a house must have a history.

Think about some of the creepiest urban legends from the south. A playground in Alabama known to entertain the ghosts of dead children. Lake Lanier in Georgia. The dog boy at 65 Mulberry Street in Arkansas that wrecks havoc all over the neighborhood.

What do these urban legends all have in common?

Many of them are locations where bad things once happened. And it’s no different with houses, which many believe to harbor bad energy… that is if bad things once happened there.

Thrillvania Haunted House Park is no stranger to haunted houses. These 50 acres of land are home to three different – and equally terrifying – haunted attractions… all with a history of their own under the reign of Baron Michael Verdun.

Who is this Baron Verdun? And how is he the host of one of the best haunted houses in Texas? Read on to find out… but beware!

 

 

Verdun Manor Rises

Baron Michael Verdun was no ordinary human. During the day, he may have seemed like your typical Texan aristocrat. But by nightfall, Baron Verdun was anything but.

In 1901, Baron Verdun and his wife, Lady Cassandra D’Arque, constructed their Antebellum-style manor atop 50 acres of land. The area was Voodoo Bayou to the locals. And not far off was an old plantation cemetery harboring bad energy from those buried who suffered in this life.

Verdun hired foreign workers to build deep cellars circulating underneath his manor. Once finished, the workers were never seen again. It wasn’t long until travelers and people from the surrounding countryside suddenly began to go missing. Baron Verdun and Lady Cassandra were soon subject of the rumors and speculation surrounding these disappearances.

 

Thrillvania Haunted House Park - Terrell, Texas



After all, the townspeople of Terrell always felt something was very off about them. Even their manor was unlike any other home people had ever seen. Its structure and outside appearance was dark, foreboding, gothic, and warped. Who knew what the inside was like…

The Horrific History of Verdun Manor

To outsiders, Baron Verdun was your typical scientist. But the townspeople of Terrell would soon learn otherwise. Because, in fact, Baron Verdun had a sick, twisted fascination with the darkness. And he was especially keen on channeling the inner beasts inside all men.

He was no man. Every full moon, Baron Verdun transformed into the beast. The shapeshifter. A werewolf.

 

 

Verdun’s rage and hunger were ravenous and uncontrollable. And so was his beloved Lady Cassandra, no ordinary woman of elegance and prestige.

A creature of the night as some would call it. To most, she was a vampire. Her own thirst for blood led her to abduct those travelers and countrymen… and bring them back to Verdun Manor so the Baron could finish them off.

 


And that he did in the cruelest fashion. Conducting experiments on these people, he subjected them to great pain and mutilation… and stripped them of their humanity and transformed them into malformed, human-animals.

Baron Verdun wasn’t satisfied. In his eyes, his botched experiments were great failures. And so he set them loose into the wild, leaving them to fend for themselves. More people began to go missing, devoured by these creatures.

Every full moon, the Lady and the Baron hosted extravagant – yet grotesque – masquerade balls. Cocktails. Music. Dancing. And when it came time for the feast, guests were not fed a pig roast. Rather, the Baron and the Lady served up human flesh. And instead of games of cards or singing around the piano, the Baron would chase human prey for fun.

The Legend of Verdun Manor

The people of Terrell had had enough of the darkness that now loomed over their once peaceful town. Tired of the disappearances. Scared of leaving their homes. An angry mob took to the streets and stormed Verdun Manor one stormy night.

First, they rounded up the human-animal hybrids lurking around town. They locked the creatures up in the Baron’s laboratory and set fire to it.

Then, the mob found Lady Cassandra asleep in her crypt… and they put an end to her blood-thirsty rampage by mutilating and decapitating her.

Finally, they caught Baron Verdun and bludgeoned him to death. As he lay there dying, he swore vengeance upon anyone who dared enter his manor and the grounds.

The townspeople laid all the bloody remains deep into the ground. They desired to put this darkness behind them and resume their old lives. And for many years, the people of Terrell got exactly what they hoped. Silence. Yet they always wondered what – or who – remained at Verdun Manor.

New Beginnings?

A year after the deaths of Baron Verdun and Lady Cassandra, Vincent Carruther moved in. He and his family were a breath of fresh air to the townspeople of Terrell. Verdun was dead and so was Lady Cassandra. The dark past was behind them all…

But little did the Carruther’s know about the manor’s dark history.

One Halloween, the Carruther’s hosted a ball. But as they say, the dead can rise on Halloween. And so that’s exactly what the Baron and his Lady did… and they did more than crash the party.

Bursting inside, Baron Verdun and Lady Cassandra got the last laugh. They brutally murdered the Carruther’s and everyone inside. And the real man of the house and his lady scattered the remains of their guests around the house… in the corridors and cellars and in the walls.


Any remaining doubts and suspicions among the townspeople could now be horrifically confirmed. The Baron and Lady Cassandra were the real owners of Verdun Manor.

And anybody who wished to think otherwise would subject themselves to the darkness that lies in Verdun Manor… that is if they dared to enter.

Thrillvania Haunted House Park

It’s said that the grounds of Verdun are still haunted to this day… especially around Halloween. To experience the haunting for yourself, you’ll first need to do so through Thrillvania Haunted House Park.

 

 

Those who dare enter Verdun Manor must first brave the Voodoo Bayou and the old burial ground. As they approach Verdun Manor, they’re then greeted by blasts of fire. These blasts may be reminiscent of the night the Baron’s laboratory was set aflame. But they serve as a final warning to those who still wish to enter.

If you yourself dare to enter, you’ll have a hard time deciphering what’s real… and what’s not.

Even America Haunts, the industry’s leading haunted association, has something to say. According to America Haunts, Thrillvania Haunted House Park is “a blood-tingling experience”.

This year, America Haunts also ranked Thrillvania one of the most extreme haunted houses in 2018. And those who dare to visit it will soon understand why.

Do you dare to learn the dark history behind one of the best haunted houses in 2018? If so, get your tickets to Thrillvania Haunted House Park today!

The Scary Truth About Mermaids

Posted by Thrillvania in Haunted House News on October 10th, 2018

Pretty much every modern representation you’ll find of mermaid’s has it wrong. Even Disney’s interpretation of The Little Mermaid leaves out the gruesome details of Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale.

In it, the Little Mermaid drinks the sea witch’s potion to grow legs. In return, however, she is cursed in many ways. She gives up her tongue and her intoxicating voice and becomes mute. In return for her beautiful singing voice, though, she gains the most skilled dancing legs. But every time she takes a step with her new human legs, it pains her severely, feeling as if she’s stomping on swords. That isn’t the end of the curse, however. In order to receive a soul and escape death, she must convince the Prince to fall in love with her. If she doesn’t convince the prince to marry her, she will die accursed of a broken heart, soulless, and dissolve into the ocean to be forever lost at sea.

Luckily, the prince is attracted to her elegant dancing, so she dances for him endlessly, despite the pain in her feet. Later, the prince falls in love with another woman, and the mermaid is nearing her deadly fate. As she weeps by the sea, wounded by her broken heart, her sisters surface. They are carrying a knife from the sea witch, which they traded their long, luscious hair for.

The Little Mermaid must use the knife to slay the prince, and then place a drop of his blood on her feet to break the curse. She has fallen deeply in love with the Prince, though, so she cannot bring herself to kill him. Instead, she dives into the ocean, attempting to kill herself, where she dissolves into foam.


However, the honorable mermaid is not lost forever. Instead, she is given another chance at a soul, which she can gain after 300 years of good deeds for mankind.

Perhaps the earliest account of mermaids is the Syrian tale of Atargatis. She is often said to be the very first mermaid, who became so after an attempt at suicide. Atargatis was a beautiful goddess who fell in love with a human shepherd. However, she accidentally kills him with her godly power. Riddled with grief, she attempts to kill herself by diving into the depths of the ocean. Generally, when gods enter the ocean they become fish. But this tale accounts that Atargis was too beautiful to suffer this same fate, and the transformation stopped halfway through. Instead, Atargis was given the body of a fish and kept her beautiful hair and head.

The creepiest account of mermaids by far is the Greek account of the Sirens. Although initially depicted as devilish creatures with the legs of birds, eventually adaptations began to describe them as beautiful women with the bodies of fish. These mythical sea creatures were native to a group of islands known as the Sirenuse, and they were just as deadly as they were beautiful.

The Sirens has the voice of goddesses and sang a beautiful song that could be heard from miles away. Sailors heard their song as they passed through on their ships, which put them into a trance and lured them to the islands. The Sirens seduced the men with their beauty and lulled them with their gorgeous song, just before slaying them and devouring their bodies with their razor-sharp teeth.

The Sirens were repeatedly present in Greek mythology, even appearing as one of Odysseus’ obstacles during his homestretch.

To further the idea that mermaids are violent creatures, the Russian tales of the Rusalki describe the half-fish, half-woman creatures as the lost souls of women who drown themselves in the ocean due to unwanted pregnancies. The Rusalki angrily stalks the ocean, hunting down men and children to take them as prey, torturing them and devouring them as payment for their death.

While the ghastly tales of mermaids may be enough to keep you up at night, many accounts of mermen may have you replanning your vacation to the oceanside. Many accounts of mermen, like in the original Little Mermaid tale, depict them as a zombie-fish of sorts.

In the Little Mermaid tale, the sisters speak of the dead bodies of sailors that sink into the sea. They rise to become mermen but are unlike the mermaids and mermen born to the sea. Instead, these mermen are much like zombies, except with fish tails and fins. Some greek mythology describes them as carnivorous creatures much like the sirens. They travel in packs to hunt down passing ships, causing shipwrecks and devouring any unfortunate soul that is cast to the sea.

Every ancient account of mermaids across the world is a little different, but one thing is for certain. They are nowhere near as gentle and innocent as the Disney tales suggest.

There are more spooky souls than sirens and flesh-eating fish-men, though. If you’re looking for a fright the Halloween season, be sure to grab your haunted house tickets for the scariest haunted house in Dallas area. Thrillvania Haunted House Park is your one-stop-shop this Halloween for all the spooks and screams your heart desires.

Awesome & Spooky Halloween Party Ideas

Posted by Thrillvania in Haunted House News on October 8th, 2018

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And we’re not talking about Christmas, Andy Williams.

It’s the beginning of October, which means the Halloween season has finally commenced. For those who love everything to do with Halloween, it’s the best time of year to throw a party. And if you’re planning to throw a spooky soiree, you might be on the prowl for Halloween party ideas.

Sure, a costume contest and mystery box games are the staples of any Halloween bash. But what are some unique and scary ideas for a haunted house party? And what are some ways you can throw an incredible party that people will remember for years to come?

Put your party (or witch) hat on… because it’s time to throw the best party around town this Halloween!

 

 

The Refreshments Table

What’s a haunted house party without some food and beverages to enjoy?

Of course, candy is an obvious choice for any Halloween party. But you’re bound to create some not-so-pleasant tummy aches if all your guests have eaten is sugar. Luckily, there are plenty of spooky and scrumptious appetizers you can whip up for your party.

Take chorizo and caramel stuffed intestines, for example. They look as unappetizing as gutted intestines would. But the flaky crust and the warm sausage, potato, and onion stuffed center are anything but. The recipe even calls for a sweet dipping sauce.

What are some other appetizing Halloween party ideas? You can create mummified pigs-in-a-blanket using mustard drops as eyes. Or, place sliced olives on top of deviled eggs to make them look like creepy eyeballs.

Quench Their Thirst for Thrills

Throwing a party strictly for the adults? Looking for something other than spiked “bloody” punch? Try morgue-a-ritas, witchy cocktails, and plenty of other Halloween cocktails!

You can even pour the beverages into vials to make them look like potions. Seal them off with corkscrew caps and tie tags around them with messages like:

  • Drink Me
  • Poison
  • Beware
  • Aging Potion
  • Snake Venom

Your beverages don’t have to be alcoholic, either. Why not celebrate the time of year by providing warm apple cider? You could even concoct an apple, cranberry, and pomegranate sangria – minus the alcohol. Instead of booze, use ginger ale or flavored seltzer.

Satisfy Their Sweet Tooths

There may be plenty of candy to go around. But why not whip up some bloody cupcakes? Use white cake batter and fill the insides with red jelly or red frosting. Be sure to slather on white frosting so your guests don’t know what to expect inside!

Skip the kiddie caramel apples. Instead, replace the caramel with black toffee and serve up some “poison” apples. Don’t forget to cover the refreshments table with something festive. The darker, the better!

The Decorations

Halloween is the only time it’s socially acceptable to transform your home into a living Hell… well, not literally.

Every haunted house party needs decorations. If you have decorations leftover from previous years, use them! The more, the better. But what are some other Halloween party ideas and decorations?

It’s All About the Ambiance

There’s something eerie about dim lit rooms. Instead of experimenting with the lights in your home, go for candlesticks. Antique-style candlestick holders will create a spooky ambiance… but empty wine bottles can also suffice.

Black-and-orange schemes are traditional for Halloween. But if you want scary ideas for haunted houses, try black-and-white. For example, you could use black plates and silverware along with striped napkins. Keep white to a minimum or embellish all the black with metallic colors.

Flowers may seem like the total opposite of Halloween. But there are black and dark fake flowers that can add a level of elegance to your party. Decorated and carved pumpkins are always a classic choice, as well.

Go the Extra Mile

What’s to stop you from decorating the rest of your house? After all, people are going to need to use the restroom. Here’s a creepy way to startle them when they walk inside…

Buy a white shower curtain at a local dollar store. It doesn’t need to be expensive. Then, slather your hands and wrists with red paint

and create a bloodbath on the curtain. Hang it up for the party and keep it up all throughout Halloween! If you have a bathmat you don’t mind dirtying up, have at it with your feet.

You can also get your guests pumped even before they enter your home. Decorating the outside of your home for Halloween takes time… but with these outdoor Halloween decorations, you can throw the ultimate haunted house party!

The Entertainment

Dressing up and catching up with old friends is entertaining enough. But what’s any party without some music to play in the background and dance along to?

We all know the Monster Mash, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and the Ghostbusters theme. So, what are some Halloween songs you can play to create an ambient and creepy atmosphere?

  • Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult
  • I Put a Spell on You by Nina Simone
  • House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
  • Black Magic Woman by Santana
  • Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon
  • Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones
  • Zombie by The Cranberries

Many of these songs fall under the classic rock genre. You can never go wrong with playing theme songs from your horror films… or playing music that you and your friends can dance to!

Have Some Good Old Fashioned Halloween Fun!

What are some other entertaining ideas for a haunted house? What types of fun Halloween party ideas and activities can you incorporate?

You can never go wrong with a mystery box game!

Designate a table you’re not afraid to get dirty. Then, you’ll need boxes with small holes cut into the top or front of them. Shoe boxes work great.

After that, it’s time to fill them with some fun (and disgusting) mystery ingredients. Here are some ideas:

  • Cooked spaghetti (brains or worms)
  • Mushrooms cut into quarters (noses)
  • Olives or peeled grapes (eyeballs)
  • Small, boiled hot dogs (fingers)

Trust us when we say to have a disposable tablecloth and some napkins handy for your guests!

What are some other Halloween party ideas that’ll keep your guests entertained?

If you and your friends love horror movies, set up a horror flick trivia game. Instead of throwing a haunted house party, you could host a murder mystery party. If you go that route, be sure to send character profiles to your guests on the invitations.

The Costume Contest

You wouldn’t believe the lengths people go to come out on top at Halloween costume contests. People will shell out hundreds of dollars and spend hours making their costumes. And if you invited some competitive, Halloween-loving folks, raise the stakes!

This year, we’re loving the idea of skeleton trophies. You can buy small ones for cheap online or at a local party store. Then, all you’ll need is gold spray paint… and voila!

What are the categories you should award your disguised and downright creative guests? Here are some categories:

  • Best/most creative costume
  • Creepiest makeup
  • Funniest costume
  • Spookiest couple costume
  • Scariest costume

If the idea of skeleton trophies doesn’t jive with you, never fear. There’s no shortage of prizes to award the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Money. Gift certificates. Even tickets to a haunted attraction!

Throw an Unforgettable Night with Halloween Party Ideas!

Are you looking to throw the ultimate Halloween bash this year? Now is the time to start planning and sending out your invites. Halloween is only a couple of weeks away!

If you’re looking for more Halloween party ideas, we’ve got one more in store for you:

Thrillvania is the most thrilling Halloween experience in the country… and it’s only thirty miles outside Dallas. Get a group of 15 friends together and experience three terrifying attractions in one unforgettable night… and then, host a Thrillvania after-party!

Buy your discounted group tickets today!