Niles Scream Park opening September 11th

NILES, Mich. – The Niles Scream Park is opening September 11th as it looks toward the spookier time of the year. However, things will be a little different in the middle of a pandemic.

The park is open Friday and Saturday nights in September, with Sundays added to the list during October.

The last events on the schedule are listed as the “Last Gasp” weekend which happens November 6th and 7th.

The theme for the haunted house this year is “scary stories to tell in the dark.”

In order to keep patrons and staff safe, face coverings will be required, guests and employees must both have a temperature check at the door, and there are more than 100 hand sanitizer stations setup throughout the park.

There are even atomizers and electrostatic sprayers being utilized to help disinfect high-touch surfaces.

Tickets are on a time schedule to reduce sizes of crowds and keep people moving through the park.

The owner says he wants to have the highest level of safety there is without taking away anyone’s sense of fun.

“I’m supposed to be optimistic so I’m optimistic that we’re gonna have a great year and a great turnout, but honestly, I think that some of the patrons are probably- some of them- gonna be afraid to come, so I think our numbers are gonna be down. I hope not, but we understand if people are afraid to come, but that’s why we’ve gone to all the lengths we have to make it as safe as possible. But no matter what we do, people are gonna shy away from it,” said owner Pete Karlowicz.