Renaissance Center to host ghosts on Haunted Trail

Release Date: 9/11/2001. Expired: 10/27/2001

There’s sure to be ghosts, ghouls, goblins and other scary things that go bump in the night when The Renaissance Center presents its first Haunted Trail each weekend in October at Ruskin Cave.

The Renaissance Center also will hold its 2nd annual Halloween Festival at the center on Highway 46 for its Super Saturday celebration Oct. 27. More than 4,000 people attended last year’s celebration, which offered a safe, family friendly atmosphere for trick or treating.

The home of the popular Camp Renaissance will be transformed into a Halloween fest fit for Count Dracula himself and his hordes as notorious nocturnal creatures from beyond the grave and elsewhere haunt the trail in homage to All Hallow’s Eve.

“The Renaissance Center, in partnership with the Dickson Firefighters Union, will be putting on this haunted trail,” said Paul McCardle, director of Facilities at Camp Renaissance. “As far as I know there’s not been a haunted house or haunted trail in Dickson for many, many years. There used to be a haunted house out at the old college building out at Ruskin Cave about 20 or 25 years ago. But we won’t utilize that because it’s in a very rundown state and we don’t want anybody injured.”

The trail will be lit up by torches and candles “to give a little ambiance for the season,” McCardle said. “We estimate that this haunted trail will take about 35 to 45 minutes. Most haunted houses usually take about 20 minutes.”

Each tour will accommodate 15 to 20 visitors, he said.

“We’re looking for a really good turnout,” he said. “We believe we’re going to have a good haunted trail.”

While he would not reveal the exciting and scary things expected along the trail, McCardle said it’s at parents’ discretion whether they bring really young children. However, he said, parents can tell by what their children watch on television how much they would be able to tolerate at the Haunted Trail.

There will be free parking at the event. Gate prices for the Haunted Trail have not yet been determined. Refreshments will be available.

The half-mile Haunted Trail is located at Ruskin Cave on Highway 46 North on Yellow Creek and will be open from dusk to midnight Oct. 6, 12, 19, 20, 26 and 27. On Oct. 27 The Renaissance Center will host its annual Halloween Festival, complete with trick-or-treating and a costume contest.

The festivities at the center will be 4-7 p.m.

Brad Diamond, director of Project Development, said the center would continue with the successful formula from last year’s event, which drew the largest crowd to the center since its grand opening two years ago.

“We want to give the people a safe and fun place to go on Halloween,” Diamond said. “With our schedule of activities, there will be plenty for everyone to do and the evening concludes with trick or treating inside The Renaissance Center.”

Activities at the center will include pumpkin painting, trick-or-treat bag decorating, face painting, hayrides, pictures, Halloween cartoons in the Performance Hall, showings of Dark Encounters Investigated, the center’s paranormal investigation program, and of, course, trick or treating. The Virtually Unlimited Bookstore will be sponsoring a costume contest with prizes.

Returning to the CyberSphere Digital Theatre will be last year’s tremendously popular Halloween laser shows: Laser Horrors and The Halloween Ball.

For more information on the Haunted Trail or The Renaissance Center’s Halloween Festival call (615)740-5600. The Renaissance Center is located at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just two miles north of Interstate 40 at exit 172.