Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A new haunted Halloween attraction is set to open this fall at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park in Downtown Buffalo.
Nightmare Wharf will open Friday, and features two haunted attractions: The Infected District - inspired by the atmosphere of Buffalo’s historic waterfront - and Project Blackwater - a fictional Cold War story staged aboard USS Little Rock.
For Buffalo Naval Park president and CEO Brian Luallen, this has been a longtime coming for the park.
"We've contemplated doing a major Halloween event, like many other museum ships have done, to generate critical funds and new audiences," said Luallen in an interview with WBEN. "For me and my background, I've managed major historic sites all over the nation, including some that hosted a couple of the biggest Halloween events in the world. So to be able to bring an experience that's brand new to Buffalo means so much to us."
Luallen feels this attraction is one not anyone can replicate around the world.
"The history of Canalside and this area of Buffalo is reflected in our new maze, the Infected District, which is actually what they called this area of Buffalo at the turn of the century. It's a very colorful history. It was the 'Red Light' district. You would have had Buffalo gals roaming around, who are, of course, ladies of the night. You would have had all of the dock workers, as well as one of the most notorious waterfronts outside of Singapore in the entire world. So to tell those stories in a really fanciful way is really exciting to us," he said.
Buffalo Naval Park director of creative events Stephen Czortyka is excited to provide a unique event for a region that always embraces the fall and spooky season.
"There's some really amazing events around town, and we're really excited to bring this in as a civic tradition here in Buffalo. And being able to provide an environment that is extremely realistic, but also a really, really good time and a great Halloween tradition for families and friends," Czortyka said with WBEN.
Nightmare Wharf is owned and operated by the Buffalo Naval Park as a seasonal fundraiser. Proceeds support the nonprofit’s preservation of historic vessels and collections, and its educational and public programs.
"We are a mission-driven nonprofit organization. We're a museum organization first-and-foremost. And while this is an exciting new fundraiser, we never want to exploit the stories of heroism, service, and sacrifice that we serve every day. And really, when it all comes down to it, that is what we're working on here," Luallen said. "Nightmare Wharf is going to be a new engine to better preserve our vessels, to take care of our educational programs, to reinvest in what we do for the community. But more importantly, it will help preserve the stories of the men and women who heroically served on these vessels for many years to come."
While Western New York already has other haunted attractions like Frightworld America's Screampark in North Buffalo, both Luallen and Czortyka feel there are special nuances with Nightmare Wharf compared to the rest.
"There's some great, great events in the local area, we're friends with a lot of those guys. I've always had a great joy for Halloween, I think many people share that. But there is something unique about coming down to the Buffalo Naval Park," Luallen said. "As a matter of fact, it's the only place in the world that you can go through a world-class, movie-quality haunted house in a World War II nuclear-equipped cruiser - the USS Little Rock is the last one in the world. That's a very special thing."
"When our fans and patrons come to Nightmare Wharf, they're going to experience an atmosphere that's like no other. An opportunity to actually walk on the historic naval ships, go down three levels into an attraction, you cannot get that atmosphere anywhere else," Czortyka added. "You're going to be fully immersed not only in what we build, but the natural smells of the ships, the natural darkness of the ships, the natural almost tightness of the walls of the ships. It provides an atmosphere that you're just not going to experience anywhere else."
The Naval Park is also offering a special Nightmare Overnight: The Admiral’s Ultimate VIP Experience. The tour begins with a champagne welcome and includes VIP admission for two, followed by an overnight stay in the Admiral’s Quarters aboard USS Little Rock. The experience continues the following day, when guests can tour the Naval Park and explore more of its vessels and exhibits.
Only one Nightmare Overnight package is available per evening. Prices start at $500 on off-peak nights and are $650 on peak nights. Dates and reservations are available on the Nightmare Overnight ticket page on the Buffalo Naval Park’s website.
Across the grounds of the Buffalo Naval Park, guests will encounter live performers, outdoor scare zones, themed environments, and photo opportunities. In addition, The Boneyard will offer food, drinks, and a place to regroup between attractions.
"After you've completed going through the attractions themselves, you get dropped off into our Boneyard festival area that allows you great entertainment, great food, drinks. We're the first attraction in Buffalo - and probably Western New York - that's going to provide alcohol-based drink options," Czortyka noted.
The fact that the mazes are inspired by real history in Buffalo is what gets Luallen excited for Friday's opening night.
"We are professional history nerds here, and so to be able to play in that sandbox in a way that is going to be exciting to audiences that maybe don't care about naval or maritime history (shame on them!) is really fun," Luallen said. "It's going to bring in new crowds, it's going to be a really fun event. But most importantly, it's supporting a good cause and ultimately helping preserve these historic vessels."
With such an attraction having a maze on a World War II nuclear-equipped cruiser, Czortyka knows there are some very unique challenges that they faced with the setup of this event.
"There have been challenges across the board from buildout to safety, but we have an amazing team that's going to allow the execution of this. Our staff has gone through an intensive training purpose on how to properly scare," Czortyka said. "The attractions are lit in a way that allows you to understand when a step needs to happen. We have to remember that these ships were made for war. They didn't care that you had to step over something back in the day. So you will see a transition between rooms with lighting options. We'll have some staff that are not so high intensity scares that are going to help support the flow."
The Naval Park will also be partnering with Joel Dombrowski at Buffalo History Tours to offer two Nightmare Tours that explore the historic waterfront and its stories:
Nightmare Wharf opens Friday at 7 p.m., and runs on select nights through Sunday, Nov. 1. The event is designed primarily for teens and adults and is not recommended for children under 13.
General admission, Fast Fright, and VIP tickets, along with the full schedule and visitor information, are available at NightmareWharf.com.
Brayton J. Wilson - WBEN
