Palmer’s Top-Ranked Attraction Opens for October
Palmer’s 13th World Frightpark secured the No. 1 ranking among haunted attractions across Massachusetts for the Halloween season, Western Mass News reported. Opening its gates at the start of October, the seasonal operation runs through Halloween night, drawing visitors from across the region to Palmer.
More Than a Traditional Haunted House
Co-owners Richard Vaillant and Zeke Fortier designed the property to function as an immersive environment rather than a single walk-through attraction. “We’re more than a haunted attraction. We’re a haunted experience,” Vaillant said. The facility blends social entertainment with theatrical scares, featuring music, food from a snack shack, and an on-site merchandise store before guests ever encounter a scare actor.
“We have the best of both worlds here,” Fortier noted. “You get all the music playing. Everyone’s having a good time. Talking with their friends, eating food, having snacks from the snack shack, buying stuff out of our merch store. Then, when you go behind the wall of the ‘Moonlight Mayhem’ … that’s when all the fun really starts.”
Inside Moonlight Mayhem
The core of the park centers on “Moonlight Mayhem,” an intense sensory production that utilizes environmental effects to unnerve guests. Vaillant kept specific details under wraps but confirmed the production targets multiple human senses simultaneously. “You get a combination of hitting as many emotions as you can and as many senses as you can. So, we do smells, we do different things that are visual, and other senses could be affected,” Vaillant explained.
A Year-Round Operational Commitment
Planning for the seasonal event requires a twelve-month commitment from the operational team. Construction and design phases continue long after the October crowds clear, ensuring the park evolves year after year. “It’s an all year process. We’re always building new things and we’re just getting ready for years to come. So, we’re always planning for the future here,” Fortier said.
