Surrounded by graveyards at the end of Canal Street, it is hard to miss the big white house lit up for Halloween, The Mortuary. The haunted house actually operated as real mortuary that opened in 1872, and each year around Halloween the house is transformed into a terrifying maze.

This year’s theme is The Cult of 13. It is the idea that a group of people who committed horrific crimes during their lives were unable to pass into the afterlife and are trapped in this house. The theme, which is well explained in the beginning of the house, is carried out throughout the whole maze, creating the facade that you are trapped in this evil space.

As you walk into the house, you are handed a mask to wear throughout the maze, which adds to the idea that there is no real human life around. These masks made it incredibly hard to breathe, however, and were quickly taken off by every member in my group. Though a great idea and a scary souvenir to take home, the masks had inadequate breathing holes and are not easy to wear while in this house.

The house was filled with jump scares around almost every corner, and the actors managed to stay in character even as my friends taunted them. Mortuary staff could have, however, made the maze scarier with a few more actors. 

In a few instances, I became anxious and excited, thinking someone would pop out as I turned a corner, but there would be no one there. I felt like I was always on edge, like someone was going to come out of the darkness, and too many times I was let down. The actors all gave great performances, and their creepy makeup and costumes transformed them into something not human. 

The songs that played while we waited in line to enter the house, though, ruined the spooky atmosphere I had hoped to feel before going in. A small TV played music videos such as “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift and “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max. As my group was about to walk into the house, the song “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X began to play, and all the nervousness I had felt prior went away because of the pop music I was hearing in the background.

Overall, The Morturary’s haunted house is a fun attraction to attend to get off campus and into the Halloween spirit. The house is well decorated on the inside, and attendees are sure to get a good scare from it. $30, however, is a steep price for what you get.