House of Death returns with new horrors following two years of COVID cancellations

It’s spooky season at Liberty University, and Scaremare is back in town to bring the Lynchburg area a haunted experience combined with a redemptive gospel message. 

The Rawlings School of Divinity hosted the event, and this opening weekend saw large crowds gather at 2300 Carroll Ave. to take part in the event. Put on hold due to COVID-19 for two years, Scaremare returned for its 50th anniversary this year as LU’s staple family attraction of the fall season. 

Balancing the right amount of fright and faith-based content can be a challenge, but director of Scaremare, Josh Coldren, said the event is a great way to engage people with the gospel in a new and unique way. 

“What we want to try to do is begin to get people to think about their mortality and things they fear in life,” Coldren said, “but also that they don’t have to fear because of what Jesus has done for us. And so everything we do in Scaremare points back to the hope that we can have in Christ.”

According to Coldren, one of the things that makes Scaremare such an exciting opportunity for Liberty University and the School of Divinity is its ability to attract people from all over the United States. 

“People may not even think about Liberty University,” Coldren said, “but they’ll come to an attraction like this around the season of fall, and it gives us the opportunity to develop those relationships with the community at large.” 

Organizers spent months coordinating to prepare the property, prep the rooms and craft an exciting Scaremare experience. Another unique aspect of Scaremare is the number of live actors and volunteers spaced throughout the walk, which adds spontaneity to each
participant’s journey.

“It makes Scaremare a unique experience every single time,” Coldren said. “You could come through Scaremare three times, and each experience would be different.” 

Participants lined up early each night in anticipation, and there were plenty of scares and thrills throughout the 40-minute walk. The journey took participants through dark forests, a creepy school bus and haunted rooms with both animatronics and live actors. This year’s Scaremare theme specifically focused on dead creatures and actors pretending to be dead to
frighten spectators. 

Scaremare proved popular with a wide range of audiences. Parents took their young teenagers, and college students went with friends. 

“Scaremare made a great return,” senior Seth Leonard said. “I went for the first time my freshman year in 2019, and they have added so much to the experience. I was glad to see the event had such a great turnout.” 

Ultimately, the attraction serves as a great way for student volunteers to reach out to the Lynchburg community with the gospel message. When participants finished the scary journey, volunteers presented the gospel message, tying in this year’s theme of Jesus “bringing the dead to life.” 

The attraction is open Thursday through Saturday evenings until Oct. 29, and participants can find ticket information on the Liberty University Scaremare website and social
media platforms.   

Musser is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter