As the end of spooky season quickly came and went, Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) and Theta Chi offered a final Halloween goodbye for the students of Case Western Reserve University.

For the fifth year in a row, the fraternities hosted their annual haunted house, with this year’s theme being “Freak Show.” The event took place on Friday, Nov. 1 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at both the Theta Chi and ZBT houses. 

Tickets were only $7.50 for individuals or $5.00 per person if you were in a group of 10 or more. All profits went to the organization MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

Visitors began their journey at Theta Chi’s house, where they signed in and waited for their turn. Each group was assigned a name, such as Cat Five or Spider Two, which would be called later on. Although the wait could be long, depending on the time of arrival, the fraternities provided drinks and small snacks. The fall-themed snacks included hot chocolate, pumpkin bread and gingerbread. Not only were the snacks delicious and festive, but they were also simple enough that everyone was able to find something they enjoyed, as they relaxed, waited and chatting amongst themselves.

When a group was called for their turn, the brothers of ZBT collected them and walked them over to their house a few doors down. Entering from the side, attendees were met right away by the “owner” of the freak show, who gave an introduction to the storyline and what to expect.

As groups entered the house, the atmosphere was dark and scary, with spider webs hanging from the ceilings and flashing lights all around. As they navigated from room to room with the help of a ZBT brother, they were met by scary characters holding power tools and covered in blood, warning them of what was to come with screams, terrifying props and loud bangs.

The brothers were well-rehearsed and fully became their characters through their dress, makeup, props and acting skills. They offered a good scare, with some visitors clinging onto each other, but also were not too terrifying, as seen by those same people laughing and obviously enjoying themselves.

“I thought that the haunted house was a good balance between fun and scary. It definitely was a great event to get together with friends to get into the spooky season,” second-year student Kayla Reece said. “I loved that they went the extra mile with refreshments. Well-thought-out and one of the best philanthropy events on campus. Super creative.”

With many laughs and screams, the students of CWRU definitely enjoyed the perfect spook to end the Halloween season with Theta Chi and ZBT’s haunted house experience. If you missed the fun, be sure to check it out next Halloween!