Standing on line
For Friday night, Namita organized a trip to attend Terror Behind the Walls, a haunted house experience at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. It’s normally a museum, but it seems that they turn it into an intricate haunted house. I haven’t done a haunted house since the late 80’s with my old church youth group. Why not?
I rush out of the office as soon as I could, raced home, and changed my clothes. Namita and I scarfed down some crackers, and we were off to pick up everyone. With tickets and parking purchased online (highly recommend), we had to park at the zoo, take the “ghost bus” to the old prison, and get inside for our 9 pm time slot.
More or less made it, but we still had to stand around in line for 30 – 40 minutes in order to get inside. They had lots of paid actors and actresses walking the line, and within the event, to scare you. Lots of strange effects and props, and at least 3 – 4 different areas to go through. We heard there was more, but we were at the exit after, I think, 4 attractions. Then you are at the photo booth, gift shop, and place to buy chicken tenders.
Overall, it was good, but a number of little lines to stand in as you move from one section to another. Around 11 pm, we got outside, but after trying three places across the street, no one had food and drinks. Seriously, Philadelphia? your kitchens are closed that early on a Friday night?
We ended up running down to the ghost bus pickup spot, waited 20 minutes for the next bus, picking up our car, and racing 50 minutes back to East Windsor. The City Streets restaurant was open until 2 am, and the kitchen didn’t close until 1 am. If we hustled, we could arrive by 12:30 am, and order food and drink before the kitchen closed.
And that’s what we did. We ate. We drank. And we watched the Mets – Dodgers NLDS game.