Detroit haunted house keeps tally of visitors who flee in fear

A haunted house in suburban Detroit is drawing attention not only for its scares but for how it measures them. Erebus Haunted Attraction, which runs through the Halloween season, keeps a tally of how many visitors fail to complete its four-storey experience. A digital “Wimp Out Score Board” in the lobby displays the number of guests who have fled early, fainted, vomited or lost control in fear.

The operators say the secret to the attraction’s intensity lies in “Scare School,” a training programme where actors learn to provoke fear safely and effectively. Before opening night, dozens of new recruits join experienced performers to study the psychology of fear, practice movement, and perfect their makeup and costuming. The sessions also stress how to stay in character while maintaining guest safety.

Erebus managers say the programme helps ensure the haunted house delivers consistent scares across all four levels. The scarier the actors, they note, the higher the numbers on the Wimp Out Score Board climb — an informal measure of the attraction’s success each Halloween season.