The West Alexander Scare at the Fair is back for its tenth year this October. Just a short 20-minute drive into Pennsylvania, the West Alexander Scare at the Fair is the closest haunted house attraction to West Liberty. During this spooky season, it is open on Friday and Saturday evenings all month.

The scare fair is closing out its first decade this month with a return of some fan-favorite attractions as well as the introduction of some new themed rooms with an extended route. “Every year we add to it, every year we add to it and it’s different,” said Dr. Roger Seeber, professor of biology at WLU and a member of the scare fair team. “This year we bought a prop that’s like 12 feet tall – we couldn’t even put it in some of the buildings.”

Unlike other haunted houses in the area, the West Alexander Scare at the fair is fully staffed by volunteers and almost all are from the local community. “Its all a fundraiser for the West Alexander Agricultural Fair. There are no paid people, everyone is a volunteer, and all the money goes directly to the fair. It’s just to support the small-town fair,” said Seeber. The fair has grown annually despite facing Covid-19 restrictions in recent years allowing it to become one of the most coveted haunted houses in the region receiving a glowing review from Team Houdini in 2021.

The haunt route takes around 15 minutes depending on how fast you run from the clowns, with fun filled fright around every corner. “We have lots of clowns, lots of zombies which everybody wants,” said Seeber. “There are themed buildings, like we have a clown building, lots of hidden panels and mazes with lots of actors.”

The escape room has also been updated with a variety of spooky new puzzles and games. Teams have five minutes to solve five puzzles and get out. This year medals are being awarded to groups who manage to escape and the group with the fastest time over the course of the month will win a free ghost hunt.

The actors give a noteworthy performance every year and do a brilliant job at bringing the haunt to life. This year the fair is awarding scholarships to some young actors. “That tells you the level which it is getting to, that we have enough money to give a couple of kids some scholarships for college,” said Seeber. There will also be nightly awards for the evening’s best scarer and an overall best scarer award at the end of the month.

Though the Scare at the Fair is designed to give people frights, it is still meant to be family friendly. Seeber said, “We don’t want anything vicious or violent. This is for families and kids.” The organizers aim to balance the fright with fun and laughter making the scare fair an enjoyable evening for all. “It’s an easy, local, fun night.”

Doors open at 7 p.m. with ticket sales closing at 10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday throughout October. General admission to the haunt is $15 and $10 for those under 18. The escape room is an extra $5 to attempt. Group rates are also available and will be given access to a bonfire pit for the evening to enjoy local food vendors.
More information and directions can be found on the event website and Facebook page. Discount coupons can be found in the West Liberty student union throughout the month.