PsychoPath/The Lost Colony
Note: This article originally appeared in Examiner.com in October 2014.
Cooler temperatures and crisp breezes make October a perfect time for an Outer Banks getaway. When you can combine the scenery and location with seasonal attractions such as haunted trails and scary fun, it’s all the better in my opinion.
The remote location, mysterious disappearances and 400-year old history of North Carolina’s Outer Banks make a great backdrop for themed attractions. I recently had the chance to take a stroll through the PsychoPath haunted trail in Manteo on Roanoke Island.
The Lost Colony, as many may know, is the longest running outdoor symphonic drama in the nation. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, it was first staged in 1937. This premier show runs during the summer months at Waterside Theatre in Manteo. It tells the story of America’s first English colony – 117 people – that disappeared without a trace more than 400 years ago. PsychoPath, however, is not this show.
The PsychoPath trail winds its way around the grounds of the Lost Colony, through buildings and down dark, rickety, winding paths. It even goes across the performance stage and you’re able to view the Roanoke Sound from the walkway. Along the way, you can expect gruesome creatures, creepy scenes and mysterious noises all around.
Overall, I was very impressed with PsychoPath. As someone who frequents theme park haunted attractions a lot, I have become a little, shall we say, “numb” to many of the scares and startles presented in haunted mazes and trails. PsychoPath has some very solid effects, including a couple that I had never seen before. I try not to be a spoiler, so I won’t elaborate, but just be alert in the black room with polka dots and the one that looks like you’re walking through swamp water. Very cool, indeed!
The only suggestion I would make is for better lighting on the stairways. I know that the object is the darker the better (it is a haunted trail, after all), but I can see how it would be really easy for somebody to not realize the steps are there and fall down.
PsychoPath is open on Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 31. Ticket sales for PsychoPath begin at dark, and the last tickets are sold at 11:00 p.m. Tickets are $15. Please visit Hauntedisland.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
The PsychoPath haunted trail is near the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at 1409 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. Simply follow the signs to the Lost Colony and the Elizabethan Gardens.
Parents, please note that the Lost Colony’s PsychoPath attraction is recommended for ages 10 and up. My nearly 11-year-old loved it, but I saw grown adults running and screaming, so, well, use your own discretion.
Visit thelostcolony.org for more information on PsychoPath as well as its premier outdoor drama, which runs during the summer months at Waterside Theatre in Manteo.
