This will likely be the final year for the Brinkworth Dungeon, the Murrayville Halloween display that has been packing in crowds for years with its constantly-changing, ever larger displays.
Barry Brinkworth, who has been staging the dungeon for seven years at its current location, revealed the property at 22260 48th Ave has been sold, and he expects it will be redeveloped sometime next year.
“I think we’ll be taking 2021 off,” Brinkworth commented.
For the final year of the display, he has added a new attraction that took him four-and-a-half months to create, a two-storey-tall haunted “Tales From The Crypt” -themed living room that features a life-size model of legendary horror movie host Elvira.
Among the surprises, hanging from the ceiling is a chandelier from a real-life haunted house, and on one wall is an genuine antique painting from the attic of another spook-infested residence.
“True haunted, ” Brinkworth assured the Langley Advance Times.
Outside the haunted house, another new addition is a horse-drawn hearse that greets visitors, pulled by skeletons, with a creepy-looking driver resembling the older Keith Richards of Rolling Stones fame.
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Real-life, in 2020, is pretty scary all by itself, and Brinkman has made several changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, there will be no live-action “scare actors” in costumes leaping at visitors within the narrow, maze-like corridors of the dungeon, only a few in costume “wandering around six feet away from you,” Brinkworth said.
There will be hand sanitizers, visitors will be required to wear masks, and groups of people – to a maximum of six family members – will be spaced five to 10 minutes apart to help maintain social separation.
“It’s a bit of a longer wait, but we don’t have record crowds here anyway” Brinkworth observed.
Surfaces will be regularly sprayed with COVID-killing disinfectants and Brinkworth will also be taking contact information from all attendees.
This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the “Mansion of Monsters” built by Brinkman and his wife Tammy.
Now 5,000 square feet, the elaborate haunted house maze was a modest front yard display when it started, 20 years ago, first in Richmond, then in Langley, when the couple moved and took their Halloween items with them.
“I’m a haunted house, wax museum, and horror movie nut.” Brinkworth commented.
“It just got bigger and bigger.”
A professional model maker, Brinkworth has applied his skills to monster-making, creating most of the items on display himself.
READ ALSO: PHOTOS: Halloween houses around Aldergrove
Located at 22260 48 Ave, the Brinkworth Dungeon show runs from now until Halloween, Sunday to Thursday 7 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Admission is $12 for ages 14 and up, $6 ages six, to 13, and five and under are fee. A donation of a non-perishable item for the Food Bank is also sought.
A portion of the admission fees will be donated to the Basics for Babies charity.
For more information, people can visit www.brinkworthdungeon.com.
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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