'Never a dull' time at Multi-Lakes' Haunted Forest

Scaring people isn’t an easy job, but John Brandt and his friends at the Multi-Lakes Conservation Association in Commerce Township are up for the task this Halloween season.

Brandt is one of the chairmen of the club’s Haunted Forest attraction, which runs tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 25 through Saturday, Oct. 27 at the club, located at 3860 Newton Road.

“This is pretty amazing right here. These guys spend a lot of time putting this together,” Brandt said while touring the Haunted Forest.

Volunteers started in mid-September to assemble some of the intricate displays in order to achieve the maximum fright potential. Visitors to the forest can expect everything from traditional Halloween spectacles to unique and creepy displays, such as “The House of Forgotten Children,” a family of evil clowns, and other shocking surprises.

Local drama club students in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District are also standing in as actors to provide a more personal experience to visitors.

“There’s never a dull moment with these guys,” Brandt said of the students. “Last night, we had 13 kids pay to go through again.”

Groups of 20 to 25 people are led through the club’s archery trail that runs through three acres of forest while another person trails behind the each group to make sure nobody gets lost. Tours start with an enclosed maze, complete with scary sounds and disorientating lights.

Brandt said each group is given about 10 minutes to get through the maze before they embark on the rest of the trail. He said the entire tour takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes to complete.

Tours begin after sunset and continue through “the dead of night.” Admission is $9, or $7 for children under 48-inches in height. Hayrides around the Multi-Lakes property following a tour of the Haunted Forest are included in the price of admission. Snacks and refreshments are available for purchase.

“There’s no specific cut-off time,” Brandt said, adding that the forest has stayed open as late as 1 a.m. in the past.

Visitors may receive $1 off of the price of admission by bringing a can of food for Operation Can-Do.

The Multi-Lakes Conservation Association is an organization formed “to further the understanding and enjoyment of the outdoors through programs and activities geared to the hunter and fisherman.”

It features a bore range, a skeet and trap area, large event parking, an indoor shooting range and an area for archery. It also features fishing on the private Reed Lake, horseshoes, fish fries, hall rentals, assorted holiday parties year-round, and many other programs.

For more information about the Multi-Lakes Haunted Forest, visit multilakes.com/EventsHauntedForest.htm.