COLUMBIA MANOR

I may be a little biased when it comes to Columbia Manor, but I have been visiting them since the very start. These people have become friends to me. These people have become FAMILY to me. I have been to many places throughout my lifetime and met very many people. I have met some of the kindest, most generous people at haunts. People who touch your heart and you keep up with the rest of your lives. I feel so privileged to have met my forever friends at Columbia Manor and even more-so that they continue to welcome me back with open arms, year after year.

Columbia Manor is located about 20 miles from Dothan, AL. in a population a little over 500. Very small town, but very BIG HAUNT! There is not a whole lot to do in Columbia, but if you make a trip out of it, there’s plenty to do in Dothan, AL. – From movie theaters, to arcades, go-karts, shopping, escape rooms, mall, dining, you name it, Dothan has it. Spend the day in Dothan and when it gets dark, head 20-30 minutes up the road to the best Haunted House around! You will not regret it!

When you arrive to Columbia Manor, there is a fire station close by, that has the road directly to the house taped off, but there’s PLENTY of FREE parking. They usually get anywhere from 400+ people a night and always room for everyone to park. Pick you a good spot to park and then follow the crowd up to the house, you can’t get lost, just follow the sounds of laughter, excitement and maybe even a little fright.

There are a couple different options for purchasing tickets. You can purchase ahead of time at Beasley Pharmacy located at 111 Church Street, Columbia, AL. Please remember almost ALL haunts are CASH ONLY. General Admission Tickets are $20 and “Fast Pass” are $45. You can also purchase on-site, however, if you chose this option, I would advise getting there early. The later in the season it gets, the longer the lines are. If you purchase on-site, stand in line to the ticket house. Once they open, you have a choice of General Admission or Fast Pass. When you get to the ticket house, I advise purchasing a T-shirt. Not only are they super cute and a great reminder of an awesome night you will have… they are

also for a great cause! This year, proceeds from the t-shirts are going to the Columbia Police Reserve. Todd, Clayton and the crew are ALWAYS giving back to local communities! Once you purchase your ticket and hopefully a cool t-shirt as well, you go stand in line to either General Admission or Fast Pass. Each line is marked pretty clearly, but if you ever have any questions, there’s always plenty of people standing around to help with the word “Security” written on their shirts. I heard many people asking random questions, and they were always answered with kindness and respect, even amongst the chaos of the evening. There are porta-pottys LIT UP inside so you don’t have to try and use the light on your camera and worry about dropping it in the deep abyss (the hole in the potty, lol). They have concessions in case you get hungry while waiting in line.

When it is nice and dark outside, they then move both the lines up to the first gate to get prepared for the “Clown House.” They have music playing on a big screen outside, they also play a little history of Columbia Manor, which is eerily cool if you have never looked it up or read about the history of the Manor, I highly suggest you do so. If you get spooked easily, I recommend looking up the history of the house AFTER you have visited. The stories of the things that has happened there and the apparitions that have been spotted is enough to send chills down your spine!

The first “warm-up” scare is the Clown House. It’s about a 5-10 minute house. Twists and turns around every corner. I am always impressed at the detail put into this house. They changed some of the more spacious areas in the clown house and made it even more spooktacular than before! The bright colors, the maze-like atmosphere, the clown at the vanity, just a few of the cool things you will find at Columbia Manor’s “clown house.” This Haunt is one of those that you can go again and again, whether night after night or year after year and always find something new that you did not spot before. We thoroughly enjoyed the changes and the new scares in the clown house. One of my favorite parts is when you are standing in the entrance- waiting for the group before you to exit, when BAM, all-of the sudden the exit doors come flying open and all you hear is shrieking and you see a cloud of dust where people came running out! It really gets your blood pumping!

One you become the group who is running out the house in terror, they give you a moment to catch your breath as you wait in line to enter the main house… The MANOR! You have a short wait on the porch of the manor when they call a few of you inside to explain the rules of the manor. I know I’ve said this before, but I love the fact that they always ask you “How many is in your group.” Whether you have two people, or ten people…. They always allow your group to go through the house by yourself. No matter how busy they are, they take the time to allow everyone to enjoy themselves without rushing everyone through or putting a bunch of strangers together.

You walk into the manor and suddenly you feel transported in time. The smells inside the house give you a gentle reminder of the house having a whole history – a whole identity of its own! The feelings, the smells, all so nostalgic and beautiful knowing the house has lived more lifetimes than many who have walked its hallways.

The first room is where they tell you about the lady of the manor. The bookshelf transforms into a secret hideaway that allows you to start your tour. The very first room after that- I walked into very cocky and full of myself knowing what to expect since I’ve been there before, right!??? WRONG!! The lady in the bed who needed medicine got me! Before I knew it, I shrieked in terror so loud that the group behind me was giggling. They changed so much this year! So may rooms that I THOUGHT I knew what to expect, but in reality- I did not have a clue! Pure excitement lit up all over my face as we entered room after room. There’s upstairs, downstairs, crawl spaces, outside grave-yards and camp crystal lake, so much to see that if you blink- you’ll miss it!

One room I’d like to take a moment to mention- the ONLY room that did not have a scary ghoul or monster. It was turned into a memorial room. There was just a regular man in there, dressed in a Columbia Manor “security” that explained what happened. One of the characters there- who was so much more than that- he was a friend to many and family to most had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away a few months prior. I believe Todd had told me he worked at Columbia Manor for 14 years. For those of you who have been to Columbia Manor, he was the character in the Morgue. They kept his room exactly how he had left it. Exactly how he had decorated it. The only difference was, they added his name to the

wall. Willie Richards. The weekend before we came to visit- they had a farewell in his honor with his friends and family invited to say their final goodbye. I thought it was a pretty amazing way to memorialize an amazing actor at Columbia Manor and words cannot describe how sorry I am for all your losses. May his spirit stay with you and live within the Manor always!

Whether it will be your first time attending a haunt or you have been to some of the best around- I assure you, Columbia Manor NEVER disappoints! Come one, come all, bring your kiddos- if they aren’t scaredy cats! If they are… leave them with the babysitter and enjoy a fright night out!

HUGE shoutout to Todd and Clayton and the crew! I still don’t know why you keep letting me come back year after year, but boy do I adore you guys! Thank you for always being so kind, taking the time to talk to me, answer any questions and never making me feel like I’m a bother! I hope this haunt season outdoes all the others! See you next spooky season!