Dark Nights Behind The Haunt: Estate of Evil

Hersheypark amusement park debuted a brand-new haunted house called Estate of Evil for Dark Nights this year. The Park's first proper exploration of a traditional haunted “house” trope features 13 rooms, seven deadly sins and only one way out. 

Guests brave enough to explore the charming new brownstone have raved about the immersive details, haunting special effects and unique set design. But, the storyline sets this fifth haunted house apart in the lineup of integrated thrill experiences guests can only find at Hersheypark during the 2024 Halloween season.

Read on to learn more about the story behind Estate of Evil in our Behind The Haunt blog series below.

Overview of Estate of Evil Storyline

A charming new brownstone mansion has officially hit the market. During an open house, guests will walk through 13 rooms of this spacious home, including a lively game room, a private wine cellar and an enchanted garden. Along the tour, they may be astonished at the meticulous care the live-in staff takes to preserve the past. But guests must remain vigilant as they roam the estate's halls, or they may suffer the same fate as the previous owners.

The Seven Deadly Sins are the central theme of the scares found within the Estate of Evil. The sins did not occur all at once, but rather through the decades as different owners moved into the estate: 

1. Greed of the post-industrial era
2. Gluttony during prohibition
3. Prideful huntsman of the late 1930s
4. Envious starlet of the 1950s pin-up era
5. Lust of the 1970s club scene 
6. Sloth of the 1990s gamers

Astute visitors might notice that one sin seems to be left out. It is the timeless wrath of the staff who have passed judgment upon these previous owners’ acts that brings the experience together. Each room is haunted by a previous owner of the house who met their untimely death at the hands of the passionate and protective staff.

Inspiration Behind the Estate of Evil Concept

The inspiration for this new house came from the historic brownstone quarries of Hummelstown. Many grand mansions and public buildings found across the United States are built from brownstone quarried right in Dauphin County, which ties this new haunted house directly to our region. Brownstone construction was at its height in the late 19th century, which helped to establish the origin of the Estate of Evil.

Two More Weekends to Visit Estate of Evil

Dark Nights is open for two more weekends on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 3, 2024, plus a special Thursday night on Halloween. Guests who dare to tour the Estate of Evil can find the haunted house in the Pioneer Frontier region of Hersheypark near Fahrenheit. It is located in Tidal Force Catering across from Tidal Force and next to the entrance portal for the Fallout Zone scare zone.

To sweeten the scare, the five Dark Nights haunted houses and three scare zones are included with a Hersheypark Halloween ticket. Guests wishing to get to the thrills and fear faster and skip the lines during Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights can add a Fast Track program to their admission ticket. 

To learn more about the thrills that haunt enthusiasts and Halloween lovers can experience both day and night, check out our Haunt Guide to Hersheypark Dark Nights 2024.