Spooky Season Continues this Weekend at Forsaken Haunted House

Visitors should expect a better, scarier Forsaken Haunted House in its second year of operation.

Co-owner Diana Warner said the staff closely reviewed exit polls last year and decided to build on customers' favorite aspects of the house at 8200 Tyler Blvd., Unit K.

"We always hear about how much detail we have, how the back story fits in and how well it's thought out," Warner said. "To get teens to recognize the time, effort and thought that went into it, it's like 'Hallelujah!'"

Forsaken started its second scary season in late September. The house runs from 7 p.m. to midnight tonight and Saturday and from 7 to 10 p.m. on Sunday. The same days and hours will continue each weekend through Nov. 3.

Forsaken takes about 30 to 45 minutes to tour, "depending on how fast you run," Warner said.

Warner, her husband, Brian, and business partner John Eslich worked since 2006 to find funding for Forsaken. They found it around 2010, but spent another year perfecting the idea before presenting it to the public. Now, the house employs about 85 workers per night.

Mentor native Diana Warner's haunted history began at age 16 when she worked at the popular Nightmare in Painesville. She also operates Evilusions, a company that provides makeup, effects, custom props and animatronics to haunted houses all over.

She said that experience helped her give Forsaken a few wrinkles you won't find elsewhere.

"We're more character-driven and story based with high-impact scares," Warner said, "but it comes down to all (haunted houses) being different. Even though we're in competition, we all put on a different show."

General admission for Forsaken Haunted House is $20. VIP tickets for $30 let customers skip lines. For coupons, group pricing and more information, visit the Forsaken website.