Brooke Edwards Staggs described on The Bulletin that the 17th Door Haunted House, located at Tustin Market Place in Tustin, California, gives several guidelines to its visitors:
1. "Mercy" is the safeword.
2. You will have to sign a waiver.
3. The doors will lock behind you.
4. The actors will touch you.
5. You may get wet.
17th Door is housed in a vacant furniture shop and was created by a young couple, Robbie and Heather Luther. The parents of three boys aren't into horror films, neither do they consider themselves haunted house enthusiasts, they just want to bring a new Halloween experience to Orange County, according to Staggs.
The 17th Door tells the story of a troubled girl named Paula who goes off to study medicine at Gluttire (the Latin word for "swallow") University, which is the setting of the different rooms inside the haunted house and includes a medical classroom, library and locker room.
For a fee of $21 to $35 per person, visitors will spend about 32 minutes making their way through the 17 experience rooms. Unlike in other familiar places where people go through a maze, the guests do not move through the different rooms at their own pace. Rather, small groups are held in each room for a carefully orchestrated show. They will witness how Paula battles with demons such as drug abuse, eating disorders, bullying and suicide. Moreover, all five senses will be tapped with extreme temperatures, foul scents, startling sounds, detailed visuals, and even a chance for a taste test or two.
"I wouldn't let my kids in," cautions Heather.
Once you say "mercy" at any time, a staff will escort you out of the room you're in. You will have the option of rejoining your group after a breather, though.
"We want them to cry 'mercy' because we want them to be scared. But we still want it to be a fun experience," added Heather.
Robbie, who is in a successful car stereo and home flipping business, had this idea on his mind for quite some time. This new venture allows him to use his skills learned from his different jobs as a sound engineer, for his salesmanship, and construction business. Heather, on the other hand, is into mortgage and is more office-bound, but has her birthday on Halloween and has convinced friends to visit haunted houses for her celebration.
The couple is already planning to do it again next year, provided with their investment and too many ideas, they could not squeeze it in this year.
