As evening temperatures drop and Summer drifts into fall, the sleepy town of Killen, Al., comes alive once again with screams and nervous laughter. Located on Highway 72 in eastern Lauderdale County, Arx Mortis haunted attraction will begin its 10th season on Sept. 24.
Each year since 2007, thousands of visitors have traveled to this popular haunt in the weeks leading up to Halloween night. They come alone, as couples, or as groups of friends to get in some haunted fun and of course, to get a little (or in some cases, a LOT) scared. The PG13 rating is due to intensity, realism, and gore, and signs upon entry warn potential visitors with heart and other health conditions to “Enter at your own risk”. Movie quality sets and sound, animatronic props, and over 100 live actors have made Arx Mortis Alabama’s premiere haunted attraction.
When asked what he thinks makes this haunted attraction stand out, owner and designer Vinny Grosso said, “Arx Mortis is ultimately the culmination of many ideas. I give credit to Mortis Legion – a group of as many as 200 people with varied expertise from photographers, actors, artists, builders, IT techs, welders, makeup artists, story tellers, paramedics, firefighters, and many more. It’s their passion that breathes life into Arx Mortis.”
This year, Halloween night will be a very special Lights-Out version of the normal attraction. Dubbed “Flashlight Night” by the Arx Mortis Legion, visitors enter the attraction in complete darkness and are guided solely by a dimly lit flashlight. Monsters and creepers lurk throughout the complex in search of victims to sustain them until they rise again in February 2017 for the annual “My Bloody Valentine” event.
Box office opens each night at
7 p.m. and General Admission tickets are $20. Tickets can also be purchased online at
www.arxmortis.ticketleap.com. Fast Pass upgrades are available both online and at the door.
The 2016 production of Arx Mortis: The Awakening begins on
Sept. 24, and runs every weekend through
Oct. 31. For hours and additional information, visit
www.ArxMortis.com, or find them on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/ArxMortis.