Hollywood Gothique
Theme ParksVirtual Reality

Trailer: Ghost Manor at Castle Dark

Hollywood Gothique’s favorite attraction at Castle Dark last year was the Ghost Manor virtual reality walk-through – our first experience with free-roaming VR, which we wrote about here. Ghost Manor, created by Modal, was spooky but carefully calibrated for the audience at the annual Castle Dark Halloween event, which takes place at the family-friendly Castle Park in Riverside. At the time, there was talk of upgrading to a scarier version for Halloween 2018. Though we have yet to check it out, Castle Dark promises that this year’s Ghost Manor is “spookier than ever!”

Ghost Manor is essentially a virtual walk through a computer-generated haunted house. Wearing the VR headset, participants physically walk, their motions tracked so that the virtual simulation recreates their actions as they creep through corridors and passageways, entering rooms where little surprises await. The experience is somewhat like walking through a fun house, where effects trigger as you pass a certain point.

The Ghost Manor™ VR Experience is available on weekend evenings at Castle Dark through October 28. Regular Castle Park attractions are open from noon to 10pm Fridays & Saturdays, till 9pm on Sundays. Ghost Manor and other Halloween activities are included with regular admission price. The address is 3500 Polk Street, Riverside, CA 92505.

Visit the Castle Park website for more info.

Steve Biodrowski, Administrator

A graduate of USC film school, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, journalist, and editor at Movieline, Premiere, Le Cinephage, The Dark Side., Cinefantastique magazine, Fandom.com, and Cinescape Online. He is currently Managing Editor of Cinefantastique Online and owner-operator of Hollywood Gothique.