LPT: If you're planning on going to a haunted house this month, don't go on the last weekend/Halloween.

I've been working haunted houses for several years now. I've seen people run into silly mistakes that could have been avoided if they would of put some thought into the season.

The first weekend that the haunted house is open is often a 'dry run' where kinks and issues are being worked out. Lighting and sound might not be perfect, new actors are still trying to grasp the idea of what they're doing and you won't get the best experience.

The second weekend (That the haunt is open) is normally the best time to go. Actors have had a few days under their belts to get into the groove and figure out the best ways to work their setup. They also aren't exhausted from having to scare people yet. Lighting and sound should be fixed, that one animatronic that wasn't working should be ready to go.

Don't go on Friday the 13th. I can guarantee you that the line is going to be long. Actors during the third/fourth weekends are often worn down by this point. If you're going to go on one of these weekends, go earlier in the night. If the haunt is open late, the actors will be running on fumes and won't have the energy to give you their all.

Don't go on Halloween. Every year I'm amazed at customers who are upset every year that the line is long to enter on the 31st. Most nights the haunt I help run can have a 15-20 minute wait depending on the line; however on Halloween I've seen it jump up to 2 hours because everyone thought they were the only person in the world to think of going on Halloween. If the haunt has any quality, you're going to have a wait between customers so that the scares aren't ruined by groups that are too close together. Finally, actors have been burnt out after scaring people for the past 15~ days. They aren't going to give you the best performance on Halloween but they'll try.