#17: Markoff's Haunted Forest
Screamwalking through America's scariest woods in Maryland
When the excited voices of the kids die away at the end of August, peace returns to the Markoff family estate. It is short-lived. The next morning, nature awakens to the rhythm of hammers. In the weeks that follow, Markoff’s Haunted Forest grows nail by nail.
Halloween is just around the corner. All over the US, haunted forests pop up like mushrooms after the rain. One of these scary places is an hour’s drive from downtown D.C.. Near the historic White’s Ferry across the Potomac, as of the end of September, the evening air is sweltering with fear. For, give or take, $20, you can be chased by chainsaws, feel the icy breath of a vampire in your neck and get lost in a cornfield on your way to a crazy Wild West village.
Summer Camp
The purchase of an old school bus in 1992 was the first step towards realizing the dream of Nick, Alex and Matt Markoff. The brothers spent their summer vacations at ‘camps’. They wanted to share the memories of the good old days with a new generation of American children. To achieve this, they started looking for a farm. When the ultimate location was found, the search shifted to money. For this, the brothers tapped into another cherished childhood memory: Halloween. The school bus they bought was converted into a horror monster with which they traveled Maryland in September and October. From the first scream, the dollars flowed in. At the end of the ride, enough had been earned to make the first down payment on the farm. Their dream had come true.
Nightmare
Since 1993, the Markoffs’ dream has turned into a nightmare every year. Because between the end of September and the beginning of November, the Calleva Farm is haunted. When we walk around the estate with marketing manager Miranda at the end of the summer, there is hammering, sawing and sewing everywhere. Dozens of people are busy building the three ‘haunted trails’ and designing costumes. Almost everything is custom-made. A small part of the ‘attractions’ comes from auctions and flea markets. The life-size T-Rex fossil that you walk through is ‘home-made’. The rusty Ferris wheel comes from an auction. The church and the village where Dracula lives, are built on the spot. The vintage car and circus tent were bought somewhere for a low price. With the sun high in the sky, the Haunted Forest looks like a post-apocalyptic Disneyland. We try to remember the hidden scares Miranda points out left and right along the forest path. This knowledge can come in handy when we try to find our way in the dark on Halloween. Or not. Fear is partly knowing what is coming…
Day of the Dead
Markoff’s Haunted Forest has a different theme every year. Our first encounter, in 2017, is with Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead. Many days and themes will follow in the subsequent years. When we arrive at the Calleva Farm in the dark, the bonfires are just being lit in the central area. After a pep talk, dozens of made-up actors disappear into the forest and towards the cornfield. The DJ starts the music, a living skeleton starts spinning cotton candy, hot dogs are put on the barbecue, pizzas are served at long tables. When the first people trickle into the area, we gather our plates, silverware and courage and head for the end.
Addicted to fear
A crying teenager stands at the entrance to the haunted forest. Screams can be heard in the distance. We move up a few places in the line. After the next scream, we are at the front, the ladies ahead of us decide to drop out. Then we are swallowed up by the night. The 20-minute horror show begins with a hand grabbing an ankle. A voice whispers softly in your ear. Where you think you're going to be scared, a laugh awaits. Where you're hoping to catch your breath, it catches in your throat. We scream, shout and laugh our way through the forest. Twenty minutes can feel like an eternity that flies by in a second. Time is relative here. At the end of the path, we immediately head for the start of 'Trail 2'. Half an hour and a lot of fright later, we're sitting on a hay wagon that drives us to a Wild West village surrounded by corn. Fear as an addiction. From now on, we'll be among the tens of thousands of friends and family members who come here every year to get their 'shot' of adrenaline. 🎃
