The spooky season might still be a few months away, but that didn’t stop a dedicated group of UF students from putting on an awesome haunted house! Performed near the Pony Field from April 13-15, the Gator TPED Swamp Haunter’s Crimson Carnival was the very first student-led, full-scale haunted house on the University of Florida campus. Featuring seven highly-themed rooms and 1,200 square feet of spooky goodness, this maze offered an immersive and engaging experience for Halloween enthusiasts and horror fans.
Crimson Carnival is over for the Halfway to Halloween season, but I’m sure we can expect many more impressive and captivating attractions from the talented Swamp Haunters. A huge THANK YOU to Josiah from Gator TPED for chatting with me about Crimson Carnival and leading me through this incredible maze!
Now, let’s take a closer look at Crimson Carnival – presented by Gator TPED’s Swamp Haunters!
Who are the Swamp Haunters?
Swamp Haunters is a division of the Gator Theme Park Engineering and Design Club – a multidisciplinary organization at the University of Florida. Dedicated to creating professional and social opportunities for its members, the Swamp Haunters team utilizes its diverse skill sets and experiences to create and construct haunted attractions.
Learn more about Gator TPED and the Swamp Haunters by visiting https://gatortped.wixsite.com/home
The Crimson Carnival
The Crimson Carnival Story
At its core, Crimson Carnival is a unique blending of two traditional horror themes – vampires and carnivals. According to Swamp Haunter’s ticket website, the story is as follows:
Everyone loves when the carnival comes to town. The flashing lights, high-stakes thrills, carnival barkers vying for your attention – excitement is around every corner. However, it’s not quite clear if the screams filling the air are in delight or in terror. And the carnies here have this weird look in their eyes that could be mistaken for hunger. Will you survive Gainesville’s Greatest Show? Or will you be another victim of… THE CRIMSON CARNIVAL?
The Crimson Carnival Experience
With an average walk time of approximately 1.5-2.5 minutes, guests entered the carnival through an ominous, fog-filled carnival facade! Traveling past the ticket booth and into the belly of this cursed ground, each haunted scene was packed with gorgeous set pieces, special effects, jump scares, creepy lighting, and engaging performers. There was even an oversized Jack in the Box animatronic!
You can see my full walkthrough in the video below. FYI – I asked Swamp Haunters for permission before filming the Crimson Carnival!
Freaky Thoughts: Crimson Carnival
Crimson Carnival was SO AWESOME! This talented group of students put on an amazing Halfway to Halloween attraction filled with impressive sets, skilled actors, and unexpected special effects. It was totally worth the long drive to Gainesville, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I can’t wait to see what Swamp Haunters does next!
Keeping in Touch with Swamp Haunters
The Crimson Carnival may be over for now, but Swamp Haunters is just getting started! Stay updated on all their latest news by following them on Instagram.
