Halloween: The Darkness in St. Louis Shines Light on Nightmares

Oct. 25, 2011— -- A 500-pound piranha tank, tarantulas and a snake lair sit outside The Darkness, omens of what fright-seekers will encounter once inside this state-of-the-art haunted house in St. Louis.

"It's scaring people left and right," owner Larry Kirchner said.

People will find their phobias being put to the test. Fake deadly reptiles that look all too real promise to make plenty of people scream, including an alligator with a snapping jaw dripping with blood.

"It's these special effects that make us different," Kirchner said. "We're trying to be the best haunted house in the world."

And virtually every phobia is covered. Perhaps it's being trapped in an elevator or a fear of falling that haunts the nightmares of some. Rest uncomfortably: The Darkness has an elevator that gives riders the sensation they're in a five-floor free fall. Visitors can also undergo a 3D experience called "Terror Visions," where they'll encounter crazy, depraved clowns.

"It's like a haunted mansion with special effects," Kirchner said. "It's definitely like being inside of a Hollywood movie."