Tanner Woody, dressed as Dexter the clown, carries a chainsaw through the haunted house as part of the Haunted River Float at Ruby’s Landing on Friday.
Tanner Woody, dressed as Dexter the clown, carries a chainsaw through the haunted house as part of the Haunted River Float at Ruby’s Landing on Friday.
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to spice up the Halloween season, look no further than the Haunted River Float and haunted house at Ruby’s Landing near Waynesville.
“I think it’s pretty unique,” said Kelley Magee, a manager at Ruby’s Landing. “No one else in this area does a haunted float like us.”
The floats start after the sun goes down, leading rafters down an eerie stretch of the Gasconade River. There they’ll encounter zombies, fog-filled areas and a pirate ship.
The float is really just the tip of the iceberg – there’s a lot more to experience this time of year at Ruby’s Landing, from a zombie paintball to a corn maze and more.
Perhaps the scariest part of the festivities is the haunted house, which is managed by Jeff Smith, otherwise known as “the Ringmaster” to the campground’s employees.
Fable Branham, of Dixon, is one of the approximately 65 employees who works at the haunted house and float, making sure the event goes off without a hitch.
“It’s really fun, especially on full nights,” said Branham, who is in her second year working the haunt at Ruby’s. “Every year it changes. There are new actors coming and going.”
The haunted house is a maze of sorts that is intended to make your pulse pound. The actors go to great lengths to make sure their costumes and props are on point.
It’s truly a scary time – so much so that no one under age 8 is permitted to attend. Those under 18 are required to be accompanied by an adult. Magee says the primary audience is people ages 18-55.
The Haunted River Float originally started at Lazy Days campground 12 years ago, but it’s been held at Ruby’s for the past seven years.
The haunt begins at 6 p.m. and runs every Friday and Saturday through the end of October. For $75, attendees get to participate in axe throwing, an escape room, zombie paintball, a corn maze, the haunted house, as well as a ½-mile float. For $35, attendees get access to the maze, the haunted house and the float. The admission to just enter the haunted house is $25.
For more information or to reserve your float trip, visit http://www.rubyslanding.com or call (573) 855-9567.
