Death and rebirth of the Haunted Graveyard?

The Haunted Graveyard, of various locations in Connecticut over the years, has become a Halloween institution in New England for well over 20 years now. 

A brief history of the haunt, courtesy of their Facebook page:

My first time going was in the late 1990s, when it was hosted at Lyman Orchards, an extensive pick-your-own apple farm plus more in Middlefield CT, and it was fantastic! Middlefield is out in the countryside, and the long, dark drive out there definitely added to the whole experience.

If I remember correctly, somewhere around the year 2000, The Haunted Graveyard moved its operations to Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT. The vibe of the attraction did change a bit, but overall the Haunted Graveyard was able to expand, host more guests, and became more technically sophisticated.

  

(click the collage below for a video)

 

As of its most recent year in Bristol, it boasted over 14 different haunted house scenes and employed over 200 actors, with a wide variety of imagery, moods, and themes. Every setting was extraordinarily detailed, it was clear that a ton of passion and care went into making it a terrific haunted attraction: lighting, props, sounds, and effects have all been top-notch. 

In 2020, they chose not to open during the pandemic -- totally understandable. Such a large and beloved haunt would surely reopen when the time was right. 

What I (and many others) didn't expect is that The Haunted Graveyard would be moving to a new location for the 2021 season! 

 

Just last week, as I have been looking for haunted attractions to go to while I visit CT again this fall, I spotted a few announcements like these on The Haunted Graveyard's social media: 

 

(click the above pic for their Instagram page)

Tickets aren't on sale just yet, but many haunted attractions wait til September 1st or so to release advanced tickets. I haven't yet decided whether I want to visit The Haunted Graveyard again this year, or wait til 2022 for them to settle into their new "home" (if they continue to stay at Quassy).

So far, no word on why they made the move, but I am asking around and will report back if I find out anything. In the meantime, I am continuing to plan my Halloween, haunted house, and fall activities.

(all images in this post via The Haunted Graveyard)