Promising to haunt guests long after they leave, the Deepwells Farm Haunted Mansion in St. James is not for the faint of heart with over 15 rooms dedicated to Halloween frights.
“This year the theme of the haunted mansion is the Freak Show,” said Denise Davis, board member of the Deepwells Farm Historical Society, which produces the attraction as a fundraiser. “We like to do things and try to link them to the history of the house. The Freak Show is carnival themed from back in those days.”
With volunteer actors and actresses ready to send shivers up the spine, Davis said the Haunted Mansion is “really super scary.” Beyond the circa 1845 Greek Revival mansion, which is “all decorated and done up to the max,” she said. The chills extend to the grounds with a haunted trail, graveyard and corn maze, which is new this year.
The fundraiser draws a substantial following with excitement fueled by reports of confirmed apparitions, according to Davis. Long Island Haunted Houses mentions Deepwells, and there are psychics and mediums who maintain the authenticity of paranormal sightings centered on the mansion, she said. During the event, she said, a professed ghost hunter will be on the premises to “talk to people about the real ghosts that reside in the house” and to share accounts of such experiences.
“It seems like people are willing to travel for these haunted houses,” Davis said.
Due to the scare factor, the Haunted Mansion is not recommended for young children and those under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. The Freak Show is already in progress and runs Friday and Saturday on three weekends from Oct. 18-19 through Nov. 1-2. Buying tickets online shaves $10 off the $40 price but they also can be purchased at the door, said Davis. Additionally, if terror works up an appetite, there will be food trucks at the ready as part of the festivities.
Launched over 15 years ago, the fundraiser enables Deepwells to sponsor free community activities throughout the year, such as summer movie nights on the front lawn, the holiday tree lighting and art shows.
Suffolk Parks Department now owns Deepwells, and the event also helps with the cost of maintaining the site, according to Davis. Though started small to entertain neighborhood kids around Halloween, the event reached new levels in each subsequent year with additions like the corn maze.
While the Haunted Mansion is this season’s draw, she notes there are tours by appointment throughout the year for visitors. The Deepwells site—named for two 125-foot-deep brick wells on the property—has a lively history. It was built by Joel Smith, a descendant of Richard “Bull” Smith, so named for his bull-riding and as the founder of Smithtown. While the mayor of New York City, William J. Gaynor—who survived an assassination attempt in which he was shot in the neck— loved raising pigs at the mansion. In 1924, the site went to Winthrop Taylor, one of its longest residents, who raised cows there. In 1956, fire destroyed both the barn and the milk house, but of course the mansion has been preserved.
For more on the Haunted Mansion, located at 2 Taylor Lane, visit deepwellshauntedmansion.com.