By Patrick Varine, The Tribune-Review, Greensburg (TNS)
Her visit happened over the summer, but Jeanette Milo still can’t say enough about why people should stay in October at the house made famous in the film “The Silence of the Lambs.”
“I’m already planning to come back and stay again next summer,” said Milo, who won a contest to stay in the Fayette County house that served as the lair of fictitious serial killer Buffalo Bill in the classic 1991 horror film “The Silence of the Lambs.”
The stately Victorian has been outfitted in memorabilia and decoration related to the movie.
“The parts of the of house that didn’t make it into the movie were really a treat because all corners of the home have things from the movie in them,” said Milo, of Tavern Rock, N.Y. “All of the rooms are fully furnished, and everything right down to the shower curtain is themed to the movie.”
That includes work in the basement to re-create Buffalo Bill’s subterranean lair, complete with a replica of the well where he held a young woman prisoner in the film.
Owner Chris Rowan included life-size female mannequins, a vintage Singer sewing machine, a disco ball and an auto-sensor that starts playing the Q Lazzarus song “Goodbye Horses,” from a particularly infamous scene, as soon as visitors enter the basement.
Milo, who graduated from Tom Savini’s makeup effects program in Monessen, said she would have stayed there even without the connection to the movie.
“It’s something I’d especially recommend for ‘Silence of the Lambs’ fans, but even in general as a getaway, it’s just really beautiful.”
For details on the Buffalo Bill House, see BuffaloBillsHouse.com or call 833-BUFF-BILL.
In addition to the typical haunted houses, western Pennsylvania offers a wide variety of unique Halloween events for those interested in more than just an evening of scares.
Owl-O-Ween at National Aviary
Oct. 23-24 will be the last chance to enjoy “Owl-O-Ween” at the National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Events include an owl meet-and-greet, a talk on barred owls and a talk on Malaysian Flying Fox bats. Children will receive a trick-or-treat bag. Purchase tickets online at Shop.aviary.org.
Haunted drive-thru
In Westmoreland County, the Lonesome Valley Farms “Valley of Terror” has updated its haunted attraction and turned it into a haunted drive-thru.
The socially distant rides are $10 per person or $40 per vehicle, and are held from 7:30-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through the end of October.
For those who are less interested in being frightened, Lonesome Farms also offers a corn maze from 6-9 p.m. on Sundays and a Pumpkin Patch Playland for children Oct. 24 and 31.
For details, see LonesomeValleyFarms.com.
Living Treasures Night
The animal park hosts a “Night at the Zoo” from 7-11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October, where families can take a non-scary walk in the dark through torch-lit walkways to observe animals’ unique nocturnal behavior. The zoo boasts more than 50 species of animal, many of which are nocturnal.
Jack-’o-lanterns brought to the park will be entered into a weekly contest and displayed in front of the zoo’s gift shop. Winners are posted Monday to the Living Treasures Facebook page. For more, see LTanimalpark.com.
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