DEBERT, N.S.
Are you ready to go back to Demonbunker?
The Debert Diefenbunker has become the Demonbunker for Halloween, and visitors will have the opportunity to navigate the haunted below-ground hallways of the former Cold War-era secure installation and save the world from the Doomsday Cult.
“It’s a sequel to the Doomsday event from 2013, but it’s bigger and scarier,” said Chris Wildbore, marketing and communications coordinator for the bunker.
“It opens with a haunted corn maze type thing, and there’s a tour guide for a while, but it gets scarier and there are escape room elements to it.”
The 2013 event saw visitors battling zombies. This year, the cult behind the zombie outbreak has returned, and has taken one of the bunker employees hostage. The cult plans to sacrifice the employee in order to summon a demonic force and reactivate the Doomsday Device. The challenge for visitors is to use their puzzle-solving skills to navigate the bunker and rescue the employee.
Many of the design ideas came from Shanlon Gilbert, graphic designer at the bunker.
“Halloween is my favourite time of year so this is great, but I get scared easily,” she said.
Traversing the haunted site should take about an hour, she said – and there are creatures who chase the slowpokes.
Tyler Fields, event manager/organizer, said they will be keeping track of how many groups are able to rescue the employee, and results will determine the narrative for next year. If the majority aren’t able to complete a rescue, the cult will be in power.
Although puzzles are included in the experience, it’s not necessary to be a puzzle fan to enjoy the bunker.
Tickets can be purchased on the Enter the Bunker website, at https://www.enterthebunker.com , for $25, or $20 for students and $15 for those aged 15 and younger. People choose their time slot when purchasing tickets, but if there is a large enough group requesting a time that isn’t listed, an extra spot can be fit in.
Limited edition Demonbunker merchandise will be sold at the site.
Movie nights are also being held during October, with older films including Halloween, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Exorcist, and Little Shop of Horrors being screened. The full schedule is available on the website.
