City Fire Dept. Dispute Could Halt Baltimore Haunted House Tradition
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Bennett's Curse has scared Halloween fans for 15 years, but the walk through attraction in South Baltimore--which drew 10,000 people last year--may not open this year because of a dispute with the city fire department.
"We tried to open this year but they said because we don't have a sprinkler system they will not allow us to have a permit," said Teresa Pazcersky, a spokesperson for Bennett's Curse. "The cost to install it would be about $150,000. For an attraction that's only open 24 nights as their sole source of income, that would bankrupt them."
Employees of the haunted house are taking their protest to City Hall. The owners say a sprinkler system would cost $150-Thousand-dollars which they can't afford.
The city fire department says they are concerned about safety and a sprinkler system is necessary in order for the haunted house to open, if it can't about one hundred actors will be out of jobs.
"We have over 100 actors that are missing out, said Pazcersky. "For some of our actors this is their kids Christmas money. For the Bennett's this is their life. They have a business they want to keep growing, it's been around for 16 years."
Bennett's Curse first opened outside Arundel Mills in 2001.
It then moved to Jessup before opening at its current location on West Ostend Street.
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