Along with pumpkin patches, scary movie marathons and the opening of costume stores, haunted houses are the perfect way to get into the spooky spirit of Halloween. With the new Cobb Crematorium now opened in Old Monroe, it is a perfect option for a good scare. Although beware, my experience shows that the night of fright does not end after leaving the attraction.

I had previously heard rumors of an ancient Cobb family out in Old Monroe. The tale behind the haunted exhibit illustrates the owner, Eli Cobb, as an insane serial killer. This backstory adds a lot of depth into the newly opened Cobb Crematorium.

The haunted house is located immediately off the Route C exit off Highway 79 in Old Monroe. On their website, it says they open at 7:15 on Fridays, but this is inaccurate. If you happen to get there when it supposedly opens, they will tell you to wait in the desolate line until they open at 8:00. However, due to technical difficulties, I was unable to enter the house until 8:25. If one happens to arrive early and is forced to wait in the brisk autumn chill of nighttime, no need to worry: they have hot chocolate and scattered fire pits to keep you warm.

Finally, entering the Crematorium, a high power smoke machine greets its prey, blurring vision immediately. Traveling through the haunted house was a challenge, mostly because there is no way to tell where one is going. The scariest part for me was the combination of flashing strobe lights, fog and the moments in pitch black darkness.
If you are emotionally affected by the recent national clown scare, some of the Cobb Crematorium attractions may not be for you, as there are many clowns throughout the haunted house. However, one disclosure to put readers at ease is that they are not allowed to touch you in any way. Sadly, this does not include chasing you, following closely or getting up close and personal in your face.

At the end of my haunted house visit, the spirit of Eli Cobb followed me while leaving the town of Old Monroe. When it comes to directions, I always feel pretty secure in my knowledge of my surroundings– and if I don’t know my surroundings, I rely on my trusty iPhone Maps. However, my carrier does not have service out in Old Monroe, so Siri took me on U-turn after U-turn until I did not recognize any of the street names. There were no lights on the road besides my Chevy Malibu’s brights. Driving down a back road with the growing desire of being home, I see flashing blue and red lights far behind me. Although they were far away, there was no sign of anybody else around so I pulled off onto a small side street, and alas, the Lincoln County sheriff caught me.

I was speeding, naturally, not paying attention to any speed limit signs because I was too lost to notice, so I accepted the defeat of a ticket. However, the cop was also an O’Fallon native, and considering I wound up in a town called Ethlyn, he could tell I was lost. Instead of a speeding ticket, he gave me a “Pass It On” card, to do something nice for a friend, family member or a favorite charity. He told me to follow him back to Highway 79, and we parted ways.

In regard to the Cobb Crematorium, I would rate it 7 out of 10 stars. Besides the miscommunication of opening times and the longer wait due to technical difficulties, the “actors” played their roles extremely well. The spooky effects were a huge plus for a first-year haunted attraction. For tickets and more details, please visit their website, www.panicfest.com. As for the Old Monroe Police Department, I give them a 10 out of 10 for great compassion and I am forever grateful for the directions home.