Horror at The Ridge Delivers Terror, Fun

Andrew Gmelin is getting ready to give people a fright.

Gmelin is readying to open up a mausoleum at his home and unleash the horrors inside.

It’s all for fun and frights, of course, and it ultimately benefits a good cause.

The Horror at the Ridge, a haunted attraction, opens this week at the Gmelin home in the Hunter’s Ridge subdivision in New Port Richey. The attraction costs $2 to enter, but the proceeds go to orchestral and marching bands at River Ridge High School.

The Gmelin family has created scares for years at various locations. This year, Andrew, son Aidan and wife Amy are bringing the horror back to their own neighborhood. Aidan plays in the orchestral, marching and jazz bands at River Ridge. 

Andrew Gmelin is a mechanical engineer. He has built haunted attractions for 13 years, including this year. The first he built was at his then-home in Shore Acres in Pinellas County.

Gmelin was still building the Horror at the Ridge earlier this month. He builds the rooms and a lot of the scares. This year’s haunted attraction is located in the front and side yards of his home.

All the horrors are props or mechanical creations. He doesn’t use actors in his attraction, although he and his family do dress up in costume 

Gmelin’s friends are ready. There’s the Scaretaker, the ghoulish, giant Eddie and the corpse-like Tom. Those are just some of the terrors in the menagerie.

There will also be some famous monsters and creeps. Michael Myers from the Halloween movie series might make an appearance. Jigsaw from Saw is sure to greet guests. Kayako Saeki from The Grudge is waiting for visitors.

It’s not for very young kids, Gmelin says.

There will be gags and tricks galore, hidden in and around the rooms. He incorporates audiovisual equipment to add to the thrill.

“I enjoy hearing the screams" of people passing through the attraction, Gmelin said. “And they are in terror, but they’re also in fun.” 

The Horror at The Ridge opens its doors from 7:30  to 11 p.m.,Saturday, Oct. 20 at 9349 Calle Alta in New Port Richey. It continues at the same time Oct. 21 and also Oct. 26-28 and Oct. 31. It may also open the Monday and Tuesday before Halloween, but that depends on turnout. Entry costs $2. Food and drink are extra. 

Gmelin wanted to make it knowwn that sveral business have sponsored the horror this year. They include:

Low Key Grafix  727- 364- 4135

Pauls Handy Man Service   727- 243- 0326  

TNS Customs  727-485-3235

Publix

The Home Depot