Terror on the Bayou: Jefferson, Texas Halloween Festival

Creepy animatronics may be useful for a good scare, but nothing inspires terror quite as well as the imagination itself. Don't believe me? Take a trip to Terror on the Bayou. One ride on the Runaway Fright Train will change your mind. By most accounts, Jefferson, Texas, is a city famous for its numerous ghost stories and happy hauntings. Walking up the streets of the historic downtown district, one is easily distracted by the remarkable presence of days gone by. To a large extent, Jefferson is truly a city untouched by time and technology. A number of Jefferson's residents attribute this to a curse put on the city by the great railroad developer Jay Gould. Laid out in 1842, Jefferson quickly became a major East Texas river port point of entry. At that time, Big Cypress Bayou was navigable by steamboat from New Orleans. Confident in the steamboat, the city of Jefferson refused Gould's offer for a railroad. Gould predicted death for the city, stating that "grass will grow in the streets and bats will roost in the belfries." And that, my friends, is precisely what happened. As the decline in water levels brought an end to the glory days of the steamboat, Gould took his railroad further west to a small establishment that is now known as Dallas, Texas.

Unfortunately for Mr. Gould, it appears that Jefferson may have gotten the last laugh after all. Presently, the city of Jefferson is nothing short of every paranormal thrill-seeker's dream. The month of October is particularly eventful for the city, as this is the time when the employees of the Historic Jefferson Railroad transform the bottoms of the Big Cypress Bayou into a Halloween extravaganza. For those of us who scare easily, the bottoms need no transformation; the setting is sufficiently eerie without the costumes and special effects. Don't be fooled. The actors are more than willing to take advantage of the surroundings when playing on your fears.

The theme of 2008's fright train is Urban Legends. Upon arrival, your first task will be to navigate through the Carnival of the Dead. As the story goes, The PEABODY-OZYMANDIAS TRAVELING CIRCUS & ODDITY EMPORIUM mistakenly employed the use of fiery torches in an attempt to control one of its many creatures; as a result, the entire circus burned to the ground, killing spectators, employees, actors, and all of the circus animals. Provided you survive your task, you are then free to board the fright train, which will take you on a terrifying ride through the bayou itself. Watch out for the mental militia - according to the website, you are their only source of nourishment.

Terror on the Bayou is open Friday through Sunday during the last four weeks of October. The park opens at 6:00 PM, and it is useful to purchase your tickets well in advance. The Carnival of the Dead opens at 7:00 PM and closes when the last Runaway Fright Train departs. The first train of the evening is considered to have a PG rating; all other trains are rated PG13. The train departs on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, 8:30 PM, and 9:30 PM. On Saturday, an additional train departs at 10:30 PM. The train departs on Sundays at 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM only. Tickets will be available online beginning this summer or by telephone beginning October 1st. Please refer to the website for telephone numbers and online ordering information.