Scaring
& Caring
ABA mixes fear and fun for a good cause with annual haunted house
By Christopher Harris
The most bizarre and unexpected thing of all about the haunted houses that spring from the mind of Chris George and his team is that George really doesn ’ t care for the experience himself .
“ Personally , I don ’ t like going into haunted houses , just because I get overstimulated ,” he said with a laugh .
Nevertheless , the Applied Behavioral Advancements ( ABA ) Haunted House has already become a downtown Somerset tradition each Halloween .
Now in its sixth year , the “ haunted house ” — though more of a tour of the dressed-up basement of ABA ’ s 105 College Street location — has a different look , feel and theme each time , offering a new and spine-chilling experience even for repeat visitors .
And in 2022 , ABA ’ s big idea is , well , out of this world .
“ Our theme this year is ‘ Alien Invasion ,’” said George , ABA ’ s owner and executive director . “ We are constantly throwing out ideas throughout the year . In fact , we already have next year ’ s theme picked out , but were not telling .
“ We keep a running list going , but usually something just grabs a hold of us ,” he added . “... We like the idea of mixing it up .”
Those who attend can expect menacing aliens , sci-fi scares , and situations and sensations meant to disturb the senses .
“ This year , we wanted to do something completely different from the traditional style haunted house ,” said George . “ We landed on ‘ Alien Invasion ’ because of all of the news media and a congressional hearing around UFOs . It is going to be amazing .”
George ’ s team works for months in advance painting , constructing , and conceptualizing innovative and creepy ways to get under a visitor ’ s skin — figuratively speaking , of course .
And it only helps that they specialize in dealing with the human mind as a matter of their mission .
ABA works with individuals possessing a wide range of behavioral and mental health needs . As such , George and the half-dozen or so people who work each year to put together the ABA haunted house experience take care to make the experience an inclusive one for all types
32 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky September 2022