Zombies are back and more spine chilling than ever at a popular Flushing attraction.
Following the success of the Zombie Super Scare experience last year, creator, owner and manager Luke Tinari decided to bring the haunted walkthrough back for a second year. Visitors will get to explore the abandoned store aisles at Toys ‘R’ Us at 30-02 Whitestone Expy. where zombies, clowns and spooks linger around every corner.
According to Tinari, the store brought in 5,000 visitors last year and he hopes to double the number of visitors this year.
“This year we have a lot of high-power props that we didn’t have last year. We have actors and actresses that have years of experience and there’s just a ton of ultimate choreography and surprises that I haven’t seen before. That’s why I continue doing it,” Tinari said.
The experience brings visitors into themed horror rooms including the zombie swamp, the clown room and “The Upside Down” from Stranger Things, which is new to this year’s walkthrough. Once the walkthrough is finished, visitors can also play fun zombie-themed games and get refreshments at the snack station.
“For the first year, a competitor was going to come in [to Toys ‘R’ Us]. I saw that the community absolutely loved it and we wanted to do it another year,” said Tinari. “From ages 13 [and] up, it’s just something to do, something other than going to a bar. It’s just a great activity.”
Tinari and his team started planning for this year’s event “seven or eight” months ago. They attended the Haunt Convention, a trade show where tops vendors show off their haunted house props and supplies.
“It’s one of the best places to go and that’s where we started and then we created from there,” he said.
“We’ve created something that we never thought that we would have created before. We’re Queens’ number one haunt attraction right now and hopefully, everybody enjoys it as much as last year because there’s a lot more work put into it,” Tinari added.
The Zombie Super Scare is open Sept. 27 to Nov. 2 on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 11 p.m. and Sundays and Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be extended Halloween hours from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2.
Tickets are $25 for visitors 14 and up and $23 for students of all ages. Patrons can purchase tickets online or at the door. For more information, visit zombiesareback.com.
