Friday 13th, unlucky for some, can be scary enough in Glasgow city centre at night with the occasional alcohol-addled oddball roaming the streets, shoogly scaffolding to walk under, cracks on the pavement to dodge, and, –
bearing in mind it’s always raining – slippery surfaces to avoid.
It’s the month of Halloween and with glowing pumpkins and spooky skulls creeping up in the metropolis already, there’s a nervous excitement in the air as we make our way to Dread, a live-action, walk-through scare attraction located on Renfield Street.
Deliberately being told very little about what exactly we were about to experience, we tiptoe into a dimly lit but glowing green reception area where we are asked to leave our jackets, bags, mobiles, and dignity at the door.
In a small group, we are led downstairs into a grim, dark basement where our tour guide introduces himself and we soon meet a mad scientist as we enter into his laboratory where he briefly discusses his disturbing, experimental research.
At the start, our eyes dart around the room, our palms sweat, and we giggle in an attempt to shake off the nerves as we are led deeper into the basement. Inevitably, something goes wrong and, before long, the group is jumping, screaming, and gripping each other for moral support as we duck, dive, hide, and run through the seemingly endless maze of rooms.
In the run-up to Halloween, Dread is the ideal way to kick off a night out. The Friday 13th event, a 15-minute tour, is filled with jumpy scares, creepy noises, spooky set, and a creative storyline. Think Terminator crossed with I Am Legend and you won’t be far off…
While the tour could have been more terrifying if were actually chased through the attraction, the lights flashed on and off more, and if there were more zombie characters with graphic, gory make up and costume, Dread is great fun and definitely makes you shriek, breathe faster than normal, and grip the arm of the person next to you, whether it’s a friend or even a stranger.
If you’re planning a Halloween night out in Glasgow’s city centre at the end of the month, creep down to the Dread 2: Mutation tour to experience the new threat in a zombie outbreak.
To book tickets call 0141 221 3929 and quote ‘Glasgowist’ to get a special deal of two tickets for £19.