Skip the chocolates, get scared for Valentine’s Day
Candy, flowers and fighting for a seat in a restaurant not your ideal way to spend Valentines Day weekend? How about getting the heart racing instead?
Lincoln Mill Haunted House will be open Feb. 11 for one night only to present “Viktor’s Valentine: A Dark Love Story.”
It’s not for the faint of heart with candlelight-only tours through the depths of the famous mill at 4100 Main Street in Manayunk.
Guests will descend through the hidden chamber and into the darkness where a blackout experience will heighten the senses. Be prepared to come up close and personal with the inhabitants of the mill, and keep close watch for the ghost of Viktor’s Valentine.
Over 30 scare actors will bring the experience to life.
Candlelight tours leave between 6:30 and 10 p.m., with tickets $25 per person or $45 per couple.
All tickets include access before and after to the deck overlooking the Schuylkill River. Souvenir T-shirts are also available for only $12 when purchased in advance. Tickets are on sale now at www.lincolnmillhaunt.com.
“Valentine’s Day is about romance and spending time with your significant other,” said Lincoln Mill Haunted House Co-Founder Jared Bilsak. “Other than taking your date out to a restaurant or bar, what other night-out options are there in the Philly region? That is when the idea came to us. We wanted to create a dark candlelit experience that wasn’t just about the traditional idea of love and romance. Instead, we wanted to combine the emotions of love and fear while walking through a haunted mill in the dark. The idea for Viktor’s Valentine was born.”
The Lincoln Mill Haunted House debuted during the 2022 Halloween season.
“The Legend of Lincoln Mill is an evolving story and we want to continue telling that story throughout the year,” said Bilsak. “For our first off-season event, we wanted to tell the story of how the mill’s main villain, Viktor Kane, lost his life and why his spirit haunts the place.
In the story of Viktor’s Valentine, Viktor’s death is revealed and we learn that he was killed by someone close to him that was driven by both love and fear. Love and fear are the strongest human emotions and have become the key inspiration for this event.
“We also wanted to expand upon the scavenger hunt experience that we offered during the day in October. In this case, a trail of Valentine’s Day hearts has been left throughout the maze and guests have to follow and read the clues on the hearts. Following these hearts will lead guests to the ghost of Viktor’s Valentine while encountering the mill’s ghostly inhabitants along their journey.”
The chilling details
According to the legend, in the 1930s, Viktor Kane had several accomplices that helped him carry out his evil acts. One of them loved Viktor, but developed a deep resentment towards him. She wanted the pain to stop and so she came up with a plan to take down his operation.
On Feb. 14, 1939, she left a trail of hearts inside the hidden chamber. At the end of the trail, she revealed herself; greeted Viktor with a kiss, and then stabbed him in the heart. She then took her own life, wanting to be free of her guilt, her body, and to be with Viktor forever.
For the storyline, Lincoln Mill co-founders Jared Bilsak and Brian Corcodilos wanted to offer something different than the October experience, and something more interactive.
“Instead of guests being passive observers in the show, they become active participants,” said Bilsak. “We thought that there would be something interesting about giving guests a candle (batterypowered) and have them venture through the darkness searching for clues. The clues are in the form of hearts that guide guests on their adventure.
“The idea of discovering who your Valentine is, is a flashback to childhood when each of the children in class brought Valentine’s Day cards for the other classmates. When you were a child, the question you might have had on Valentine’s Day was if whether or not you had a secret admirer or valentine, and who might that person might be. In this case, our main villain, Viktor knows that he has a valentine and is anxious to discover who that is …”
In terms of the haunted house itself, the mill has been upgraded to introduce some exciting new scenic effects since October.
Guests can expect a drastically different experience from last year. In the fall, the experience revealed the discovered of the hidden chamber and the introduction of the mill’s ghostly inhabitants.
“Viktor’s Valentine” was created for anyone adventurous who likes haunted houses, horror, and immersive experiences. Although the story is themed around Valentine’s Day, it is not limited to couples and date nights.