Visit Bayville Vampire Valentine’s haunted house

Things are about to get bloody in Bayville. This weekend, lovers beware as the Bayville Vampire Valentine’s Haunted House opens for three nights only, Feb. 16-18.

“These are not modern vampires or Count Dracula. It’s a more gothic, sophisticated approach,” says owner D.R. Finley. “We try to keep it as classic as possible.”

Bayville Scream Park’s Bloodworth Manor will be infested with vampires (and their brides) in a 12-room attraction consisting of 20 live actors (don’t worry, there’s no contact).

When entering, guests will be greeted by a video of Barnabus Bay, a vampire hunter who was bitten in 1866 and has now become one. The entire pathway through is lit by candlelight and the experience will last 20 to 30 minutes.

“There’s a lot of coffins and crosses as you enter this nest of vampires who are lurking in the darkness,” Finley says. “We give visitors a red glow stick to help them find their way in the dark.”

For more thrills, ride The Scream Machine ($11.75), a gyroscope that holds four people and spins about in the dark.

“It goes upside down, sideways and moves in every different direction,” Finley says.

A deluxe package ($59.50 a person) includes haunted house admission plus a three-course dinner at Shipwreck Tavern next door, where themed cocktails are part of the package and include Immortality (white rum, coconut rum and strawberry puree) or Love’s Bite (tequila, triple sec, cherry pomegranate juice and lime). For those who need an extra jolt, there’s even a Vampire Blood Hypodermic Needle gelatin shot ($6.75).

When asked to rate the scare level on a scale of 1 to 10, Finley says, “It’s a 10. The fact that it is all in darkness brings it to another level.”

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.