Southard Grange Ready for Halloween Fun

For the past seven years Jade Greene has been working on a story that incorporates her love for the Jersey Shore with the spooky fun of Halloween. Starting tonight at the Southard Grange, her efforts will come to fruition as the Route 9 establishment hosts "Ocean Grave."

After a successful opening weekend, there are still more chances to be afraid and amused when the event returns on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With its name being a play on historic shore town Ocean Grove, guests to the Grange will get a chance to walk through history as told by the ghost of Stephen Crane. Greene said during the tour guests will be able to meet historical and literary characters along the way. Their hosts will include Elvira, Frankenstein's Monster, Lizzie Borden and more. One of the highlights of the tour is an appearance by the Phantom of the Opera who Greene said will impress the guests with his vocal abilities. 

With everything guests will be able to see and hear, Greene said this is more than just your average haunted house. "It's a lot of entertainment, not just the kind of haunted house where you get scared." She added that it is designed to appeal to people who like being scared, but also those who are fans of some of the most famous literary works in history.

Putting together the show has been a considerable amount of work for the people at the Grange and plans are already in the works to make it an annual event, but Greene said it is a labor of love for her. "It's very engrained in me," she said. "When I was first out of college my first job out of school was the haunted mansion in Long Branch. I started out as an actress, then started doing makeup and became part of the management team."

With tours running every half hour from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Greene said there is plenty of time to take in the sights and sounds of the event. She added that with the building being close to 200 years old, it also plays a part in the show. "That building's pretty creepy to begin with," she said with a laugh. "It's beautiful. I love it, it's very antiquey. It's a very funky space."

The first tour kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. on Friday and continues Saturday and Sunday as well. A special kid-friendly show will be held on Oct. 29 and 30 from 2 to 4 p.m.