Haunted house ‘Temple of Gloom’ coming to Merced College

MERCED, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Merced College is inviting the public to come for a “journey into the unknown” with the return of the college’s haunted house experience with the production of the “Temple of Gloom,” officials announced on Tuesday.

The Temple of Gloom, hosted by the Merced College Theater Department, will run from Oct. 18-20, Oct. 25-27 and Oct. 29-30 at the Merced College Theater at 3600 M St. in Merced. Doors will open at 6 p.m. each night, with shows running until around 9:30 p.m.

According to officials, the guides at the Designated Exploration Department will take “brave tourists” to uncover the mysteries of the “cursed temple of the sun,” where they warn that every decision could be the last.

According to college officials, the narrative centers “around archaeologists and siblings Conrad, Kaya and Ana Cannon, and their excavation of the temple of the sun in the late 1960s. Officials say that excavations at this site led to the Cannon family’s theft of many Mesoamerican relics, including a sacred skull belonging to the royal family.

Officials add that “Conrad and Kaya are interested in the fame and fortune such a skull could bring them, while Ana wants to return the skull to its people. When Ana attempts to take back the skull, she is held captive by the sun monarch.”

The experience is set to last around 10 minutes. Tickers are $10 per person, with group rates available upon request. Officials say any ticket is valid for any date during the run of the production, but attendance is first come, first served. To purchase tickets, click here.

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