Recent clown threats reported nationally and unfounded threats locally have caused both of Galesburg’s haunted houses to reconsider their use of clowns this October.
Both Shadows Realm at the Hawthorne Centre and Nightmare at the Movies in the Sandburg Mall are taking precautions.
For safety’s sake, neither business will allow actors dressed as clowns to go outside.
Nightmare at the Movies Public Relations Director Sherry Godsil says they are considering doing away with clowns all together this year, after an unfounded sighting by a student sent Steele Elementary School on soft lock down, Thursday.
She tells WGIL if they keep the clowns, no costuming will leave the building.
“I’ve already spoken to someone at the Public Safety Building and I’m going to go ahead and speak with an officer there, probably in the next week,” Godsil says. “I can already see someone being concerned with out actors roaming around. We do everything possible to keep our actors inside as to not concern the public, especially with these latest clown sightings. I just want my actors to be safe and I don’t want there to be a misunderstanding. Because, everybody seems pretty freaked out about this.”
A post on the house’s Facebook page says no clowns will be used in advertising or public appearances, either.
Shadows Realm owner Sam Burdick says they will continue to use clowns, but recent threats caused him to “hold off on using them for a great idea this year.”
Burdick says clowns will only be used within the attraction, as well.
