It's starting to look a lot like Christmas!

We are getting ready for the most festive time of year at Ruby Falls! Starting next week, we are kicking off Deck the Falls and in December a Ruby Red Christmas will begin. Don't miss any of the holiday fun and cheer this holiday season at Ruby Falls.

During Deck the Falls, we will put guests in the holiday spirit with holiday music, a state of the art LED light show on the waterfall, and photo opportunities. 

Beginning in December, Ruby Falls will be giving guests the Ruby Red Christmas experience on weekends, complete with falling snow outside the castle, hot chocolate, festive activities at the North Pole workshop and Mrs. Claus reading "T'was the Night Before Christmas" aloud to guests before and after the tour.

Don't miss a holiday experience that everyone in the family can enjoy!

What Makes Haunted Cavern Better than the Rest?

Each week we are getting more and more feedback from the media and our fans saying Haunted Cavern is better than other haunts in the area, and even the southeast. But what exactly is it that makes us the best? 

1) Nature: Haunted Cavern works within its natural capacity, to offer an experience unlike any other. Where else is there a haunted attraction that takes you underground where no one can hear you scream?

2) Technology: From the fire breathing monster roaming the parking lot, to the sliders, to the Hellevator, to the makeup we apply with airbrush machines, we've got technology on our side! The haunt business has become an industry, and we are involved with all the newest developments.

3) The story line: Unlike other haunted houses, haunted cavern incorporates a cohesive theme and story line throughout the entire haunt. There won't ever be any random characters unrelated to the story, popping up. Everything about Haunted Cavern is tied to the story line.

4) Our Technicians: The creators of our haunt are experts in their field. They start working on the next year's haunt as soon as the current year's haunt is finished. For them it's an all year ordeal and they are committed to getting the best scares and overall environment.

 5) Our Actors: Being an actor in the haunted cavern means going through an extensive audition process and working hard all season to deliver the best scares possible. Actors in the Haunted Cavern are assigned distinct characters who they must play the entire night without breaking character. 

Come check us out and see what everyone is raving about! We've only got two weekends left so don't miss out on what many are claiming is the best haunt in the southeast.

Haunted Cavern is Waiting for You!

It's hard to believe October is half way over! But the weather is markably cooler, the leaves are starting to change, and pumpkins can be seen on many a doorstep. Fall festivities are up and running. Are you going to miss out on what Haunted Cavern creators say is the best haunted attraction in the Southeast?

Don't take it from us, everyone in the chattanooga valley is raving about Haunted Cavern. From the Pulse to the University Echo at UTC, chattanoogans agree Haunted Cavern is the place to be!

It's natural that Haunted Cavern is better than other attractions in the area. Who else boasts an attraction that literally takes you underground where no one can hear you scream! Don't wait until Halloween week, to experience Haunted Cavern. Start celebrating now and get into the spooky spirit of the season.

Get a group together and venture into Wyrmwood Aslyum. It's sure to be something you will never forget. The combination of makeup, props, scenes, and "special effects" will leave even the bravest of your friends shaking in their boots. What are you waiting for?

For more information check out the Haunted Cavern Web site at http://www.hauntedcavern.com/ or go to our facebook page to view exclusive interviews with Haunted Cavern actors!

The Intern Experience: Behind the Scenes at Haunted Cavern

Last week, I got a rare behind the scenes tour with the creators of Haunted Cavern. It was amazing to see and hear about the amount of detail and work that goes into creating a premier haunted attraction.

I started my behind the scenes tour with an exclusive interview with co-creator Todd Patton. He explained that he and his partner Tim Green start working on the next year's Haunted Cavern theme immediately after the current year finishes. By January, they have a complete story line and cast of characters which will become next year's haunt. Todd said they also like to incorporate something that is true into their mostly fictional scenarios. For instance, the story behind this year's haunt says that in 1975, Ruby Falls hired  Cowin Engineering Company to blast an alternative exit into their tourist attraction. This fact is true, however this is no truth to the details of Wyrmwood Asylum. During his interview Todd said he believes Haunted Cavern is the best haunt in the entire Southeast, because of it's unique combination of the haunt inside the cave and above ground.

After the interview, Todd took me on a tour of the cavern. I was able to see in relatively good light what most will never get an opportunity to see. He showed me some of the ways they position actors and a few of the gadgets that really frighten guests. I was able get a close up glimpse of some of the props and even take a personal ride on the hellevator. 

Next we moved to the above ground section of the haunt. I may just be a chicken, but I was a little uneasy even in broad daylight. Tim lead me through this section and explained each room in Wyrmwood Asylum. He also showed me where the actors would be positioned when the haunt came to life later that night. The thought of what that looks like, makes my stomach knot even as I write this. 

After my tour finished, I was able to go to the actor's tent and see the make up process. I was expecting a makeup room like the one we had in our highschool musicals which was nothing compared to makeup at Haunted Cavern. I walked into the tent and saw an abundance of air compressors and air brush machines laying at my feet. The makeup artists use these machines to literally spray a fine mist of makeup in a variety of colors onto the actors' bodies and faces. The artists also attach latex prosthetics, created specifically for this event to give the give the makeup a 3-D feel. It was interesting to see them go in as normal looking people and come out completely zombified! 

While hanging around the tent, I interviewed some of the actors. They all agreed Haunted Cavern is the best haunt in Chattanooga, because no other attraction gives you a feeling that compares to being underground. Each of the actors said one of the best parts of working at Haunted Cavern is seeing the reactions they get from the guests. 

After my behind the scenes tour, I am confident Haunted Cavern will be the best haunt in Chattanooga this year. The thought of deep underground and given a glow stick to guide me through the cavern filled with zombies is enough to send me running! 

Halloween Starts Now at the Haunted Cavern!

You don't have to wait until Halloween week for chills and thrills at the Haunted Cavern! Celebrate your favorite holiday all month long by coming to the Haunted Cavern Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 10 or Thursday-Sunday nights Oct. 15-31. This year enter into the Wyrmwood Asylum if you dare!

Legend has it that a visionary Dr. Kilgore created an asylum above the tunnels and caves of Lookout Mountain which the patients named "the vault." Those who entered "the vault" were never seen again and subjected to extensive rehabilitation which included shock therapy, sleep deprivation (by cutting off the patients eyelids,) lobotomies, torture devices, isolation and self mutilation by Dr. Kilgore and his "vault crew." Soon after it was built, 100's of the nation's worst criminals were transported to Wyrmwood Asylum. As the number of unmarked graves increased outside the facility, staff members began to take notice. One head nurse, Clara Samuals, discovered the horrendous experiments taking place inside "the vault." Being too afraid of the "vault crew" to alert the authorities, nurse Samuals began releasing patients on her own. She succeeded for several days until a patient followed her and released more patients who began to riot and ultimately massacre the entire staff. The rogue patients then delved into "the vault" where they acted as staff members for four months, before the authorities were notified. The authorities were only able to secure the upper level of Wyrmwood Asylum before an explosion permanently sealed off "the vault." In 1975, Ruby Falls hired an engineering company to blast an alternate exit to their attraction on the side of Lookout Mountain. The blast released the disturbed souls of doctors and patients who were trapped inside "the vault." Every 10 years the same wandering souls return the Ruby Falls area and bring to life vivid scenes from their past.

The Haunted Cavern's portrayal of Wyrmwood Asylum is sure to be a hit with all kinds of haunted house goers! Come up this weekend and experience it for yourself. For more information check out the Web site:
http://www.hauntedcavern.com/

Locals Make Ruby Falls Scariest Place in Chattanooga

Tim Green and Todd Patton wouldn't scare you in the slightest on an average day. However from June until Labor Day all they do is work to scare you in Ruby Falls' Haunted Cavern.

Since 2006, the duo has been in charge of the design and conception of the theme and construction of The Haunted Cavern. It has gone from well below the top three to the scariest place in Chattanooga. They train all the actors, and even get in on the fun themselves.

Check out their Bio's:

Tim Green has loved and lived Halloween and Horror all his life. Tim started haunting as a youngster with volunteer haunts. Tim is an ex-Airborne Ranger that has a normal life also as he owns his own Brick Masonry Company - Tim Green Masonry. So by day, Tim is a mild-mannered Brick Mason and small business owner, and at night he lives to bring fear to all he meets!

Todd Patton began his haunting in Memphis, TN as an actor and then developed his own haunt in 1999. He took it to new levels in 2001 as the event turned charity and continued to raise over $30,000 annually. In 2007, he gave up his own haunt and decided to focus all his energy on Fear Connection. By day, Todd is a sales manager for a local HVAC Controls Company. At night Todd thinks of new ways to put fear into the lives of those that attend the events he co-produces.

Fear Connection began after Todd and Tim met in 2006 and have helped with a couple small Independent Films, the development of Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern since 2006 and assisting with a couple other Haunts in the US. FearConnection is also a major sponsor of http://www.connooga.com/ (A multi-fandom event that happens in February). Fear Connection has much support from friends and family who have helped them develop Fear Connection into a new business. Fear Connection is working on more projects and looking to take haunting and other events in the US to a new level.

http://www.fearconnection.com/

Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern Approaches

Hey folks,

If you're interested in being a part of Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern 2009, be sure to apply online at hauntedcavern.com by 08.28.09.

Thanks!

Ruby Falls guests "Do the Dew"

Ruby Falls guests recently had an opportunity to try out seven potential new flavors of Mountain Dew!


Kevin Magyar, the event manager for Mountain Dew, gave out samples to Ruby Falls patrons.






Families enjoyed getting to cast their votes for their favorite flavor!




Before the day was over, Ruby Falls guests were lining up to sample the new Dew.

Mountain Dew Taste Test

Be sure to check back for pictures of the Mountain Dew Taste Test taking place Friday, July 17, 2009 from 3-6:00 p.m.

Breathtaking Ruby Falls Offers Year-Round Splendor

We at Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee are excited to finally be a part of Blogspot! Check in often to read first-hand reviews of various programs, events and updates at Ruby Falls, home of the world's only solar-powered cave, to view new photos and to watch videos depicting the many exciting dimensions of the beautiful and breathtaking Ruby Falls!

My name is Brittany, and I'll be blogging, tweeting and updating our Web friends in order to keep Ruby Falls' most enthusiastic patrons informed. Journey with me through America's most popular underground waterfall as I experience many of the special events for the first time. And, if you still can't get enough of Ruby Falls, feel free to become our friend on other social media sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Flickr to ensure you'll receive optimal coverage of new programs, promotions and updates.

We look forward to interacting with our Web followers and look forward to reading your questions, comments and feedback about Ruby Falls!