Walking down the dark hallway, trying to ignore the sound of screams coming from the other rooms. The strobe lights flash wildly, making every movement seem jerky, and casting deep shadows across the walls.

Heart pounding in your chest, especially when a friend behind you grabs your hand. Take a deep calming breath, trying not to be scared of the flashing  red lights or the wailing screams.

And just as you feel safe, your friend screams and you spin around to be faced with the gory grinning face of the pirate holding a knife.

And then the pirate screams.

This thrill rush is what keeps customers coming back to Pirates of Emerson year after year. The adrenaline kicks in the moment customers escape the haunted house and are shown the relative safety of the world outside.

After years of people coming every Halloween to be terrified by the pirate themed haunted house, Pirates of Emerson began to expand from one haunted house to the sprawling six houses it boasts today.

The need for a larger venue has caused Pirates to be relocated to the Pleasanton Fairgrounds, where the sprawling haunted houses form a giant circle of terror and fun.

Pirates offers a variety of haunted houses, all the way from the original Pirates of Emerson attraction to the Wicked Wild West, and everything in between.

One of the most notable haunted houses is the Lockdown, which features a hospital theme.  It seems simple enough, until the operating room is reached. Rows and rows of sheet covered tables await. And just as this house seems like safe, the body lying under the sheet in the middle of the room sits up and screams.

Another wonderful attraction is the Mental Maze. This attraction is not a haunted house, but that doesn’t make it any less popular. The Mental Maze is a maze made of chain link fence that customers need to navigate. Seems simple enough, until people come to a startling realization. The strobe lights make the chain link fence all but invisible, leading to many hilarious crashes as the poor maze-goers try to navigate their way out.

If haunted houses don’t seem interesting, don’t worry. Pirates has set up its own carnival booths, where customers can play pirate-themed games throughout the night when they want to take a break from the terrors within. There is also a giant stage in the middle of the circle, where pirates sword fight though out the night. Movies roll on the other side of the stage, documenting the evolution of the Pirates of Emerson.

But the main call for Pirate lovers every where is the main Pirates of Emerson attraction. This giant haunted house has everything from a grand ball room, to an actual sunken pirate ship in the middle of it. People travel from room to room, and are met with haunting organ music which sounds as if it were taken from a Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

There are rules to note when going through the haunted houses. The employees will not touch you, unless you touch them first. There is no one to help those too terrified to move on navigate the halls. The only time they help is offered is if a customer passes out from terror.
But the main thing to remember is that there are no signs showing customers what door to take. If the door chosen doesn’t open, it’s part of the fun. But make sure to find the right door quickly, because people have been known to open the door and be met with the terrifying cast of Pirates.
The best part is there are six houses to go through for another thrill rush, and you can go through them as often as you want.

Pirates of Emerson is a must have this Halloween season. It only stays open until Oct. 31, so make sure to get there soon.

After all, one of the best parts is cackling madly when you hear the people screaming inside Pirates of Emerson.

Pirates of Emerson opens nightly at 7:05 p.m. and closes between 10 p.m. and midnight, depending on the day. For more information, go to www.piratesofemerson.com.