A haunted house experience and laser tag arena are two of the fresh attractions that will cater to thrill-seekers at the new Cavendish Beach Adventure Zone, which was formerly King Tut’s Tomb, by mid-June.
The adventure zone will also include the River of Adventure Miniature Golf, which was previously in operation but has been revamped with new turf, paint and signage.
Matthew Jelley, president of Maritime Fun Group, said the zone will first be opened to the public before holding a grand opening planned for Saturday, July 15.
The attractions have been receiving their final touches after workers spent the winter renovating the site, which was purchased last year by Maritime Fun Group.
“We’ve been kind of looking at this property and thought it was ready to be re-developed, we started looking for a concept that would make sense,” said Jelley. “With the property previously being King Tut’s Tomb and needing a lot of work, it kind of fit itself into being a haunted house or dark attraction.”
The projects are just a piece of the overall investments made by businesses in the region’s tourism sector during the past year, which Tourism Cavendish Beach has estimated is at least $20 million throughout the resort municipality.
The unique Route 6 Motel - A Haunting Experience will bring a spooky vibe to the usually sunny region.
The haunted motel has seen the former tomb converted into a series of suspense-filled hallways aimed at scaring visitors.
“The story behind it is it’s a run-down hotel we purchased with the idea of repairing things…. when we started the repairs, things started going sideways,” said Jelley.
Adam Hickey, who developed the haunt, said there was a lot of research that went into developing the property.
“We visited a lot of haunted houses,” said Hickey. “Our scares are going to be more about scaring than grossing you out. Also, the attraction an be adapted for younger audiences in the daytime.”
Although the area is known for its busy summer tourism season, the attraction will only close for a short time in September and re-open October weekends in advance of Halloween. The buildings are also insulated, with Jelley saying they’ll have the option to re-open for groups throughout the winter.
The Hanger Laser Tag Arena was also a massive undertaking, which required construction of a 3,000 foot airplane hanger attached to the back of the building.
The attraction will be a showcase arena built in conjunction with Art Attack and Delta Strike Laster Tag Equipment, two international leaders in laser tag design and construction, said Jelley.
The room, which is fit with blacklights and speakers, has a number of partitions to duck behind while the walls are covered with neon airbrush-painted graphics.
“There’s almost a 3D effect to it (under the lights),” said Jelley.
The Maritime Fun Group also owns and operates Sandspit Amusement Park, Shining Waters Family Fun Park, Magic Mountain and other attractions in P.E.I. and New Brunswick.
The adventure zone isn’t the company’s only enhancement to the Cavendish region this year.
The winter has also seen upgrades at the Mariner’s Cove Boardwalk, with Wax World and Ripley’s seeing expansions with interactive technology and new galleries.
The company has also doubled the size of Yippee’s Playcade.
Jelley said the group will continue with new features and attractions to enhance the visitor experience, adding that there is already another one in the works that he can’t yet disclose.
“In July, we’ll be announcing another project at Shining Waters,” he said.
