The Haunting At Asbury's Berkeley Looks To Bring The Scare Factor

ASBURY PARK, NJ – One of the most iconic locations in Asbury Park, the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, has been known for being haunted by spirits during its time as a troop headquarters for the U.S. Navy during World War II, plus its proximity to the Morro Castle shipwreck back in 1934.

Playing off of that history, The Berkeley is offering The Haunting, an immersive pop-up experience when guests can go through a different part of the hotel and get the bejeezus scared out of them.

This is the second year for the Haunting, and according to Albie Manzo, one of the creative directors at the hotel, they have stepped it up for this year’s offering.

“With The Haunting, what we try to do is create an immersive experience,” Manzo said to Patch. “This is a time for us to put ourselves out there creatively.”

For this year’s event, Manzo and other event organizers teamed up with famed New York City magic and costume shop Abracadabra to help ramp up the “scare factor,” and they have by opening up the hotel’s ballrooms, giving organizers the room to offer guests all the scares that they can handle.

“The walk is three times bigger, and we’re trying to cater to all guests this year,” Manzo said to Patch. “It’s definitely going to be the type of experience that people will be talking about.”

The two most significant additions to this year’s experience are a prisoner maze where guests will try to navigate a maze while trying to avoid the scary prisoners that made or may not be waiting around every corner and a burial simulator where guests can get into a casket and experience “the last ride” from the funeral home to the grave, complete with the feeling of dirt being shoveled onto the coffin.

The Haunting runs night from now through Halloween at the Berkley Oceanfront Hotel on 1401 Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park. There are both GA and VIP group packages are available for purchase online.