Prepare for the Fright of your Life at Skeleton Key Hawai‘i’s Terror Planet

Calling all horror lovers and thrill-seekers Prepare to be terrified at Skeleton Key Hawai‘i’s Terror Planet. Here’s everything you need to know about how scary the haunted attraction really is, where to park, what’s new this year and the breakdown on tickets.

What It Is

Skeleton Key is a walk-through haunted production at KOA Theater’s warehouse space in Honolulu. With a different theme each year, this fifth rendition is called “Terror Planet.” The haunt is set in the sleepy suburban village of Society Falls where neighbors have noticed strange lights hovering over town for three nights in a row. To make matters worse, unmarked black helicopters are appearing and vanishing, and creepy guys in black suits are roaming about.

In spooky productions past, the theater’s come up with imaginative themes that include an excavated Egyptian tomb, an abandoned carnival, an island of genetic mutants and confronting phobias. Skeleton Key is known for its impressive attention to detail for set design, costumes, lighting, props and acting. About 35 actors are cast for the production this year; the buildout started back in August after the regular theater season ended. All proceeds go toward funding the theater’s next productions.

SEE ALSO: The Lineup: Musicals, Plays and Theater Performances Happening in Honolulu

Photo: Courtesy of Skeleton Key Hawai‘i

When and Where

The haunt takes place at KOA Theater, 780 S. Beretania St. It launches Friday, Oct. 7, and runs through Monday, Oct. 31. For shows on Oct. 7 through 15 and 27, entry times are 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Oct. 21, 28 and 31, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.; Oct 22, 23, 29 and 30, 6 to 10 p.m.

New this year is “Chicken Skin(less),” a 15-minute guided walk-through with no scares, available on weekends beginning the second week of October. Perfect for jumpy folks, you can explore the haunt before it opens and check out the set, props and costumed characters, with a theater guide sharing behind-the-scenes info for each room. The “Chicken Skin(less)” option takes place Oct. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30.

Keiki hours with mild scares and candy stations take place on Oct. 29 and 30, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

SEE ALSO: Don’t Miss These Halloween Events on O‘ahu

Photo: Courtesy of KOA Theater

Where to Park

Free parking is available in the Frank Fasi Municipal Parking Lot, which is only about a block away from the theater. Metered street parking can be found on South Beretania Street, near Planned Parenthood, and on Alapa‘i Street, along the side of the Board of Water Supply. Street parking is free after 6 p.m. and on Sundays.

Photo: Courtesy Skeleton Key Hawai‘i

Tickets

Timed entry tickets will be used to cut down on lines. You can purchase general admission tickets or go for a VIP option for front-of-the-line access. Plus, after going through Terror Planet, VIP ticketholders can spend 20 minutes on a viewing platform watching others get scared and even get to operate a gag.

Tickets will go up in price closer to Halloween, so plan accordingly. Entry on Oct. 7 and 8 is $10, VIP $25; Oct. 14 and 15 is $20, VIP $35; Oct. 21 through 27 is $25, VIP $40; Oct. 28 to 31, $30, VIP $50. Keiki hours on Oct. 29 and 30 are $15. Chicken Skin(less) tickets are $5.

Photo: Courtesy Skeleton Key Hawai‘i

Tips

1. Tickets can be purchased online at koatheater.com. The timed tickets help cut down on wait times, but during the busiest nights closer to Halloween, there may still be a wait of 30 to 45 minutes, so plan accordingly and be sure to arrive during your designated block of time.

2. No photography or video inside the haunt is allowed.

3. Large bags must be left with security at the front.

4. The regular haunt is best for children 12 years and older, but more sensitive kids might prefer the keiki hours, when there are no jump scares. But please note that even the keiki walk-through might still be too scary for some kids under 10, so use your best judgment.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit koatheater.com/skeleton-key-hawaii