Hill Has Eyes Covid Plan
On behalf of the ROC Ventures and The Franklin Health Department, the practices identified below represent practical best efforts to proactively keep our community safe when attending our 2020 Hill Has Eyes events. The outlined steps and initiatives are intended to preserve the safety of staff, actors, and guests. ROC Ventures will continue to follow the guidance of national, state and local agencies to further refine these policies and incorporate the input and direction from the Franklin Health Department on a weekly basis.
In accordance with CDC guidance for people to not attend indoor haunted houses this fall season, ROC Ventures has redesigned The Hill Has Eyes event this season as a complete outdoor haunt experience. The 45 acres allows guests to safely and comfortably spread out on our property whether they are in the attraction, waiting in line, or enjoying a beverage in between attractions.
Guests will be required to wear masks when in the attractions and queue lines at all times. Guests will NOT be allowed to go into the attraction unless they are wearing a face covering and managed by a guest services attendant at each attraction entrance. If guests do not have masks, they may purchase one at a point of sale location. All employees and actors will be required to wear face coverings when performing their job.
The Hill Has Eyes will work toward operating cashless facilities with a heavy focus on internet transactions before arrival. Cashless payment includes the areas of food/beverage, ticketing and merchandise. This will limit direct contact between employees and guests.
- Each attraction will be sprayed and cleaned with The SmartTouch® disinfectant (EPA Registration #82972-1) and the BIOPROTECT™ Antimicrobial Surface Protectant (EPA Registration #87583-3).
- There will also be increased regularity and scope of wash downs and cleanings.
- Concessions, restrooms and handrails will be disinfected before every event night.
- We will provide additional hand sanitizing stations for public and employee use.
The Hill Has Eyes main event will reduce its operating days from 22 to 8 for the 2020 season.
In addition, we will adjust our ticket manifest to allow for only 55% of evening capacity.
Lastly, we will utilize timed ticketing and allow guests to purchase tickets in 3 different time windows – 6:00-8:00pm, 8:00-10:00pm, and 10:00pm-12:00am. Each “window” will have capacity restrictions and when reached will be “Sold Out.”
Additional detail regarding capacity management and social distancing:
- Guests will be asked to properly distance their group when in queue lines or in between attractions.
- Groups of 4 to 6 will allowed into the attraction with a minimum of 1 minute in between creating more than 50 feet of separation.
- Employees will be readily available to execute and communicate the above plan, including ongoing sanitizing.
Temperature checks will be taken for all part-time, full-time, contracted third-party staff members and interns prior to entering the event.
All guest-facing staff members shall be required to wear protective masks, as necessitated by current guidelines and best practice policies.
Staff will be instructed to make the following changes to guest-facing interactions, without limitation:
- Prohibit handshaking and physical contact with guests and other employees.
- Prior to the start of each shift, and continuing when appropriate, employees will be required to wash their hands.
- Ongoing training to educate staff on new, updated guidelines and procedures.
In order to ensure all actors are placed in the safest conditions, management will work implement the following standards:
- Actors must come “show ready”. There will be no make-up or locker room access this season.
- Actors will keep and wash costumes nightly and return after the season.
- There shall be no sharing of make-up, water bottles, and other personal property between actors.
- There will be no pre or post event gatherings in 2020.
- Actors will receive temperature and symptom screening done by their manager prior to being allowed into the attraction. Management will keep nightly logs of this data and evaluate, looking for compliance and changes in actor baselines.
- All patrons may be subject to health screenings prior to entry.
- Stanchions and/or spacing markers will promote proper distancing between customers waiting in lines.
- Additional gates (where applicable) will be utilized to create more space amongst customers entering the event.
- Hill Has Eyes will attempt to eliminate printed tickets at the box office for walk-ups. Instead, box office personnel will email tickets to a customer’s device.
- Any subsequent communications or additional ticket requests will be conducted electronically, if possible.
Attraction Flow (4 Attractions)
- Hill Has Eyes may choose to run the haunt linear (haunts 1-4 in order) or on demand (guest may choose where to start and end), depending on which model creates optimal guest throughput while meeting social distancing requirements.
- The Ski Lift will NOT be part of the attraction this season.
- Each guest will receive a wristband that they put on. Each wristband will have pull tabs to be collected before entering the haunt.
- Stanchions and/or spacing markers will promote proper distancing between customers waiting in lines on the main concourse.
Waiting Areas, Bonfires and DJ
- Capacity will never exceed 500 guests in our main outdoor waiting area (maximum allowed by Health Department).
- This year we will use several burn barrels spread throughout the event area. These smaller setups only allow a small number of people around them.
- This year, the tent will only be large enough for the bar and DJ booth. Customers will be spread out over the entire event and queueing area.
- The tent will only have side walls on the back.
- There will be no individuals allowed under the tent unless they are actively purchasing a drink.
Restrooms
- Restrooms will be cleaned (wiping down commonly used touch-points) regularly during the event by a facilities associate.
- Restrooms will be thoroughly sanitized before every event night with disinfectant along all surfaces.
Medical Services
- Management will work closely with its community medical partners (MOSH and Ascension Health) to implement stringent protocols for medical services at all events. MOSH will have trained medical personnel onsite for each event night.
ROC Ventures F&B Director will work with the city of Franklin to develop standards consistent with proper guidelines.
All employees will be required to wear protective masks and gloves.
Beverage servings will come via “one-time” use only (cups, bottles, etc).
Condiments and similar items will be served using pre-packaged servings as opposed to communal servings. There will be no use of garnishes or straws.
Posted “COVID-19” signage in areas with high visibility to guests and employees.
Other awareness and instructional signage posted throughout the event.
Frequent public address announcements will promote proper cleanliness, distancing and similar health practices for customers at the box office and from the DJ booth during the event.
The Hill Has Eyes will updates its website, create social media & e-blast awareness campaigns on practices guests should expect visiting regarding the above protocols.
BUY TICKETS TO MILWAUKEE'S TERRIFYING CARNIVAL AT THE HILL HAS EYES, WISCONSIN'S SCARIEST HAUNTED HOUSE