Parker House
October 5, 2018
Score 9.5
Site Here
Address 8550 West University Drive Denton Texas 76207
Phone 469 556 3475
Directions The entrance to Parker House is easy to miss. It is located on Hwy 380 (University Drive) and is 2.2 miles west of I-35, on the north (westbound) side of 380. From the south, take exit 469 from I-35. That is the exit for University Drive/380. Take a left on University. Drive 2.2 miles, and look for the entrance to Parker House on the right. Drive slowly, the entrance is easy to overlook. There is an old school bus with Parker House on the side, but the bus is so far back from the road that you won’t see it until it’s too late. From the north, take exit 469 (University Drive/380) from I-35 and turn right. 2.2 miles to the entrance to Parker House on the right.
Dates and Hours open-October 6,12,13, from 7:30-midnight. October 19,20,26,27, from 7pm-midnight. October 14 from 7:30pm to 10pm. October 18,21,25,28, and 30, from 7pm-10pm. Halloween from 7pm-11pm.
Price $25 for general admission. $40 for the fast pass. Cash only at the ticket booth. You can buy online here. There is a fee for online ticket purchases. There are group rates available. Call 469 556 3475 or email dfwfrightnights@gmail.com for group tickets. Your group ticket purchase must be approved before the ticket booth opens on the day of your arrival.
Miscellaneous-Parker House is in the country, so it will be a few degrees cooler than Dallas or Ft Worth at night, on cool nights. There is some uneven terrain, and it’s a large house with a trail, so wear comfortable shoes with good traction. Unless it’s a cold night, put on lots of Off, or some sort of mosquito repellent. The line to get into the house is long and it’s near a pond, which makes it a buffet for mosquitoes.
Walk through time-around 25 minutes total, for the main house, trail, and sanitarium. This makes Parker a good value, at the general admission price. The fast pass is only $15 more. On busy nights, it’s probably a good idea to spend the extra money on the fast pass because Parker House only lets in a few people at a time. That makes for a long wait in line later in October.
Last year, Parker House was being remodeled and only had a trail and a hayride. The house is back this year, along with the sanitarium. The trail runs between the two, and there is no hayride. The bridge over the pond is front of Parker House is not safe this year, so follow the cones to the entrance of the main house. The house is eerily lit, and it’s a great looking setting. The entry room still has a host, but there was no long talk this time, just directions. At first it does look like you’re walking through an old southern Gothic country house, with some macabre touches here and there. Actors become involved after you’ve passed through a couple of rooms. This year, the actors are a mixture of crazy country guys and crazy young women. There is a backstory to the house. Mary Parker was obsessed with blood and slaughter as a girl, while living with her parents at their funeral home. The parents died when she was still fairly young, she took over the family business, and all hell broke loose. The characters encountered in the house are mostly Mary’s minions and victims. There is also a sanitarium, close to the house, full of some other people who were involved with Mary Parker. This is the short version. You can read the full story on the Parker House site. This back story explains a lot of what you see while going through the house. The deeper in you go, the more it looks like a funeral home. Parker House is very well decorated, the actors do a pretty good job of finding places to hide before jumping out at you, and the lighting is just right to make the place look as creepy as possible.
There is a great trail between the main house and the sanitarium. It’s more fun on a cool night, but we enjoyed it, even though it was hot and humid when we reviewed. It’s a winding trail that passes some shacks, and ends up in the woods. Moonshiners are the main inhabitants of this area. They are a lively bunch and will follow you until the next batch of shiners find you. A couple of girls want to play games along the way, like rock paper scissors. Avoid them. There is a little shack along the trail where you spend a few minutes listening to the resident before being sent on your way. The shack even has a couch, so you can rest while listening to the woman talk.
The trail leads to the Ratliff Sanitarium. You’re greeted by an employee of the sanitarium (Alice Parker?) who fills you in on the rules of the place. There are some extremely dark areas, so dark that you will have to feel along the walls to keep going. Ratliff looks as much like a slaughterhouse as a sanitarium, which you will understand if you read the story behind the place. There is even a chainsaw wielding inmate to chase you around.
Parker House has something for everyone. I like haunted trails, and the Parker trail is the longest in this part of the state. The main house looks great, inside and out, and the sanitarium is a nice way to end the experience. Hopefully, the hayride will be back next year. The price is reasonable given the combined size of the three attractions. Even though Parker House is minutes from the UNT campus and Golden Triangle Mall, it feels like it’s deep in the country. I’ve been reviewing this haunt since 2008, and it’s still one of my favorite places to see each October.