The Hydroball Haunt opening Nov. 3 is located at the old Bennett Tax Service building at 230 Washington Blvd. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

BELPRE – The Hydroball Haunt is scheduled to open to the public on Nov. 3.

Located at the old Bennett Tax Service building at 230 Washington Blvd., the event will feature a unique and exciting experience for people of all ages.

Hydroball Haunt will take players through an immersive experience that’s similar to a paintball game but uses jelly-like water balls. The theme is kid-friendly but focuses on spooky, glow-in-the-dark Halloween figures like zombies and aliens who are played by the employees.

Players will be equipped with masks, vests and hydroball guns while fighting both opponents and aliens or zombies. Tickets for the event start at $10 per player.

“We put down about $80,000 to completely renovate the basement,” said owner Chad “Clack” Travis. “This started as a completely unfinished basement and we started renovations about 10 days ago.”

Hydroball Haunt is undergoing final details before its grand opening on Nov. 3. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Travis took over the building after the passing of his uncle Lonnie Bennett who had passed away in a boat fire in 2022. Over the course of a few months, Travis has been brainstorming, investing and working towards making his vision into a reality.

“I love this place, this building, and this area and I want to continue to do this to provide something positive for this community so they can go out and do fun things,” he said.

The layout of the Hydroball Haunt takes players through dark corridors lit by lasers, neon artwork and spooky music. Travis said artists, employees and volunteers who are close friends of his have devoted hours towards constructing the course layout and painting the walls.

“We set up two main bases for the players with temporary spots to hide the zombies so we can control the walkthrough,” he said.

The basement is covered in props like spiderwebs, creepy dolls, corn fields and more. He said there aren’t jumpscares in the game because he really wanted to make the experience fun and engaging for all kids.

The alien and zombie masks the employees will be wearing during a game of hydroball in the basement of the old Bennett Tax Service building. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

“This has got a lot more sustainability and replayability whereas paintball is painful and after a few shots you don’t really want to get shot anymore,” said Travis.

Travis said his motivation for turning the old tax building into an immersive gaming experience gives the community something to do and keeps the kids out of trouble.

“I’m doing this for the people and to have something in the area that they can all do,” he said.

Travis said he has different hydroball themes planned for each season so there will be something for Christmas and Valentine’s Day and more.

He is really excited to share the experience with the community and spread his vision that he has to continue expanding the building beyond just the hydroball experience.

Players will follow the path down to the basement where the rules for hydroball are displayed before they enter to play the game. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Travis and his crew of volunteers and employees who he works closely with everyday to achieve the vision are finalizing the details and perfecting the game before opening day.

For more information go to hydroballvr.com

A preview of the artwork and props for the Hydroball Haunt gaming experience. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

The theme of the Hydroball Haunt focuses on aliens and zombies for an exciting hydroball gaming experience. Players will be immersed in lasers, neon paint, and spooky props throughout the course layout. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

The hydroball guns and masks the players will use for the Hydroball Haunt which opens to the public on Nov. 3. (Photo by Amber Phipps)