In the 1942 film “The Corpse Vanishes,” actor Bela Lugosi explains that he finds a coffin “much more comfortable than a bed.”
Six Flags St. Louis is seeking people who find lying in coffins within their comfort level. The Missouri theme park announced on its website Friday that to celebrate the 30th year of Fright Fest, it will host a 30-Hour Coffin Challenge.
Six contestants will be chosen to spend 30 hours in "deluxe," "slightly used" coffins measuring 2 feet wide by 7 feet long, the Post-Dispatch reported. Hours of repose will be from 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, until 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at the park.
Contestants will be allowed to bring a friend, the park said on its website, but only during Fright Fest operating hours. After hours -- from midnight Saturday until noon Sunday -- they will be on their own, but “some of our Fright Fest Freaks will be lurking about in the darkness.”
There will be six-minute bathroom breaks every hour, but a contestant will be eliminated from the competition if he or she gets out of the coffin.
Park officials did not specify whether this is an open or closed casket competition, but for health (and liability) reasons, we’ll assume it’s an open showing.
However, to ensure comfort, contestants are encouraged to bring a pillow and blanket. The park will provide, food, drinks and snacks, and will provide cellphone charging stations to pass the time.
Contestants who make it through the 30 hours will receive two 2019 Gold Season Passes and a Fright Fest Prize Package, which includes tickets to the haunted house and Freak Train. As for the $300 prize, if more than one person makes it through a drawing will be held to award the cash.
But nobody goes home empty-handed. All winners will be allowed to keep the coffin, the park said on its website.
After all, the challenge organizers want their contestants to rest in peace.
