photo by Liz Berie
  At the Pittsburgh Zombie Outbreak you get the chance to shoot at zombies via paintball guns. This attraction is located in Emsworth.

Last October, zombies began appearing in the woods around the demolished grounds of the former Dixmont State Hospital, which locals believe is haunted.

This year, the spirits have risen once again and can only be stopped with nerves of steel, careful aim, and a paintball gun.

Pittsburgh Zombie Outbreak is the area’s only interactive haunted attraction where you ride through the woods on a truck armed with a paintball gun, and shoot the living dead back into their graves.

“There was nothing like it around, we just thought there should be,” said Dan Thomson, co-owner of Pittsburgh Zombie Outbreak.

The co-owners of the attraction, Thomson and colleague Rich Bianco, also own the online store Undead Innovations, which sells horror themed items, accessories and paintball supplies.

“It’s one of the best haunts I’ve worked for,” said Michael Todd Schneider, also known as magGot, an independent filmmaker and manager at Pittsburgh Zombie Outbreak who worked for multiple haunted attractions for over 12 years. “A lot [of people] are in it for the money, but these guys really try to make it something great,” Schneider said.

The ride starts in a flatbed truck posted near an opening in the woods. Passengers board the truck, man their paintball guns and receive instructions from a hardened military veteran.

“How do you kill zombies!? You shoot them in the face—repeatedly!” bellowed the army man, whose camouflage uniform read ‘Psycho.’

The truck then shoots off through the woods, passengers’ eyes squinting in the dark, searching anxiously for signs of undead movement. A clearing in the woods is the first encounter, where the first zombies pop out from behind stacked barrels. The rest of the ride holds a tense atmosphere as passengers fend off groups of zombies hungry for humans.

Thomson said that people are drawn towards the backstory of the attraction, which used to be the site of a real state mental hospital. Dixmont State Hospital was built in the 1800s, but was underfunded and eventually shut down. It was recently demolished.

More recently, a Wal-Mart was set to be built on the property. The structure would not hold up, however, so the plans were cancelled, leading many to believe the property is haunted, according to Thomson.

Local siblings Ricki and Chris Meyer said they used to go to the abandoned hospital as kids seeking some late night thrills.

“We used to sneak in when the buildings were shut down,” said Ricki after the ride.

“I don’t believe in ghosts,” said a saleswoman from Monroeville, Andonia Aber, after the ride.

Despite the attraction’s spooky history, Outbreak still attracts people of all ages, from young to old, Thomson said.

In addition to attracting guests of all kinds, Outbreak also attracts employees through Craigslist. Actors are hired to play roles ranging from military veterans to mindless zombies.

Thomson said that some of the actors hired to play military personnel are actual military veterans from a local paintball team.

MagGot started last year’s season as a zombie actor who worked the chainsaw in the course. Thomson said he was the best employee last year, so he had to promote him to manager.

“It takes a certain kind of person, someone willing to get shot,” said magGot inside the facility’s dimly lit party room. “Being under the mask seems restraining, but you can really do a lot with it.”

The outbreak takes place in Emsworth every Thursday through Sunday in October until Nov. 2. Tickets can be purchased on Pittsburgh Zombie Outbreak’s website for $20. 

 It is not required, but it is recommended that you schedule your outing online to ensure your place on a truck. The price of the ticket includes 50 rounds of paintball ammo, but you can buy more online or during the ride. Every Thursday is college night, during which anyone with a valid college ID is given an extra 50 paintball rounds for free. Those who are interested in attending the attraction should plan ahead.

“We’ve been selling out before we open the doors almost every night,” said Thomson.