The Friday the 13th legal saga shows no signs of wrapping up anytime soon and it’s been 12 years since we last saw Jason on the prowl. Fortunately, fans have stepped up to the plate with some excellent unofficial films, but horror lovers are very much missing his hockey-masked brand of mayhem.
If you’re really nostalgic for Crystal Lake, though, you can now go there and check it out for yourself. Tour company Crystal Lake Tours is offering a series of guided experiences that let you visit the first movie’s iconic shooting location. This is Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Hardwick, New Jersey, where the majority of the classic 1980 slasher was shot.
It’s still a working youth camp and generally closed to the public, but the company has just announced their spring tours, which will run on weekends between April 16th and June 6th. These range from walks around the lake, longer afternoon tours taking in every place shown in the movie, canoe tours and – what’d be my pick – night time flashlight tours to properly capture that ‘I’m being stalked by a crazed killer’ vibe.
The only wrinkle is that these are fairly pricey considering you’re effectively paying to see a lake and a couple of huts. The cheapest tour comes in at $89 and the most expensive is $179 – though you do get Crystal Lake merchandise thrown in. Sadly, however, the official FAQ specifically forbids visitors from “running around like a maniac wearing a hockey mask” and bringing any type of weapon is prohibited.
Of course, real Friday the 13th fans would know that the classic hockey-masked Jason doesn’t appear until Part III, which was filmed in California. If you want to dress as the villain of the first movie on this tour, though, you can probably get away with it as she’s a middle aged lady in a cosy wool sweater.