Be their guest — if you dare

Bloodstone Sanitarium is a dark and harrowing fictional place.

Its maximum security unit houses defendants who declared not guilty by reason of insanity. They're often kept in isolation, as they pose a danger to others.

Patients have gone missing. Medical staff have suffered injuries. News reports tell of an escapee who rampaged the nearby town of Gothenberg.

Despite this dark past, the hospital administrator has decided to host a Halloween party for this unit to prove that there are no longer problems with this facility. The patients are excited. The staff members are anxious, but attendance is mandatory if they want to keep their jobs.

This is the setting for Crime Scene Entertainment's next murder mystery event, "Murder at the Sanitarium."

"If you're lounging in your sweats and you have crazy hair you haven't brushed, then you'll fit in perfect," Crime Scene Entertainment owner Jeni Cook said Thursday.

This interactive evening of entertainment begins at 7 tonight. Cook said it's the second run-through of this storyline because the first round sold out so fast.

"It was such a hit the night before Halloween," she said.

Guests are invited to use their sleuthing skills as they piece together clues to uncover "whodunnit."They may even discover they are, in fact, the "murderer" or the "victim."

Attendees have the option to be characters or observers, but these murder mystery events are not plays. They are hands-on, immersive experiences.

"It's a really fun one," Cook said. "You can let out your crazy. Everyone has been so locked up, they can have a lot of fun with this."

General admission — non-character tickets are $25 and include refreshments and observation from a distance.

Individual character tickets are $45 and include light snacks and drinks and assigned characters. Couples tickets are $75 and include refreshments and characters for two. Acting is not required, but encouraged.

Cook said it has been a challenging year with the pandemic closing down events, but since Crime Scene moved into its new venue in September, it allows plenty of space for physical distancing. Face masks are encouraged, but not required.

"People are to the point where they want to do something," she said. "This offers a lot of fun events."

Murder-free events are also available for those just looking for a good mystery game, Cook said.

"We just recently did one on Halloween for families where a rare relic was stolen and they had to figure out who was the thief," she said.

Upcoming Crime Scene Entertainment activities include:

Nov. 14: "Murder Behind the Daebub Mirror"

Nov. 20: "Once Upon a Murder"

Dec. 5: "Bad Santa — An Escape Murder Mystery"

Dec. 12: "Homicide at the Tacky Sweater Shindig"

Crime Scene Entertainment is at 1701 N. Fourth St., Suite D, Coeur d'Alene.

Info: www.crimesceneentertainment.com