Caveat Emptor - A Ghost Story for Christmas

SAMLESBURY HALL UNVEILS ITS SIXTH IMMERSIVE GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS

Following the sold-out success of Charles Dickens’ Haunted House in 2025, Samlesbury Hall announces its sixth annual Christmas ghost play: Caveat Emptor – A Ghost Story for Christmas, premiering in December 2026.

Once again, Lancashire’s most haunted hall becomes the setting for an immersive promenade performance. This year’s production draws on a classic tale by Edith Wharton, reimagined specifically for the atmospheric rooms of the 14th-century manor.

Sharon Jones, CEO of Samlesbury Hall, said:
“Christmas and ghost stories go hand in hand, and over the past five years we’ve created a tradition audiences now expect and enjoy. As we approach our sixth year, we’re excited to present a new production that remains family-friendly while still laced with unease.”

Running at 40 minutes, the show guides audiences through the house as the story unfolds room by room, using the building’s unique character to deepen the tension and the drama.

Caveat Emptor is a newly written adaptation inspired by Wharton’s Afterward. An American family, eager for a taste of English aristocracy, purchases an old estate named Hobgrave Hall - only to discover that the property comes with a history that refuses to be ignored. What they inherit is far more than bricks and mortar.

Jason Karl of AtmosFEAR! Scare Entertainment, producers of the show, added:
“In previous years, we’ve explored everything from Samlesbury Hall’s Lady in White to Charles Dickens’ tales and a story by Montague Rhodes James. This time, we’re widening the frame. It’s not just the house that’s haunted, but the land itself - and the consequences of what once happened there.”

Performance Details
• Dates: 14–21 December 2026
• Showtimes: 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Location: Samlesbury Hall, near Preston, Lancashire
• Tickets: £23 (+ booking fee), available exclusively online

A Ghost Story for Christmas at Samlesbury Hall invites you to step into a ghost story that lingers long after the lights go down.  Book your tickets now at www.samlesburyhall.co.uk

CAVEAT EMPTOR – A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION

The audience enter the experience in groups of 22.We may alter the group size without notice.

The experience is a ‘promenade theatre’ style show, which means the audience are guided from scene to scene by a performer, and remain standing throughout the performance.

The performance lasts approximately 35-40 minutes, including the time for the audience to move from scene to scene.

The experience is a ghost play and is designed for families. It may not be suitable for young children who may get scared.

Once you enter the experience there are no toilets, please use the facilities before you enter the experience.

Photography or recording of any kind is strictly forbidden.

No bags or anything which disguises the face are allowed inside the experience.

If you lose anything during your visit, we will not be able to conduct a search for it until the following day. Anything bought into the experience is at your own risk and we will not be held liable for any loss.

Your ticket is only valid for the time slot you have booked, it is not transferable, changeable, or refundable once purchased.

You must arrive at least 15 minutes before your allotted time of entry, please do not arrive more than 30 minutes before your entry time.

We are carrying out filming and photography inside the experience for the purpose of security, monitoring quality and marketing. These recordings may feature audience images or voices. By entering the experience, you irrevocably waive all rights in these recordings and agree that we may use them in perpetuity and without limitation in any promotional, advertising or publicity material in any format whatsoever without payment, notification, or credit to you. You further agree that all copyright within these recordings lies solely with the organisers.

Images and photography used in the promotion of Caveat Emptor - A Ghost Story for Christmas are not contractual. Exact sets and characters may differ from those featured in marketing material.

By buying a ticket to the experience you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions of Admission, and entry is at your own risk.

We reserve the right to remove you from the venue if you do not follow our Terms and Conditions of Admission, without refund.

The experience includes:

·             Low lighting levels

·             Uneven floors

·             Steps up and down

·             Strobe lighting

·             Sound effects

·             Live performers

·            

While inside the experience you must not:

·             Touch the performers or sets inside the experience

·             Run

·             Eat or drink

·             Smoke

·             Attempt to record any aspect of the experience by any means

·             Use your mobile telephone, this must be switched off

·             Turn on any form of light, including laser pointers, glowsticks, torches or mobile phone lights

·             Spoil the experience for the rest of the group by misbehaving or breaking the rules in any way

·            

We will refuse admission and not refund you if:

·             You appear to be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance

·             Your behaviour is perceived as threatening