Pennhurst Asylum haunted house draws criticism every Halloween. A group of disabled actors running the show says there is more to the story

PHILADELPHIA — Every Halloween, the Pennhurst Asylum draws large crowds seeking a thrill at the former institution for people with disabilities turned haunted house.

Also every year, critics admonish the attraction as profiteering from the suffering of about 10,600 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who were institutionalized at Pennhurst over nearly eight decades. Transforming the facility into an entertainment attraction a decade ago makes light of the true terror people experienced there.

But those who work at the haunted house say there is another side to the story — a community of people with disabilities who participate in the show because they feel it is empowering and preserves Pennhurst's history.