Haunted Library: Fairy Tales Gone Wrong - Library Notes

Published on October 21, 2025

Fairy Tales Gone Wrong at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō in October
 Grayson Skerman, Events Coordinator

This October, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō transforms from a quiet corner of imagination into something much darker. A storybook gone wrong. Haunted Library: Once Upon a Nightmare invites brave visitors to travel through a world of classic fairy tales twisted into eerie, immersive encounters. Part haunted house, part living story, the experience reimagines beloved tales with a haunting edge. Victims will join guided tours through the library’s transformed wings, encountering familiar characters who may not be quite as they remembered. By daylight it’s family-friendly fun, but after dark, even the bravest might find themselves looking over their shoulder.

Each room brings a darkly enchanted tale to life with a dark, horrific spin. Step into Cinderella’s midnight curse, where the clock strikes twelve, and the jealous stepsisters will go to any lengths to fit into that glass slipper. Peer up at Rapunzel’s tower, where the desperate princess will do anything to escape. Dare to pass Snow White’s magic mirror, where your reflection may answer back. Wander through the house of the Three Bears, where nothing feels just right. Stay on your toes with the Three Little Pigs, who have decided to make their houses not from straw, sticks or bricks, but the bones of children. And tread carefully in Red Riding Hood’s Forest, something unseen and ravenous is following close behind.

Created by local volunteers and library staff, Once Upon a Nightmare blends creativity, community, and a dash of darkness. It’s a one-time-only event on Saturday 25th, with lighter ‘Fright Sessions’ suitable for ages 5-12 running from 5 pm to 7.30 pm, and ‘Terror Sessions’ starting at 8 pm for the boldest travellers only.

Step into the stories you thought you knew, and discover what happens when “happily ever after” turns hauntingly wrong.