It all started
five years ago when Chris, a Lake Worth police officer
with a 20 -year career in law enforcement, told Marla he had
always wanted to host a haunted house at home. Chris went
about converting the garage of their Wellington home into a
haunted house, while Marla, who works as Director of
Operations for Hugs Not Drugs®,
got the idea to make it an outreach activity for her
organization. "The first year we made it out of boxes in our
garage," Marla said.
The House, staffed by several friends, attracted close to
130 visitors that first year. In 2003, they made the haunted
house even larger by extending the garage with a collapsible
carport
and decorated their entire front yard as a graveyard.
Marla, Chris, their children and friends spent hours working
on the haunted house as well as rehearsing the skits which
went inside, to the delight of 230 visitors. But the family
wasn't quite prepared for the popularity of the holiday
attraction. |
| "The numbers
just kept growing. They were waiting in line because we needed
to take a break," Marla recalled. "And then I looked out at
the line, and it looked like the lines at Disney." The
size of the crowd, as well as the fierce wind that blew over
many of the props, convinced the couple they should seek
another venue for the next year. Marla has acted in several
Lake Worth Playhouse productions, and the couple struck a deal
with the theater to host the haunted house for 2004. Now thousands of
people were coming to the venue. "Sadly, in 2005 the
event was canceled due to Hurricane Wilma, which devastated
much of our county, and then was hosted there in 2006. Due to
scheduling conflicts, 2008 moves the popular, annual event to
a new venue . The Haunted Halls of Horror will be held at the
YMCA on Congress Avenue in Palm Springs. This interactive
haunted attraction is like none other you have ever seen,
performed by some of the best local actors.
In years past the cast has included a fortuneteller,
Frankenstein and his bride, a 450 lb ferocious gorilla, and a
diverse group of ghosts and ghouls. Costumes are made from old
clothing or by hand. "We buy most of our costumes from thrift
shops so we can burn, paint, rip and run them over with the
car," Marla said. "everyone is in costume, including the
people at the front of the venue and at the "Hugs Not Drugs®
table."
The Haunted Halls of Horror will be open evenings, Friday
thru Sunday on Oct. 24, 25 and 26, 2008- 7pm - 11pm.
Tickets are $10.00 per person.
CLICK for your discount coupon.
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While they encourage parents to attend with their children,
the couple acknowledges that the thrills and chills may not be
appropriate for kids under seven. A supervised waiting area is
provided free of charge.
Chris and Marla say they try hard to make the attraction
something scary but not gory, and avoid gags that might offend
patrons. "We have so many neat things, you really won't want
to miss out, plus, it's all for a great cause! Remember - "You
haven't lived until you have been scared to death."
The Haunted Halls of Horror is located at the YMCA, 2085 S
Congress Ave, Palm Springs, FL 33406 |
