While most haunted houses are created to provide the public with some quality scares, Janet Barstow said Haunted Palouse had a different start.
Haunted Palouse, a set of haunted houses located in Palouse, Washington, began in 2002 and Barstow, a UI alumna, said the haunted house was originally a fundraiser with the proceeds going to the Roy Chatters Newspaper & Printing Museum.
Barstow said the goal of the fundraiser was to reopen the museum, which had been damaged during a flood in 1996.
Barstow said Haunted Palouse couldn”t have been done without a group of people that has helped the event grow since its inception.
“We have a core group of people that has been doing it for the whole time,” Barstow said. “Every year we pick up more and more volunteers, so you have that stability of people who have done it for 13 years.”
In order to keep the event fresh, Barstow said they change the theme of the haunted houses each year.
Although there is a new theme every year, Barstow said attending the event is the only way to find out what the new themes are.
“It really helps that we are different every year,” Barstow said. “We also happen to be really good – after this many years, we know how to do it and [it”s] worth coming to … Every year we say it”s better than last year and it always is.”
In addition to the haunted houses, Haunted Palouse provides a Haunted Hay Ride, street entertainment and a band of zombies to keep people entertained while they wait in line.
Proceeds of Haunted Palouse go to various entities including the Palouse Community Center and the Palouse Chamber of Commerce.
Ticket Sales starts at 7 p.m. on October 30 and 31 at 150 North Bridge Street.
The event ends at 10 p.m. The cost to attend both haunted houses and the hayride is $15.
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected]