Hannah Mumpower, @Hlmump01
Working in a haunted house is by far the best thing a person can do in October.
For the past six years, I have volunteered to work at Celebration’s Haunted Opera House in Wamego during the entire month of October. All profit from ticket sales goes directly toward restoring the building that holds the haunted house, previously the Leach Opera House.
Celebration’s Haunted Opera House, located at 5th and Elm in Wamego, opens every Saturday in October 7-10:30pm. Tickets are $10, but advanced tickets can be purchased from any member of the haunted house for $7. Additional information can be found at hauntedoperahouse.com.
This experience has been one of my favorite by far, but the amount of work that goes into a haunted house can be a bit more than most people might think. Every year the walls of the basement get torn down and we start building the layout of the haunted house from scratch. Most items and supplies we use are recycled from past years or transformed into something new. The only funding we get is from ticket sales from the previous years, so we spend only where we see it necessary.
One downfall of working in a haunted house is that every Saturday night in October is booked, however in my opinion it is entirely worth it. It may seem barbaric, but scaring people is fun, even more so when they are people I know. Working in the haunted house has become somewhat of a hobby for my family.
Another thing that makes working in a haunted house interesting is that you develop a sixth sense when it comes to scaring people. Last year our haunted house crew took a trip to Zombie Toxin in Junction City. This was my first time going through a “real” haunted house. I have to admit that I was not impressed with the scare level, but I attribute most of it to the fact that—even though I had never been before—I knew where the scares would happen.
From my experience working in a haunted house, I start to notice small details of a room such as places where lighting is different or places where there could be something or someone concealed. As I walked through Zombie Toxin I continually had my head on a swivel looking for the next scare and nine times out of ten I was able to spot something before it happened. Regardless, I was still impressed with the overall layout and vibe of Zombie Toxin.
While Zombie toxin was not what I expected, I still enjoy working in our haunted house. Despite having long weekends in October it is totally worth it, and nothing beats the satisfaction of scaring people you know. I would love to see anyone who can come at the haunted house any Saturday this month. If you have any questions about the haunted house or wish to buy tickets, don’t hesitate to reach me at hannahmumpower@usd329.com.
Area Haunted Houses
Zombie Toxin in Junction City is one of the more popular haunted houses in Kansas. It opens every Friday and Saturday in October 7:30-11:30 p.m. as well as Thursday, October 25 and Wednesday, October 31. Regular admission is $18 per person and a Speed Pass is $25. For more information visit zombietoxin.com.
Three more popular haunted houses include The Beast, Edge of Hell, and Macabre Cinema Haunted Attraction located in Kansas City, Missouri. All three are owned by Full Moon Productions. Single tickets for each attraction start at $27. They also sell package deals for entrance into multiple houses. Opening times vary. Visit fullmoonprod.com for information.
Another haunted attraction closer to home is the Topeka Haunted Woods. The Haunted Woods is a 1/2 mile trail filled with haunting creatures. Cost of entry to the trail is $20 per person. Also offered is Zombie Laser Tag at $10 per person. Topeka Haunted Woods is open every Friday and Saturday in October from 8-11pm. For more information visit topekahauntedwoods.com.
The Charger 
Leave a Reply