GLENDALE — The old photographs, dolls and a wedding dress inside 42nd Haunt aren’t just Halloween props.
They’re pieces of McClellan family history, folded into a walk-through built to scare visitors and bring the neighborhood together.
ABC15 Mornings anchor Kaley O'Kelley stopped by 42nd Haunt to meet the homeowners, Rich and Stacey McClellan.
Stacey says, “We started off as just a garage scene, and now we are a 20-room, 20-plus-actor haunt”.
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The couple has spent seven years transforming their home into a neighborhood Halloween hot spot that offers something new for visitors every single year.
Stacy also tells O'Kelley, "We start long before October. A lot of the things you see have personal meaning including my mother's old Barbies and a wedding dress from 1969 that once belonged to my mother in law."
Rich McClellan tells O'Kelley he's inspired every year by his own father, who worked at a haunted house in the late 1970s.
"Understanding the magic that is made behind the scenes to help young people experience something they'll never find in their cell phone!
That's what keeps me going year after year."
Dressed up in a prosthetic mask, custom made for his face, Rich says 42nd Haunt had roughly 8,000 visitors last year over the course of several nights and he says it becomes something my neighbors come out to enjoy as well.
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“It’s good for the community,” Rich said.
“Everyone comes out here and checks us out … It’s good for everybody, for all ages.”
The first half-hour, from 6 to 6:30 p.m., is a non-scare walkthrough.
Full scares run from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
A new survey offers a glimpse of the broader interest in celebrating Halloween at home.
After asking 7,889 consumers The National Retail Federation’s recently found that 42% of those who were asked are planning to decorate this year.
New research from Clemson University reveals why so many people enjoy a good jump scare.
Psychology professor Cynthia Pury studies courage, fear and anxiety.
She says the answer may come down to one important factor: knowing we’re actually safe.
That might explain why 42nd Haunt is one of several spooky season attractions around the Valley.
-42nd Haunt
Family-run home haunt
4226 W Park View Ln Glendale, AZ 85310
Open Oct. 16th & 17th, 23rd- 25th and 29th-31st
6:00–6:30 PM • Non Scare
6:30–10:00 PM • SCARE
Suggested Donation $5.00 per person
42ndhaunt.com
The family asks visitors to park without blocking driveways
O'Kelley also found residential haunts ranging from full walk-through experiences to displays Valley wide.
- Mount Mayhem/ Phoenix:
Family-run home haunt
1740 E. Purdue Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85020
Open Oct. 16–18 and 29–31st
7 to 9:30 p.m.
Admission is free, with donations suggested.
Minors must attend with an adult.
- Hellbilly Holler/ North Phoenix (final year):
Actor-free display
14601 North 40th Way, Phoenix, 85032
It is not a walk-through.
Open Oct. 18–30th
Sunday through Thursday 7–9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday and 7–11 p.m.
FREE Donations accepted
hellbillyholleraz.com
- House of Haunts/Scottsdale:
Residential walk-through
8325 E. Lincoln Drive Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Open Oct. 26–31st
6:30-10PM
Age Recommendation: 16 years of age and older
Suggested Donation: $5
- Haunted Graveyard/Scottsdale:
Halloween display at 8414 E. Valley Vista Drive Scottsdale, AZ 85250
NON SCARY NIGHTS Oct. 25th & 26th 6:30- 10PM
SCARY NIGHTS: Oct. 27 through 31st 6:30 - 10 PM
Suggested Donation: $5
- Terror Nights/South Tempe
Walk-through haunt with live actors and a trail
511 E. La Donna Drive Tempe, AZ 85283
Donations accepted
