Haunting Season Get Scared At Local Haunted Houses

Wed., Oct. 25, 1995

Evan Sykes/ Northwest Christian

(From For the Record, Friday, October 27, 1995:) A story in Wednesday’s Our Generation section of The Spokesman-Review incorrectly identified the people involved with the Valley Rep Haunted House, sponsored by KDRK. Volunteer JoAnne Anderson is running the haunted house and its sets were built by members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Well, now that trick-or-treating is “not acceptable” for us teenagers, what can we do instead?

Although it’s hard to believe, there is something better to do than mooching candy from your younger brothers and sisters this Halloween. Haunted houses!

There are several haunted houses in the Spokane area and two in Idaho for you to choose from. Here’s a quick rundown on what to expect in both quality and cost.

The Slaughter House - Sponsored by KZZU, the Slaughter House is a new attraction this year. It’s located in the back of Virtual Assault, a paint-ball place at 4103 E. Mission.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Slaughter House on its opening night. An intriguing fact, given to me by KZZU’s Jason Valentine: In the 1940s this building used to be an actual slaughter house.

Eric Crispen, from Bowdish Junior High, sampled the Slaughter House with friends from Shaw Junior High; they agreed one particular element was pretty scary.

“That one guy with the spikes in his face; he just kept shootin’ and shootin’,” Crispin said.

Hours: 7-11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. to midnight on Halloween. Cost is $4.93.

The House of Terror - On Oct. 12, there were some rave reviews of the sneak preview for this haunted house, located in the old Union Gospel Mission downtown and sponsored by Rock 106. Then, it was shut down because of safety standards. The House of Terror apparently got its act together, though, because city fire inspectors have approved the building.

Tombstone Pizza and Auntie’s Bookstore donated money to bring the haunted house to code. In addition, 12 teens from Crosswalk gave their time to help support and facilitate this haunted house.

Stay tuned to Rock 106 for details or call 448-ROCK for hours and admission cost.

West Valley High School Haunted House - This haunted house has been running annually for the past seven years as a benefit for each year’s senior class all-nighter. It’s run by the senior class and promises to be a scare.

In addition, there’s a special presentation for children only (with the lights on) between 3-5 p.m. on Sundays. This haunted house is located at the Walk in the Wild zoo.

Hours: 6-10 p.m. weekdays (including Halloween), 6-11 p.m. weekends. Cost: $2 for kids 12 and under, $3 for everyone else.

The Valley Rep Haunted House - Valley Repertory Theatre will be hosting its fifth annual haunted house this year, sponsored by KHDQ. This haunted house has been voted the scariest each year by haunted house aficionados.

James Quinn, a graduate of East Valley who is also involved in many theater productions throughout Spokane, is heading up this year’s event, located at 12212 E. Sprague. The U.S. Reserve Coast Guard assembled the set that 30 to 35 actors and members of the community will work with.

“I know we’ve got more competition this year,” Quinn says, “but I’m sure we’ll live up to expectations.”

Hours: 7-10 p.m. tonight and Thursday, 7 p.m. to midnight Friday through Halloween. Cost: $4 and a can donation for the Valley Food Bank.

Here are a few others to consider:

Haunted House - The Kootenai County Substance Abuse Council is sponsoring its first fright night, and all proceeds go to anti-drug efforts in the county.

Hours are 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and from 6-9 p.m. on Halloween. Cost is $4 but DARE card-holders get a buck off.

The Asylum - Sponsored by KZZU and Domino’s Pizza, located at the Pavilion in Riverfront Park. It benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Easter Seals.

Hours 6-10 tonight, 5-10 p.m. Thursday, 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for kids 12 and younger.

Post Falls Lions Club Haunted House - Sponsored by KZZU and located at Fourth and Post streets in Post Falls (take Exit 5).

Hours: 7-10 tonight and Thursday, 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Cost: $3 for high school kids and younger, $5 for adults.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.