A steady stream of trick-or-treating families had great fun touring the largely revamped annual haunted house maze hosted on Halloween night by the Church of Scientology Mission of the Foothills in Montrose.

Several new and extraordinary features greeted this year’s visitors. A séance attended by dressed skeletons riveted children’s attention as did a creepy oversized vulture, both designed by volunteer Burton Carraher. A new witch, the toxic waste room and a graveyard with a real coffin were part of the mix. The whole experience was elevated by an appropriate spooky soundtrack in each area created by volunteer and professional sound engineer David Kitchens – and of course there was lots of candy.

Families emerged with big smiles on their faces.

“That was crazy scary” and “So spooky!” and “So creepy – such good decorations!” were just some of the things overheard. Several families said they come back every year and that waiting in the line was “totally worth it!”

“The Church created a perfect haunted house for the kids, spooky but not scary and, most importantly, the kids got plenty of candy!” said local resident Eric Smith, father of four.

Mission Holder Stacy Kitchens said, “We really had fun creating this year’s haunted house for our community and are thrilled that everyone seemed to enjoy it. We love being part of Montrose’s tradition of providing a safe Halloween experience for families.”

The Church of Scientology Mission of the Foothills has been part of the Montrose/Glendale community for 42 years. The Mission delivers communication and study courses for children, 20 life improvement courses and other Dianetics- and Scientology-related services and counseling for adults. 

In addition to activities open to the public such, as the haunted house and Easter festivities, the Mission also supports various community outreach programs such as relationship and drug education seminars and our upcoming toy drive. To learn about these, email events@scientology-montrose.org or call (818) 957-1500.