HPR’s Guide to Haunted Houses

The roots of Halloween run deep into the heart of our culture. In a country that prides itself on being a melting pot of nationalities, our traditions and excuses for celebration become an interwoven representation of the people that bring a culture together.

Ancient Celtics used to celebrate the day that they believed to be the season of life (spring and summer), met with the season of the dead (fall and winter). They believed that the junction was so significant, that on this day spirits could rise from the dead and walk amongst the living. To appease these spirits, and to celebrate the divine order of life and death, the Celtics would burn large bonfires and dress in disguise so as to ward off the walking dead.

In the 8th century in an attempt to draw attention away from pagan practices, Pope Gregory the III declared the following day All Hallows Day, a day to celebrate all saints known and unknown. The Irish culture adopted this holiday, but was undeterred from continuing the traditional practice of what became know as All Hallows Eve. 

When Irish settlers began to emigrate to America after the great potato famine in the middle 1800s, they brought with them their traditions of All Hallows Eve, which we know today as Halloween. The holiday has changed drastically since the time of its pagan conception, but still remains a day of celebrating the world of the supernatural and the macabre.

Nowhere can the sheer thrill of the holiday be better experienced than in the spine-tingling excitement of our modern day haunted houses and attractions. The popularity of amusement park freak shows and museum oddity exhibits throughout the 19th and 20th centuries proved that there was a market for people interested in being frightened and thrilled.

These small, grassroots operations have given way to the multi-million dollar industry that we see today. Haunted houses have for years now been attracting fright freaks and Halloween junkies who are willing to spend their hard-earned money on a good old-fashioned scare. These haunted attractions celebrate thrill and excitement, and put their patrons right into the heart of the spirit of the holiday, forcing them to confront their fears of death and dying.

We are lucky enough to have a small handful of great scream-inducing haunted attractions right in our backyard here in the FM area. A “triple play pass” is being offered to those planning on attending several attractions this season, that once purchased gets haunted house junkies into three of the local haunted attractions: Extreme Scream, the Haunted Farm, and the Haunted Corn Maze.

Tucked away into the countryside 10 miles south of town, the Haunted Farm offers thrill seekers a visually stunning creep fest that leads its guests through room after room of high quality prop displays and production values. With 20 years of experience in the haunting business, Mel Nygaard knows how to scare his patrons. Also the original founder of the Haunted Corn Maze, Nygaard oversees the operation of the Haunted Farm and its 40 person staff, composed mostly of friends and family.

20 years ago, Mel began giving haunted hayrides to his neighbors, honing his skills and developing his show into the fright fest that it is today. Parents should give some serious consideration before bringing their children to an evening performance by the Haunted Farm staff, as the surprises around each turn are enough to make grown men and women shriek in terror.

The Haunted Farm draws its strength from the care and precision of its set design, incorporating frightfully creative displays of haunted fun. The Haunted Farm is a must see attraction for Halloween lovers of the area!

Extreme Scream has been a 7-year staple in the local haunted attraction scene, located just outside of Glyndon on highway 10. The brainchild of Roy and Teresa Gilbertson, Extreme Scream became a serious project for the Gilbertsons after a motorcycle accident left Roy unable to work full-time. His wife’s love of the holiday inspired the two of them to begin piecing the attraction together with the help of Roy’s father, building elaborate set designs right in their back yard.

“Men like seeing women get scared,” explained Gilbertson when asked about the appeal of haunted attractions, “and women like to be scared.”

To achieve a more “sophisticated” scare, they employ theatre students from NDSU to act as performers and guides through the haunted walk around their property, offering attendees their own private horror show in the woods behind the Gilbertson’s property.

For those willing to travel a little for some sheer, gut-wrenching horror, Lenord, North Dakota’s Acres of Terror has established itself as one of the premier haunted attractions in the region. For seven years running, Tony Plante has been offering those brave enough to try their luck a full hour of horrifying thrills and excitement.

“I have always wanted to be involved in entertainment,” said Plante, “and I just like to scare people.” And scare people he has. With some evenings drawing in as many as 1,000 customers, Plante and his team of deranged geniuses have been scaring the living hell out of a great many satisfied customers.

“This year alone we have had nearly 100 people not make it through,” said Plante, “and nearly that many pissed themselves.” Acres of Terror stands alone in the region as the only attraction that incorporates not only an abandoned school into the revulsion and delight, but also a death-defying bus ride with the legendary Stu Padasol.

Along with a classic and obligatory walk through a haunted corn maze, Acres of Terror relies on its sheer size and nearly complete lack of lighting to trigger its scares, leaving its patrons at the mercy of its brutal and nightmarish staff, wandering lost in the darkness. A trip to Lenord this holiday season is highly recommended, but not for the faint of heart. This one will scare your socks off! And look for the Acres of Terror crew this December with their brand new Christmas themed addition of Psycho Santa!

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