Story originally printed in the Holmen Courier or online at www.holmencourier.com

Published - Thursday, September 27, 2007

By ADAM BISSEN | Staff writer

The Onalaska Jaycees take pride in hosting the area’s scariest haunted house, so to keep the thrills fresh this year organizers have introduced a whole new fright plan.

For the fourth straight year, the Jaycees will hold its haunted house in a barn near Clearwater Farms. Every room but one will have different monsters and themes than last year, the better to get hearts racing, said Jaycees President Dave Erickson.

“We want people screaming and running, and that keeps people coming back because they go to Onalaska to be scared,” Erickson said.

The Jaycees haunted house will be open every Friday and Saturday evening in October from 7 to 10 p.m., as well as on Halloween night, Oct. 31, which this year is on a Wednesday.

Tickets are regularly $6 and a dollar cheaper on kids nights, held Oct. 20 and 27. Fewer monsters inhabit the house on kids nights, and many will not wear masks. Lights also will be kept on, and adults gain free admittance if they come with a child.

Otherwise, Erickson recommends haunted house visitors be at least 13 years old to handle the scary sights.

“You don’t want them laughing when they come out the door, because you know you haven’t done a good job,” Erickson said.

It takes a crew of about 25 volunteers to work the haunted house each night. Club members spend a year planning the scare tactics and have gone out each Saturday for the past two months to construct the haunted house, Erickson said.

Money raised by the Jaycees’ main fundraiser will go towards operating costs, a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network and scholarships to two Onalaska High School seniors.

Now in its 26th year, Erickson said he hopes the haunted house will attract 5,000 visitors this October.

Just don’t expect Erickson to share the surprises he has planned to bring out the crowds and the screams.

“People will have to come to find out,” Erickson said.

AT A GLANCE