Clear your throat and get ready to scream: the World’s Largest
Haunted House is in a strip mall near you.
Clear your throat and get ready to scream: the World’s Largest Haunted House is in a strip mall near you.
The haunted house, located at 140 Cochrane Plaza, in the old Ross Dress for Less store next to the new Wal-Mart, opened Friday.
Enter an expanse of ghouls and goblins in a burial ground-themed haunted house.
The venue will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m., Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Admission is $12. Children 12 and younger are $8.
Mike Young strolled through the house with his daughter, Autumn. The house is in a maze format and features themed rooms like a graveyard. About a dozen actors will be milling about in costume to provide extra scares. The families’ claim to fame, Young said, is a gorilla cage.
“No, it’s not. That’s Uncle Paul’s room,” Autumn chimed in, shining a flashlight over the crumpled gorilla suit inside the plastic, rubber and wood enclosure.
Young said he and five other families, who have day jobs ranging from mechanic to carpenter to PG&E staffer, do this for fun. For the past three years, they opened shop in Gilroy. Before that, founder Oscar Garcia operated for years at several San Jose locations, Young said.
“We all just love Halloween. And, what better job is there than to scare people?” Young said.
Young advised to assess your child’s maturity level to be sure they can handle the scares.
Details: worldslargesthauntedhouse.info
But that’s not all. Prepare to be scared for these two other events going on in Morgan Hill.
The Fright Factory Haunted House at Ann Sobrato High School Performing Arts Center, 401 Burnett Avenue, features creatures, specters and spine-chilling scares to frighten and entertain South County residents.
The fright factory is so scary they carry a disclaimer: It may be too intense for children younger than 13.
Computer controlled lighting, sound and Hollywood-worthy special effects such as holograms and robotics have been created to keep the monstrous creatures and ghastly characters mostly at bay as you move through the house.
Fright Factory hours of operation are 6 to 10 p.m. through Saturday. Tickets are $7 or $5 for students. Proceeds benefit the Ann Sobrato Performing Arts Center.
Details: 1-888-SOBRATO
If you’d like to save your screams for Halloween, you have the Terror on Lassen Way. Haunted graveyard creators Bob Johnston and Scott Janssen will once again convert Lassen Way in Morgan Hill into a delightfully frightful display of high-tech spookery that will feature a haunted graveyard filled with special effects, including a thunder and lightning storm, creaking gates, wisecracking skulls, the “breathing ground,” zombies trying to escape their graves, a clawing hand, tombstones that shift and shake, ghosts, gargoyles, bats, skeletons, candles, special lighting, sound effects and coffins with disturbing surprises inside.
“Terror On Lassen Way” is located in southwest Morgan Hill. Travel west on Watsonville Road from Monterey Road. Turn left onto Venetian Way and stay right. The entrance to “Terror On Lassen Way” will be on the left. Hours will be 6:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday only.
If your little one isn’t quite ready for the bigger scares, they can visit downtown for some Safe Trick or Treating instead. A local tradition, the Morgan Hill Downtown Association’s Safe Trick or Treat provides a fun and safe environment for families to celebrate Halloween. This event will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Kick off your Halloween festivities Friday night with the association’s Movie Under the Stars at the Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road. The movie, “Monster House”, rated PG, begins at 7:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs, warm blankets and snacks. If it rains, the event will be moved into the community center’s Hiram Morgan Hill room.
Details: morganhilldowntown.org
Halloween Events
What: World’s Largest Haunted House
When: Evenings through Saturday
Where: 140 Cochrane Plaza
Cost: $13 gen admission, $8 children
What: Fright Factory Haunted House
When: Evenings through Saturday
Where: 401 Burnett Ave.
Cost: $7 gen admission, $5 students
What: Terror on Lassen Way
When: 6:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday
Where: Lassen Way, off Watsonville Road
Cost: Free
What: Safe Trick or Treat
When: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Downtown Morgan Hill
Cost: Free
What: Movie Under the Stars
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: CCC, 17000 Monterey Road
Cost: Free
