Staff Spotlight: The Haunted House Creators

Growing up in rural South Dakota, Katie and Justin don’t just share an employer, they’re also cousins. With rumblings of a haunted house fundraiser from South Shore Community Development, Katie jumped at the chance to do something creative and meaningful for her community, recruiting Justin to configure complex automations. It also led her to join South Shore Community Development. She’s now the organization’s Vice President, contributing to multiple fundraisers throughout the year.
 

“When my mom first joined the South Shore Development Corporation, she mentioned they were planning a haunted house fundraiser. Which I thought it was a fantastic idea, but needed to be done right,” shared Katie. “My friend Erin and I put our heads together, and our first escape-room-based year of South Shore House of Horrors was born.”

With Erin owning a DJ business, lighting and sound equipment covered, and the tech expertise of coworkers in the Information Technology field, the haunted house became a true community effort. All the people who help run, build, and act in the haunted house graciously volunteer their time, ensuring that 100% of the $10 entry fee goes back into next year’s production.
 

“Our first two years started as an escape room style with games and clues that participants had to complete to exit the haunted house,” Katie explained. “By the end of the second year, interest had ramped up enough that we pivoted to a more traditional haunted house experience.”

A great problem to have for a haunted house fundraiser, we’d say! For a little perspective, this town of 150 people welcomes upwards of 600 people to their haunted house each year, and that doesn’t include the ~150 kids who attend a special no-scare day. Previous themes include Outlast, Zombie Outbreak, and Haunted School, but this year’s Stranger Things-inspired haunted experience is Katie’s favorite.

Now with a new flow, hidden doorways, high-tech automations, and too many props to count, the haunted house is becoming a destination. Attendees have traveled from as far as Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Minnesota. Never fear, even with the increase in traffic, the group will ensure visitors have a good experience with a queuing and texting system to know where you’re at in line, arcade games and Halloween shows to keep you entertained while you wait, and a strict one-in-one out rule so you don’t run into other groups.
 

“I’ve chuckled at a few ‘tough guys’ getting caught by a jump scare and had to enlist my cat Theordore as an emotional support animal a time or two,” Katie shared. “But if it ever becomes too much, our ‘chickened down’ radio call and wonderful actors make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a good time.”

Have we convinced you to make the trek to South Shore yet? Next year, they’ll be back with the sixth iteration of something spooky. Mark your calendar for one of the last three Saturdays in October now!