It’s scary season, and the Seward High Key Club is adding to the chills with its haunted house.
Located at the Zimmer House, just south of the Dairy Queen parking lot, this year’s spooky story follows a trio of brides.
Starting with a wedding scene, the story “gets progressively more creepy,” Olive Buell said.
Buell, a junior at Seward High, and Reagan Meyer, an SHS senior, created the story and headed up the crew.
Each of the three brides wears the same dress but with different details, Buell said.
Tour guides will take small groups through the space, which is located in the basement of the house and is not handicapped accessible.
Actors play the roles throughout the house, including tour guides to lead visitors through the basement. Spooky music and flashing lights will help set the scene.
Buell said the tour takes five to eight minutes, depending on the guide.
Students have worked on the house and their lines one to two days each week since September.
“Most of them love Halloween,” Buell said.
With construction on the upper floors of the house and storage in the basement, the students were more limited in space than they were last year, Buell said. Some visited other haunted houses to get ideas.
She said her favorite space in this year’s house is either the ex-husband room or the sacrifice storage area.
Other actors also enjoy haunted houses. Freshman Makenna Hagen is one of the tour guides and is looking forward to taking visitors through the house. She said her favorite spot is the ex-husband room.
She recommended that visitors “be mentally prepared.”
Sophomore Izzy Evenson plays two roles – the basement bride and giving jump scares elsewhere.
“I basically go crazy,” she said.
She said she likes the characters and music in the house and also recommended that visitors be prepared.
Gabriel Gracia, a freshman, plays husband No. 3.
“When I first heard about it, I was stoked,” he said. “The script is perfect.”
He said he loves that the actors get really into their roles which amps up the adrenaline.
“Be ready to have fun,” he said.
Fellow freshman Alieya Briggs is a deer and said her job is to “just scare people.”
While she’s not a fan of haunted houses, she does like scaring people and is looking forward to that, especially the younger visitors. She said her favorite spot is either the bride room or the police room.
Thomas Funke, also a freshman, gets to be a groomsman. He’s a fan of haunted houses and likes to be scared. He likes the ex-husband room because the tour gets “trapped” in the space.
All the actors have enjoyed spending extra time with friends as they put the house together. They encouraged people to come and tour the house and experience the story.
The house will be open Oct. 27-30. Hours are 7-10 p.m. Oct. 27-29 and 7-11 p.m. Oct. 30. Children under age 11 must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets will be available at the door – $10 if paying cash, $10.50 if using Venmo. Money raised will go to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
