By Hannah Lundquist —
One of the many great things about fall is Halloween. While many people choose to go out trick-or-treating, others are more adventurous and choose to spend their weekends in fear. Luckily, haunted houses provide just that kind of entertainment. One particular house of horrors is located in Shell Lake, Wis., which is only an hour and a half from Menomonie.
The Shell Lake Arts Center is celebrating Halloween fun by hosting a haunted schoolhouse Oct. 23 and 24 to raise money for the Arts Center, the Shell Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Shell Lake Education Foundation. All of the money will be split between the three groups and will go towards community programs or the operating cost of the event.
The Shell Lake Arts Center knew that they had to be accommodating to all who dared enter, so for the faint of heart there is a less scary option running from 6 to 8 p.m.. For the more adventurous, there is a walk through that runs 8 to 10 p.m.
“We have a great time putting together this event every year! It is something we look forward to sharing with everyone, and as people who love all things Halloween, we couldn’t be more excited to put together new ideas each year to scare those who dare to come through,” said, Associate Director of Shell Lake Arts Center, Carly Moline.
The haunted schoolhouse was such a success last year that it received the 2014 Visitor’s Choice award from HauntedWisconsin.com and brought in over six hundred guests.
The haunted schoolhouse really tries to involve the kids and participants; most of the workers are school-aged volunteers. The Arts Center tries to keep the costumes school themed, but they also want some variety, so any suggestion is welcome and no costume is off limits for the volunteers.
“We are proud to host this event with our community partners and share it with our fellow Halloween fans in this and the surrounding areas!” said Moline.
Shell Lake Arts Center hopes that in upcoming years there will be enough volunteers to do a zombie “Thriller” dance as part of the event. This year the haunted schoolhouse will feature the Monster Mash band in the haunted forest as one of their new elements. Shell Lake Arts Center strives to create new attractions so that each year brings a new adventure for everyone.
There is a lot of enthusiasm about this event from all of those involved. Every year they hope to make the schoolhouse bigger and better than it was before. One of the great things about this event is all of the involvement from members of the community and local schools.
“You can’t beat coming out for some affordable and fun family entertainment that gets your adrenaline pumping and supports such wonderful local causes!” said Moline.
The haunted schoolhouse will be open Oct. 23 and 24, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Shell Lake Arts Center.
