by Rachel Kenderdine
(Pictured: Pumpkin Works (above), Halls of Madness (right)
Costumes, scares, candy, and trick-or-treating. All are staples of Halloween, right? But in Paris, Illinois, there is more to Halloween than just the holiday. Two popular local attractions bring people from everywhere to celebrate the Halloween season.
One such attraction is the Halls of Madness, a haunted house that can be found just outside of town, on Route 16. Open every weekend in October, the Halls of Madness draws in crowds looking for a scare each season. Now in its seventh season, the Halls is staffed by members of the community who enjoy the thrill of seeing others scared.
One such person is Katie Garver, a junior at Paris Cooperative High School. She, who got involved because her family works there, has been working there for three years. “I enjoy doing that sort of thing, scaring people,” she said. She also has a favorite part of the job. The best part, she said, was, “seeing the look on people’s faces.”
Another attraction that is popular with fun-seekers of all ages is Pumpkin Works, which is open through Halloween. In operation for seventeen years, Pumpkin Works started as a pumpkin patch with a corn maze and haunted house and has grown to a prime Halloween destination with eleven mazes, strawberries, and the original pumpkin picking patch, according to its website.
“It’s fun when you’re with a lot of friends,” said Mary-Hunter Smittkamp, a sophomore at PCHS. “I liked the more challenging mazes.” The only downfall to Pumpkin Works? “I didn’t like how expensive everything is,” Mary-Hunter said. “Twenty-five dollars barely got me through half the mazes.” But that appears to be the only downside to a day of fun.
Both the Halls of Madness and Pumpkin Works have special hours for their seasons. These hours, along with the rest of their information, can be found on their websites. Click on the following links:
Halls of Madness
Pumpkin Works
