In the season of glowing pumpkins, silly costumes and candy-induced stomachaches, various locations throughout the Valley swarm with tourists hoping to stumble upon something eerie or mysterious to do. If you are one of those people, here is a list to several spooky spots to visit to get in the spirit for Halloween.
Mount Mayhem
1740 E. Purdue Ave., Phoenix, Arizona
This haunt is right outside the Carrillo family yard and has been hosted for 15 years. Each year, the family puts on the event for five days out of the week and welcomes their community for a night of fright. The Carrillo family does all of their own props, makeup and music, and uses volunteers from the neighborhood.
The family puts on a new show yearly based on a new concept, whether that be a spooky carnival, haunted bayou or ghostly children.
Rod Carrillo, one of the haunt's owners, said what separates Mount Mayhem is the family and community surrounding it. The planning alone takes the Carrillo family up to 150 hours each year.
Carrillo said people leave the haunt in a much better mood and are almost always laughing despite the scares.
This year, the family is going back to their roots with the concept of the classics, which will feature iconic Halloween movies, jump scares and figures within the haunt. Mount Mayhem will be open starting Oct. 24 to 31 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Get your reservations now and experience a great night filled with jump scares.
Mill of Madness
3749 E. Atlanta Ave., Phoenix, Arizona
This spine-tingling location is the result of combining theater storytelling with a traditional haunted house.
The tedious three-week process of brainstorming concepts, prop construction and dress rehearsal for the actors brings the haunt to life very similarly to how filmmakers create a film.
Ryan Barney, the creator and director of Mill of Madness, said the unique experience sets his haunt apart.
"It is story-driven and it is immersive," Barney said. "As the audience enters in, they become a part of the story and they will meet different actors as they go through that propel the story forward."
Barney explained that though that story-driven aspect is the star of the show, the haunt still includes some traditional features, like being jumped at by an actor or animatronic.
Whether it's these classic scares or the trademark theatrics, attendees can expect a diverse haunted house experience. This haunt is available for anyone to enjoy from Oct. 4 through Nov. 2, so get your tickets while you still can.
Phoenix Ghost Tours
All tours meet at the gate near Teeter House. The address is provided to tour-goers once tickets are purchased.
For Downtown Phoenix campus students looking for a closer location to celebrate the Halloween season, Phoenix Ghost Tours is the experience for you.
The Phoenix Ghost Tour includes a storyteller, equipped with a medieval lantern, showing attendees around Downtown Phoenix and all of the ghost stories it has to offer. Some of the iconic locations include the Hotel San Carlos, the Rosson House and St. Mary's Basilica.
Adam O'Reilly, one of the tour guides for Phoenix Ghost Tours, said the tour includes eight to 12 different locations where he explains the history and hauntings potentially occurring within each building.
"It's all real, everything we're talking about. I mean, it's up to you, the guest, to determine if ghosts are real or not, but the history I tell you is all true," O'Reilly said. "I am not just spouting random nonsense at you, it is real history that you can look up and fact-check yourself."
O'Reilly even expressed his own paranormal experience from one of his tours at the Phoenix Union Station. He said he saw what appeared to be a shadow of a man's arm flinging itself behind one of the pillars in the front of the building.
If you want to take the chance of seeing that specter yourself, grab a ticket from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Abigail Beck and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at atlynch2@asu.edu and follow @alanamentions on X.
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