Culture & Entertainment Notebook: I scream, you scream: Haunted Hall of Horror opens today

Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its annual Haunted Hall of Horror decked with several fictitious components -- evil clowns, bloody body parts and a haunted insane asylum -- today through Halloween at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau.

Assistant recreation division manager for the City of Cape Girardeau Kaed Horrell said the event has been hosted by the city for nearly 30 years and has expanded over time to include the basement.

Horrell said this year the haunted maze "pretty well takes up the whole building."

"We have two different tunnels in one basement," he said. "It's a good 25 minutes or so to get through the whole thing."

Horrell said there will be approximately 45 actors present during each day of the event. Nearly 5,000 people attended last year's event, Horrell said, and he expects a similar number this year.

The Haunted Hall of Horror at Arena Park in its set-up stages Tuesday in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON ~ kjackson@ semissourian.com

The actors don't go through any special training for it, according to Horrell, but are informed of guidelines and expectations.

"It's not a real strenuous training," he said. "We use a wide variety of people."

Volunteers for the event are all local, Horrell said, including students from high schools, sororities and fraternities from Southeast Missouri State University and a few contracted workers.

One person is contracted to apply the actors' makeup, he said. Other than that, it's either the actors applying it themselves or some of the Parks and Recreation's full-time staff assisting.

It takes five days to set up the arena for the event, Horrell said. His crew started Monday morning and will work until 8 p.m. each day this week to complete the haunted halls by today's opening, Horrell said.

"The main thing is a haunted insane asylum," he said. "The entrance is a 3D maze, and they'll go through some tunnels. We'll have an insane doctor in there."

Throughout the haunted house, clowns also will be positioned "because people always love clowns," he said.

He said there are several different options he and his team will be coming up with by Friday.

Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department employee of six years Rachel Hodo was present Tuesday setting up for the event.

The hand-painted maze walls and realistic props covered in fake blood are stored in the basement of the Arena Building when not in use, she said. The labyrinth includes multiple connecting rooms that must be set up individually, she said -- some with paintings, some blood-splattered.

According to Hodo, employees know where escape routes are and will be stationed throughout the maze assisting attendees who wish to exit prematurely.

Horrell said he thinks people like to be scared "a little bit," with the understanding they are not going to be hurt and for the "startle factor."

"We try to come up with new things each year," Horrell said. "We will probably have some zombies. I know we'll have chainsaws."

The Haunted Hall of Horror is one of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department's special events, Horrell said, and proceeds will go back into a general fund for future events hosted by the department.

Tickets are $8 for adults; admission is free for children 5 and under. More details and a complete schedule are available at cityofcape.org/hauntedhall.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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