Caldwell’s Halloween Haunt [Photos]
Chances are, if you see a blur while driving on Chinden Boulevard on your way to Caldwell near the Haunted World, you won't be seeing a ghost or a ghoul; you'll be seeing Scott Ethington on his four-wheeler racing from one part of the Haunted World to the other.
His day begins well before visitors arrive around 8 pm, preparing for a night of scares and screams. The park has been scaring Idahoans for over twenty years. It all began with an idea involving two brothers and their family farm.
"It's an old farm that sits on thirty-seven acres, twenty-two years ago; my brother and I wanted to start a haunted attraction," Ethington said. He continued describing the experience of walking through an inside haunted house followed by a Corn Maze that is over a mile long. "For everyone, it's different; the young kids come out and get scared have a fun time with their friends."
The Haunted World is so famous that folks from all over the country travel to Caldwell to experience the fun and fright. "Last year, we actually had the four people over Disneyland's Haunted Feature come in and check us out. We spent about half a day with her."
Ethington described the planning that goes into every scene throughout the Haunted World, including smell. "We like to give everyone a total experience." To run the park, it takes at least 45 people to occupy all the sections. Some sections require more than one person.
What's it like to work at the Haunted World?
Wendy Storks shared that she's been coming back to work at the Haunted World for several years. The Boise State art major goes by Mistress of the Rave. "It's an absolute blast," she exclaimed. "I love interacting with people, and people remember me each year." She says she recognizes people year to year while smiling with her fangs hanging out.
Here is the first part of our profile of the Haunted World.