OTTUMWA —
Ottumwans have to wait one more month to jump out of their skin, scream for their mothers and scramble for the nearest exit.
Nightmare on Third Street will continue its tradition of terrifying area thrill-seekers Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-27.
“We’ve been working on it since January,” said event organizer Lynn Diveley.
Some highlights that people enjoy year to year, such as the vortex and the claustrophobia room, will stay the same. The maze is also still in place, though its route has changed slightly. Last year’s addition of glow-in-the-dark clowns are there to stay, as well.
“A little bit here and there is similar or the same, but about 75 percent has changed,” Diveley said.
In the remaining weeks, Diveley hopes to finish painting and fixing lights — and she also needs volunteers.
Approximately 30 people are needed per night, with the majority acting in the basement. The rest are needed upstairs to take admission and to man the entrance and exit.
The haunted house raises money for the Ottumwa Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and Gang Resistance Education And Training (GREAT) programs, and last year, 2,907 attendees raised $17,000 for the programs.
Attendance continues to increase, Diveley said, as it is already up more than 1,000 since 2009.
“Every year, attendance goes up about 500 people,” she said.
There’s not exactly a limit of how many people could go through the haunted house in a given year, she said, though 3,000 is pushing it for only four nights. Diveley said she and her committee have discussed adding another weekend or another night but didn’t start the discussion in time for this year’s event.
Anyone can come to the haunted house, Diveley said, as there is no age limit.
“It’s hard to set an age limit — but it is pretty scary,” she said. “I think it’s just easier to let the parents decide, because all kids are different.”
For those whose fear takes over early on, the “chicken exit” will still be available. Last year, the chicken exit appeared around one-fourth of the way through, Diveley said.
This year, due to some changes in the route, the chicken exit will appear one-third of the way through.
Diveley has also been working to comply with a new city ordinance adopted in July regarding safety in haunted houses.
They have adopted new safety measures, including dead ends that open up during a possible emergency, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and making the entire haunted house flame retardant.
“We’ve been really lucky,” she said. “We’ve done this seven years over a nine-year period and we haven’t had anything happen other than minor injuries, like someone running into a wall.”
Haunted House
Oct. 19 and 20, Oct. 26 and 27
6 p.m. to midnight
$6 per person
Basement of City Hall
To volunteer, call 641-683-0635 and ask for Lynn Diveley or Officer Brandon Gravett
Local News
Related Photos
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Courier file photo
September 13, 2012
One month until Nightmare on Third Street, volunteers still needed
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