COURTESY OF STEVE SHAFF
42 OCTOBER 2023 By Tiffany Gonzalez Spooky season has finally crept up, and Halloween-themed business owners are ready to unleash their haunted houses on Valley residents. This year’s attractions have plenty of terrifying, gore-filled scares, and we’re sharing a few with our readers. SCARIZONA 1901 N. Alma School Road, Mesa scarizona.com One of the most well-known Halloween attractions, Scarizona Scaregrounds, features two haunted attractions, plus a Halloween-themed drive-thru light show, Frights in the Lights, a mile-long event for families with youngsters. Mayhem in the Madness and Startled Darkness are the haunted houses. One is filled with chaotic clowns who are more than eager to torture within the bloody halls of horror; the other features a house consumed by darkness where surprise scares, sounds, and gore are always close behind. Prices for the haunted house events start at $24.95. THE HAUNTED GRAVEYARD 8414 E. Valley Vista Dr., Scottsdale hauntedgraveyardaz.com The Haunted Graveyard, a 30-year, family-owned production, is back with kid- friendly haunting on October 25-26. Ages 13 and up can check out the real scares on October 27-31 from 6:30-10 p.m. Owner Chris Birkett said: “For this year’s attraction, I’m shooting for heavy 1980s, nostalgic scare and gore, filled with witches, pumpkins, ghosts, and even a Frankenstein feel as it gets less and less friendly deeper into the walk-thru of the house.” SANCTUM OF HORROR 6555 E. Southern Ave., Mesa sanctumofhorror.com Sanctum of Horror is a place of fear, a breeding ground of evil. Those who enter succumb to madness, and now the sanctum has found its way into the mind of a little girl named Lenore. Guests will navigate her childhood home and end up at St. Charlotte Asylum. The only way out is through Lenore’s cell – can you make it to the end? Sanctum of Horror also features The Breach, a failed government mutation experiment in Bunker 16 that has unleashed blood-thirsty leeches ready to infect those who enter. Tickets for Sanctum and Breach are available until October 31 and start at $30. There’s also a family-friendly event called Lights On, which is a scare- and actor-free option for those with younger kids. Lights On is open on Sundays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. HOUSE OF HAUNTS 8325 E. Lincoln Dr., Scottsdale thescarefactor.com This haunt is family-owned and upping the Here are a few Valley spots for scares Scarizona Scare Grounds in Mesa. Fear Farm in Glendale. 10225 E JOURNEY LN | SCOTTSDALE $8,900,000 | 6 BEDS | 7.5 BATHS | 8,062 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270 5719 E STARLIGHT WAY | PARADISE VALLEY $50,000,000 | 6 BEDS | 8.5 BATHS | 16,906 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270 5738 N CASA BLANCA DR | PARADISE VALLEY $40,000,000 | 6 BEDS | 13.5 BATHS | 23,417 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270 4450 N 54TH ST. | PHOENIX $10,000,000 | 9 BEDS | 9.5 BATHS | 8,504 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270 4331 N JOKAKE DR. | SCOTTSDALE $6,500,000 | 6 BEDS | 6.5 BATHS | 5,684 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270