The Haunted House at Creepy Hollow in Warner, AB. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Thrills And Chills

VIDEO: Creepy Hollow offers spooktacular fun for the whole family

Oct 27, 2021 | 10:40 AM

The entrance to Creepy Hollow gives off a slightly different vibe once the sun goes down. (Lethbridge News Now)The entrance to Creepy Hollow gives off a slightly different vibe once the sun goes down. (Lethbridge News Now)The entrance to Creepy Hollow gives off a slightly different vibe once the sun goes down. (Lethbridge News Now) WARNER, AB – If you’re looking for some scares mixed in with family fun, look no further than Creepy Hollow.

The spooktacular attraction is located off of Highway 4 in the community of Warner, Alberta and is owned and operated by the Reimer family. It features a classic car display with a creepy twist, a mysterious maze, a Monster Hall for murder-mystery nights, live music, a campground and the main event – the Haunted House.

With October 31 being Halloween, one might think Creepy Hollow is only open during the spooky season, but the site is actually open year-round, weather permitting. October does have its special events, though, with ‘Fright Nights’ hosted every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. throughout the month. Those evenings feature volunteers walking around the site in costume, waiting to give guests a fright.

STRILING HAUNTED MANSION

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The Reimer family previously operated an attraction in Stirling, known as the ‘Stirling Haunted Mansion’, beginning when they bought their home in the village in 2000.

Co-owner Glory Reimer said, “we were there for six months and then we did our first haunted dungeon tour, which was really kind of fun.”

“It was mostly just me and my stepdaughter and her friends. That’s kind of where it started.”

Reimer explained that her family was inspired to start the ‘Stirling Haunted Mansion’ tours in 2000 by the house itself. She noted that the building is over 100 years old.

She said, “it’s actually haunted and it had a full basement, like a really deep basement but you couldn’t really develop it, it’s all dirt and field stone and stuff and it has this certain smell, which really adds to the ambiance of the dungeon.”

Reimer remarked that word of mouth helped bring in more visitors for tours and the demand grew each and every year.

“That’s where it all started, and we discovered that we’re really good at scaring people and it’s just plain family fun!”

The Reimers hosted tours at their ‘Stirling Haunted Mansion’ home for 15 years before moving their operation to Warner in 2015.

A NEW BEGINNING

Although it was bittersweet to shift locations, the move to Creepy Hollow was actually advantageous for the southern Alberta family.

The entrance to Creepy Hollow gives off a slightly different vibe once the sun goes down. (Lethbridge News Now)

Reimer remarked that, “we’ve been able to just grow and let our imaginations go wild here without as many restrictions for sure.”

“We’ve definitely been able to add more to the show.”

READ MORE: Creepy Hollow taking root in County of Warner

If you have a fear of clowns, you might want to get through this Haunted House room quickly! (Lethbridge News Now)

She said they were able to add in a campground to the visitor experience and set up the Franken-stage for live music performances.

“I can’t believe we’re on our seventh year here [in Warner] already. It’s crazy.”

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Reimer said although the goal is to make people jump with fright, it’s also extremely important for her family to create a fun and safe environment for visitors and make sure everyone leaves Creepy Hollow with a smile on their face.

She noted that, “even at home, when we started doing it [Stirling Haunted Mansion], it was always based on making sure that people can bring their kids.”

“I had kids and now I have grandkids and they love to take part in it, so it’s always been spooky fun and not gross… not the gore like some people think a haunted house is, this is just a really real feeling haunted house that’s just spooky fun.”

A couple of the inhabitants of the Haunted House at Creepy Hollow. (Lethbridge News Now)

Not only is the attraction a family-friendly affair, but the entire team that makes Creepy Hollow possible is a tight-knit unit affectionally referred to as the ‘Creepy Family’.

Reimer said, “everybody’s part of it in some way, we’ve got other people that donate their time to make sure my staff is fed, you know, and that’s great too. We just love all our Creepy Family.”

She added that Creepy Hollow can provide an escape from some of the stresses of the world.

Fans of ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ will spot some familiar faces in the Haunted House. (Lethbridge News Now)

Reimer told LNN, “my favourite part is that we were able to create something that people love, and just to see the reactions, the giggles and the screams and like all of that. Just the ambiance in the yard of everybody running here and there and having fun and you know its all just good fun. It’s just good to know that there’s a little area that we could fill in that needed to be done.”

For more on Creepy Hollow, visit the attraction’s Facebook page and website, call 403-331-9335 or email creepyhollowacres@gmail.com.