The haunted house opened its doors in 2010 as a labor of love. A group of friends felt a calling to add something fun for the community to not only enjoy, but be involved with during the Halloween season. This gave the Westside and Rio Rancho communities a month long event that was right in their neighborhood. We only had a small 4,000 sq ft space across from Cottonwood Mall, but were able to use the space to create a creepy maze of hallways and corridors that lead to rooms of horror. With the success of that first season, we decided to further our efforts and expand the haunt. Our haunted house is locally unique in that we use high school organizations (cheerleaders, sports teams, student bodies, etc.) as volunteer actors. In return, the groups earn fundraiser money to support their organizations. This gives a fundraising alternative to the traditional car wash and candy sales. The groups love it. Most of the same groups have returned year after year to participate in the scaring. In 2011, the haunted house moved to its current location at the Cottonwood Mall on Albuquerque’s west side. We share the upper level of the site with the Halloween Costume Warehouse, where the Mervyn’s was located. This has allowed for the expansion of the haunt to 10,000 sq ft. of pure terror. In 2012, the haunt grew to 12,000 sq ft. with more creepy features, nightmarish creatures, and theatrical set design. A new security monitoring system was also installed therefore enhancing safety for our patrons and actors