As Halloween draws closer, Manitou Springs High School’s Key Club is gearing up for their third annual haunted house. The haunted house’s committed actors, spooky decorations and light-hearted fun have quickly become a staple of MSHS’ Halloween celebration. 

“I absolutely adore the Haunted House and hope that this is just one of many to come from the MSHS Key Club,” Payten Smith (12), Key Club president, said. “My favorite part is spending time with my friends setting up.”

Past Key Club haunted houses have seen huge success in their efforts to raise money for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. 

“We raised more than $400 and donated that to UNICEF,” Smith said, speaking of last October.

Key Club’s 2022 haunted house will also be donating admission proceeds to UNICEF. The “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” event is live all of October, and donations will help UNICEF to support children around the world.

Key Club members have been hard at work preparing for the haunted house’s opening, which students are invited to experience October 30th in the Commons, where the haunted house will be held from 6-8pm. Admission price is set to be $5 per person.

The haunted house will also be accompanying a club-wide carnival. Key Club is in collaboration with Manitou Performing Arts Club, Spanish Club, Environmental Club and others. Face painting, hot chocolate and churros are all currently in the works for the carnival, which will only be an additional $1 for a ticket. 

“It would be great to see a lot of Mustangs come out to support some MSHS clubs and the causes they support, such as UNICEF,” Smith said.

Creating a haunted house from scratch is no easy task, and the Key Club members have been brainstorming how best to build the spine-tingling attractions. 

Landon Foster (10) is a returning Key Club member. However, as he joined Key Club late last year, this will be his first time contributing to and participating in the haunted house.

“They should be expecting to be scared,” Foster says to MSHS students. “Just have a good time.”

No haunted house would be complete without its eccentric cast of Halloween monsters. Foster’s work, along with the fellow Key Club members in his committee, will be seen in a hallway lurking with various mythical creatures.

“We’re designing a hallway with a bunch of Halloween related mythical creatures like skeletons and zombies and vampires, werewolves, all that cool stuff,” Foster said.

Beginning in the Commons, and winding down to the old boy’s locker room, the haunted house will consist of multiple themed hallways and rooms, each featuring actors and decor. Including the mythical creatures room, there are slated to be haunted pumpkin patch, psych ward, and serial killer rooms.

Izabel Tennant (12) is a newcomer to Key Club this year and will be a part of the haunted pumpkin patch – participating in an event such as the haunted house is a first for her. 

Tennant is approaching the haunted house with enthusiasm, enjoying Key Club’s community in how they have all come together these past weeks. Their hard work will pay off on October 30th. 

“I’m really excited to see how everybody’s work and unique ideas come together,” Tennant said.