Ryan PoleiThe 2,000-square-foot area behind The Costume Shop, located at 956 Monterey St. downtown, is home to the House of Horrors, a pitch-black maze with rooms full of gore and things that go “bump” in the night.
The House of Horrors is being put on by The Costume Shop and Traditional Tattoo, which are owned by Shad and Michelle Perlich. It will be open today through Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to midnight, and tickets can be purchased at either store.
Groups of about 10 people are led by costumed tour guides through the various rooms, which all feature live actors who are over-enthusiastically creepy.
“They’re just people we know, or people who have done it in the past,” Michelle Perlich said.
A room of mirrors, an evil tattoo artist reminiscent of the “Little Shop of Horrors” dentist and a toilet-battling, speedo-wearing loony are all part of the fun.
You can hear the chainsaw-wielding psycho’s laughter and his victims’ screaming even from the store itself, and the looks on unknowing shoppers’ faces are priceless.
The guides are obviously there for a reason, because you can’t see more than a foot or so in front of you. Things are always scarier when you can’t see them: blasts of air, shaking floors and people shuffling around you.
The unique thing about this haunted house is that everything – costumes, sets, masks, props and spooky equipment like air compressors – was made by the Perlichs.
“It took about a full month of construction,” Shad Perlich said.
It takes a lot to put on, but it’s a hobby for him, Shad Perlich said.
During the year, the extra space may eventually be used as a production space to make things like masks. The masks made for the House of Horrors that Shad Perlich made last for about four uses, he said.
Tuesday’s dress rehearsal helped the Perlichs figure out what to change in terms of pacing, lighting and gore.
“It will have a lot more blood and gore,” Shad Perlich said.
The House of Horrors is located behind The Costume Shop. Tickets are $5 for 12- to 17-year-olds and $7 for adults.
The owners suggest getting there early to avoid really long lines, and each walk-through is about 18 minutes long.