Arguably one of the area’s scariest attractions, southern Alberta’s Creepy Hollow is continuing to spook both locals and out-of-town visitors ahead of Halloween.
The popular site, located approximate 30 minutes south of Lethbridge, was previously situated in the nearby town of Stirling for 15 years prior to moving to Warner.
“In 2015 we acquired the property, and we moved our business from Stirling to here then,” owner Glory Reimer explained. “In that first year we had six months to do our first haunted house, and it’s just kind of been growing and gaining popularity ever since.
“It’s been a fun ride.”
Nestled on 20 acres of land, the popular haunted mansion and other Halloween-themed activities have been welcoming a large volume of visitors since September.
Creepy Hollow is technically open year-around, and also has a campground.
“When families come, we want to make sure everybody in the family is going to have a good time,” Reimer said.
“So it can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. We can do a nice friendly museum tour of the house for the little kids–but then there’s the people that want to get terrified and we make sure that happens, too.”
Mostly run by family and a couple dozen staff members, the site is open most days at 2:00 p.m. –welcoming visitors in both daylight and after dark.
Nine-year old Reegan McLean and five-year-old Hudson Smith are all geared up to carry out their scaring duties ahead of Halloween.
“I like to just sit down and act like I’m not moving, and then I move and everyone usually screams,” McLean said.
“Teenagers get scared the most.”
COVID-19 protocols include masking indoors, and distancing between groups when touring the buildings.
Reimer added while they do see some locals, many of their visitors come from across Alberta. Her highlight is hearing feedback from customers to ensure they can continue improving year after year.
“We actually see a fair bit from Medicine Hat, Calgary, Edmonton. Every year it’s just a staple on their list. They’ve (got to) go do it,” she said.