Decades-old Scottsdale home haunted house tradition draws thousands of visitors

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A Scottsdale home has crowds lining the block for a Halloween tradition decades in the making. It's a residential-haunted house near Indian Bend and Hayden roads.

Big picture view:

Caitlyn Birkett's father has been putting the display together for quite a few years, starting when he was a teenager.

"He started when he was 14 years old, in 1983. It was just a couple gravestones that he put out in the yard and now 40 years later, it’s turned into this massive thing that the entire community gets involved in so we really love it," said Birkett, daughter of the House of Haunts creator.

Dig deeper:

Inside the haunted house there's different themed sections, special effects, and of course, some jump scares.

"It’s going to be intense. We don’t recommend under 13, but they can see anything from the Lost Dutchman Mine theme based on the Superstition Mountains. We have homages to the Shining Hotel, the Overlook Hotel. We also have a massive telephone booth room, laser swamps all throughout and we also have a few homages to the Haunted Mansion," Birkett said.

It has taken quite a few years to gather all the elements.

"It’s been a long time coming. Everything you’re seeing right now is not stuff we’ve put together in a year, it really is over 40 years and a lot of this stuff he’s hand built himself. He’s extremely talented and just finding a really cool creative vision and he loves doing a lot of illusions throughout his haunt. So that’s really awesome," Birkett said.

Local perspective:

Crowds have filled the neighborhood, with community members lining the block for a chance inside.

"It’s kind of insane. It’s gotten to a really, really big level which we are so grateful for and we love. The line is usually at least an hour long, up to two, and it wraps around the entire block. We’re about three houses in and it will go to the next street," Birkett said.

With spooky weather one day before Halloween, Birkett and her family are keeping a close eye on the conditions.

"It’s a little wet. It’s a little muddy. We’re hoping to kind of clear everything up," Birkett said.

Birkett says this year, more than 10,000 people have made their way through the haunted house.

As long as heavier rain holds off, the family says everything is on track for the final two nights. Halloween night marks the last chance to check it out.

Where is it?:

This haunted house is located at 8325 E. Lincoln Drive in Scottsdale.

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