With spooky season at its peak, the ghosts and ghouls of Old Kings County Courthouse have a chance to scare you this weekend.
Hanford Parks and Recreation hosts its annual haunted house event in the Old Courthouse Thursday through Sunday from 6-10pm.
“We’re trying to take it up a notch,” said Recreation Supervisor Armando da Silva. “The courthouse has the feel and aesthetic of an eerie old building, and we take it up a notch with the decor and the scares.
The haunted house event started at Municipal Hall a few years ago before moving to the courthouse last year. About 1,600 thrill-seekers attended in 2021, and da Silva plans to increase that number to about 2,000 this year.
For a $5 admission fee, visitors are ushered into a courthouse, or at least a version of a haunted labyrinth filled with ghosts, ghouls and cannibals played by Parks and Rec employees and volunteers.
This year’s theme is a courthouse turned spooky funeral home.
Recreation leader Raquel Perez said: “There are zombies, ghosts and creepy dead people.
Planning for the Haunted Maze began about two months ago, and construction began at the courthouse in early October. The team he spent about four hours a day working on the project to make it as terrifying as possible before it even started.
The attraction’s recommended age is 10 and up, but Da Silva says young thrill-seekers won’t be turned away. According to Perez, those looking to ease their fears can show up early because their fears are a little lessened while the morning sun is still shining through the courthouse windows.
However, visitors may experience horrors that are not included in the ticket price.
Both Perez and Da Silva said they noticed something eerie while working in a building that had long been rumored to be haunted.
“Some of the animatronics disappeared on their own while I was working on them,” said da Silva. “I don’t know if it’s paranormal.”
“You can also hear the elevator doors opening when no one is there,” Perez said. “We’re just pretending it didn’t happen.”
Vendors and outdoor children’s activities are also hosted in the courtyard during Haunted House hours.
The attraction has a soft opening at the Halloween-themed night market on the last Thursday of the season.
The Old Courthouse is located at 113 Court Street in Hanford. Call 559-585-2525 for more information.
