Locals create creepy haunted houses you can tour

Don't be alarmed if you find the dead rising from their graves at Wes Stevener's place in Meadow Vista this weekend.He's just one of several locals getting into the Halloween spirit by creating a haunted house that's sure to make you scream."If you want to get scared, this is the place to come," Stevener said.Advising that children under 12 should come with an adult, Stevener said he wanted to bring a real scare to the foothills. So the 47-year-old retired school teacher turned his 4.5-acre property into a fright fest with a haunted barn and cemetery."We were looking around for a haunted house last year and the closest we could find was Roseville," he said. "We wanted to do something for the kids up here, and so far so good."The house opened last weekend and will continue from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Halloween) at 1100 Naturewood Drive in Meadow Vista. Cost is $6 per person (bring this article for a $1 discount). This haunting is for a good cause - $1 from admission will go to Colfax High School Grad Night and the Meadow Vista Community Center.One of the highlights of the Steveners' haunted abode is Dr. Butcher's room, where the victim of a deranged meat cutter is displayed."We have one of my son's friends sitting on an old wooden kitchen table with the middle cut out so his legs dangle down, but we've got cow bones sticking out so it looks like his legs are cut off," Stevener said. "We've got cut-off fingers, a plastic hatchet that sprays fake blood. It's pretty fun."Stevener and his family have been working on the house all month using items lying around the property and some Halloween clearance items from last year. Stevener estimates he's put about $300 to $400 into spooky supplies.Kids from around the area are helping out by populating this haunted attraction with ghouls and monsters."We have a guy come out of the barn with a chainsaw, no blade, of course, and chase people into the graveyard," he said. "That gets the girls squealing."The house is primed for even more screams."We'll have a full moon this weekend," he said. "That should be even better."Auburn has some thrills in store as well. The Rotary Club of Auburn and Placer High School's Interact Club are teaming together again to create a fundraising haunted house at the Stella Irving Room inside Recreation Park's gym, 123 Recreation Drive in Auburn.After taking last year off, the haunted house is back with the "Pharoh's Curse" room, an "Evil Carnival" and the "Butcher Shop of Horrors," all ideas the high school students came up with."They're creative, they've seen all the scary movies, so they came up with their own ideas," said Interact adviser Jonathan Adams.The haunting goes from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday with a less scary version for those 7 and under from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday. You'll find another spooky house on Carol B. Smith's block.It was a family tradition to turn the garage into a haunted house at her childhood home in Sacramento. Now, Smith is making her own home haunted at 202 Foresthill Ave. in Auburn.The terrifying spectacle at Smith's place runs alongside the exterior of her house. Visitors crawl through a tent and stick their hands in icky substances (brains, anyone?). There's also creepy music, black lights, and costumed kids ready to boo you. The house is open from 7-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and on Halloween Wednesday.But Smith has found a way to control the fear factor and keep the house suitable for older and younger hobgoblins."We have a signal to let the rest of the crew know a family with young children is coming through," she said.Smith hopes to make next year's haunted house even more elaborate."My favorite thing (about Halloween) is seeing other people's imaginations and what they come up with," she said. "It's a good time to get creative and get crazy."The Journal's Michelle Miller can be reached at michellem@goldcountrymedia.com, or post a comment at auburnjournal.com.