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The Trail of Terror is an elaborate yet homemade haunted house in Mendota Heights created by a teenager. And the scares are legit, from a foggy swamp to a real chainsaw.
- When: It’s available two nights: October 30 and 31 from 6-9 p.m.
- Where: 2329 Kressin Avenue, Mendota Heights.
- Cost: Free
- Warning: While it’s open to all ages, as the name implies, it is scary. There are strobe lights and loud noises.
Who’s Behind It?
“I just like scaring people, I guess,” said 16-year-old Rowan Ramirez.
That’s an understatement, as this is the fifth year Ramirez has created a haunted house. But you wouldn’t know it: He’s an unassuming junior at Two Rivers High School. He plays on the hockey team. He’s not a prankster.
But what started out as a shade tent over the front porch and a few bones to create a spooky atmosphere for trick-or-treaters has evolved into a haunted house that spans from the driveway to the backyard. Today it’s an elaborate pathway that winds through a temporary structure on the driveway, through multiple makeshift rooms in the garage, out to more surprises in the backyard, including a chainsaw maze, carnival tent, cornfield, and spooky shack.
Interspersed throughout the Trail of Terror will be up to 10 of Ramirez’s family and friends, working as “scare actors” in full costume to jump out at opportune times. Ramirez himself will wield a real chainsaw—no chain, but real nonetheless because the noise and smell give that full sensory experience.
Commitment: While Halloween comes once a year, this is a year-round obsession for Ramirez. He’s always planning and researching what he can build next, watching videos on YouTube for ideas and inspiration. Over spring break, the family traveled to St. Louis for the Halloween & Attractions Show. This year’s construction started in August.
- “Other people are going to Mexico. We were going to a Halloween convention,” said Ramirez’s mom, Kirsten Ramirez.
- It’s truly a family affair as they give up their garage for two and a half months. His sisters pitch in as well, one doing costumes and making a witch hut.
- “It’s really fun to see it come together because he’ll tell me about something, and I have no idea. I can’t see it,” said Kirsten. “And then it comes together. I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s what you were saying.’ That’s really fun to see it materialize.”
Investment: In addition to the time, Rowan Ramirez has sunk a lot of money into the project—at least $1,000 at Menard’s just on lumber. He worked at a cheese curd stand at the state fair this summer and invested everything he made into scarier creations.
- These days he avoids the typical Spirit Halloween decorations: “I usually find things on the side of the street or at antique stores because I think it’s scarier, more realistic,” Ramirez said.
- New this year is the squishy bridge in the laser swamp (one of Ramirez’s favorites), complete with scented fog juice. This is also the first year it’s open for two nights.
- This year’s effort will include a Venmo QR code for donations, which will just go back into more scary stuff.
Inspiration: Ramirez is inspired by professional haunters, including Miles McCabe (known as YouTuber Brick Thunder) who created the 5 Points Haunted House in the Chicago area. Like Ramirez, McCabe started as a “home haunter” before getting into the fright business professionally. In addition to watching the YouTube videos, Ramirez and his family visited the Five Points Haunted House.
- “I would like to go into haunted houses and make a haunted attraction,” Ramirez said.
For this year, Ramirez hopes to draw more people to his haunted house on that path to becoming a haunting professional.
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