Scottsdale family's 40-year haunted house draws 10,000 visitors before final weekend

Caitlyn Birkett says her family has processed more than 10,000 visitors through the House of Haunts this season. The attraction, located at 8325 E. Lincoln Drive in Scottsdale, will hold two final sessions before closing for the year on Halloween night.

Birkett’s father began the display in 1983 when he was 14 years old. He initially placed a few gravestones in his front yard. Over the next four decades, he expanded the setup into a residential haunted house that now features multiple themed sections and special effects.

The interior includes a Lost Dutchman Mine theme inspired by the Superstition Mountains. Birkett noted that the house also pays homage to the Shining’s Overlook Hotel and Disney’s Haunted Mansion. A massive telephone booth room and laser swamps are scattered throughout the structure. The family does not recommend the experience for children under 13 due to the intensity of the jump scares.

Birkett stated that the collection of props and sets took decades to assemble. "Everything you’re seeing right now is not stuff we’ve put together in a year, it really is over 40 years," she said. She credited her father with hand-building many elements and designing illusions to enhance the atmosphere.

Crowds have gathered outside the home in recent nights. Birkett reported that lines typically wait at least one hour, sometimes stretching to two. On peak nights, the queue wraps around the entire block and extends onto the next street, reaching approximately three houses deep.

Weather conditions on the day before Halloween presented challenges for the staff. Birkett described the ground as wet and muddy. Her team is working to clear the outdoor areas to prepare for the final two nights of operations.

The family says the event is on track to conclude on schedule. Halloween night represents the last opportunity for residents to enter the house before it goes dark for the season.