Devyn LeBlanc
reporter@greenepublishing.com
Are you ready to get spooked? If so, head on over to the Haunted House, hosted by Hammond's Haunting and the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, located at 182 NW College Loop, in Madison. This year's theme is “Films of Fear,” inspired by The Conjuring, Carrie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining and many more. The Haunted House will begin Friday, Oct. 1, from sundown to 9:30 p.m. The fun continues every Friday and Sunday this month, except Friday, Oct. 8 and Saturday, Oct. 9. Tickets are $5 per guest. This spooky experience follows COVID-19 guidelines, so please keep a safe distance from the actors and other guests. Masks are recommended.
Garrett Hammond is the founder of this delightfully frightful experience. In 2009, he and a close friend decided there wasn't enough to do for Halloween in the area. They gathered whatever tools and lumber they could find in Hammond's parents' yard and began building a small haunted house in the backyard. They threw a Halloween party and invited all of their friends and family. This became an annual event, as they continued to gather as many props as they could.
In the summer of 2020, the Chamber held a meeting with the Madison Tourist Development Council to come up with ideas to bring more people to Madison. A member of the council had seen Hammond's work with the haunted house, and wanted to make it a public event. This is the second year that Hammond has teamed up with the Chamber to use his haunted house as a fundraiser. All proceeds go toward the Madison County Chamber of Commerce.
This year's sponsors are the Madison County Board of Commissioners, Madison Tourist Development Council, City of Madison, Madison County Community Bank, BlueTriton, Duke Energy and Trulieve.
For more information about the haunted house, visit their Facebook page at Hammond's Haunting.