Kelligrews Hallowe’en House not for the faint of heart

By Mark Squibb

It’s October, and that means the Granter family of Kelligrews is looking to terrify the neighbourhood once again.
Each Hallowe’en, the family transforms their property into a spook show that draws folks from all over.
Allison Granter said the family bought their first spooky animatronic in 2018, and that each year they would buy more and more, until eventually deciding to open up their Decima Place home as a haunted house of sorts.
“It started off as a way for us to just have fun with our kids,” said Granter. “But it got so big that I finally said, ‘We can’t handle this by ourselves anymore.’ So, I reached out to a local girls’ volleyball team and now the kids and their parents help with the whole thing, from set up to tear down and everything in between, and we accept a donation at the door that goes towards their tournaments and travel.”
Granter said she traces her love of the spooky season back to her mother, Betty Morgan.
“When I was a little girl, my mom always made a big deal out of Hallowe’en,” said Granter “And it was really cool, we would have hundreds of kids come to our house to look at the decorations. And when I had my own children, I would get really excited about Hallowe’en… I found it became a great activity for us to do with our kids, and it lasts the whole month, and they get so excited about it. We have three kids now and they’re all completely into it.”
The haunted house is plenty scary, said Granter, so gauge yourself accordingly.
“It’s definitely scary,” said Granter. “Some kids go through that are a lot younger than I would expect, but they always have a great time… it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s very scary, but it’s very fun and gets people in the Hallowe’en spirit… It’s funny, because it’s so scary, but it brings so much joy to so many people. Every single person that comes out is laughing and joking and holding onto the person that is with them and saying how awesome it was. It’s so fun. It makes me so happy to make other people happy.”
Oddly enough, despite her love of scaring others, Granter said she’s not a fan of haunted houses, scary movies, or things that go bump in the night.
“As much as I adore Hallowe’en and love dressing up and decorating, I would never, in a million years, go to a haunted house,” said Granter. “I don’t like being scared, I don’t like the anticipation of something jumping out at me.”
Decima Place Hallowe’en Horror Nights will be open October 24 and 25 and again October 29, 30, and 31. Admission is by donation.