2026 Question and Answer With Scary Tales Haunted Maze
October 15, 2026
By Haunt News & Press Releases
What does Scary Tales Haunted Maze have in store for the 2026 Halloween season? Melanie Heard is here to tell you!
What's new at Scary Tales Haunted Maze for 2026? Do you have any new rides, attractions, or special features that Haunt Seekers should know about?
Our maze theme changes EVERY year! It's never the same maze, twice. This alone makes us unique.
This year, we're taking guests on a twisted journey through the world of fairy tales, where your beloved childhood stories have taken a terrifying turn! Scary Tales Haunted Maze features all-new scenes, creepy characters, unexpected surprises, and plenty of spine-tingling scares. From sinister storybook villains to terrifying "what the heck is that???" creatures lurking around every corner, guests never know what might be waiting for them!
We're also excited to offer our popular Less Scary Hour and Sensory-Friendly Walkthroughs, making the experience more accessible to guests of different ages and comfort levels. Our maze is fully ADA accessible, too. We are committed to making our haunt accessible for all to enjoy.
As always, our incredible team of volunteers, artists, and young performers has worked tirelessly to create an immersive, theatrical experience that goes far beyond your average haunted house. And we're keeping a few surprises under wraps. After all, we wouldn't want to spoil anything.
What are you most excited about for the 2026 Halloween Season?
I'm most excited to see our guests' reactions as they experience this year's Maze! There's nothing quite like hearing the screams, laughter, and excitement as people make their way through the dark. I'm also especially proud that we're continuing to make our attraction more inclusive and accessible. Ultimately, it's about bringing our community together, creating unforgettable memories, and proving that a small coastal town can produce high quality entertainment. Plus, we are a nonprofit, and this maze is for a good cause. So, please come support us!
What differentiates Scary Tales Haunted Maze from other local haunts in Oregon?
What really sets Scare-C.R.O.W. Haunted Maze apart is that we are "theatre people." Therefore, our commitment to the best theatrical storytelling, massive creativity, and fine details makes our maze exceptionally immersive and not the same as what you'll see elsewhere. We're not your "typical" haunted maze filled with bloody, guts, chain saws, and the same predictable jump scares. We create an immersive experience with elaborate sets, original concepts, detailed costumes, special effects, and talented performers who bring every terrifying scene to life. Also, we are not a little "kiddie" maze. Don't be fooled. We have a combination of adults and youth scare actors.
We're incredibly proud that our attraction has been voted #1 in Oregon. And perhaps most importantly, every ticket purchased supports C.R.O.W.'s mission of providing exceptional Arts opportunities for local youth. So when you visit our maze, you're not just getting scared. You're supporting something that makes a real difference.
How long has Scary Tales Haunted Maze been in business? Can you tell us a bit more about Scary Tales Haunted Maze's history?
Scare-C.R.O.W. Haunted Maze is an annual fundraiser produced by C.R.O.W. (Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops) and it began in our building in 2015, and has expanded to the much larger, indoor flat floor at the Florence Events Center in 2023. What began as a creative way to bring Halloween excitement to our community has grown into one of Oregon's most celebrated haunted attractions, even earning the title of #1 Haunted Attraction in Oregon for 3 years, and Top Rated for one year!
Each year, we completely reinvent the maze with a new theme, original designs, elaborate sets, and a dedicated team of performers and volunteers.
What's your favorite experience since opening Scary Tales Haunted Maze?
One of my all-time favorite memories was watching a grown adult dressed as Pennywise, the terrifying clown from IT, make their way through our maze, screaming in terror. Here's this adult, dressed as one of the scariest horror movie characters of all time, and they were absolutely TERRIFIED! They screamed his way through the entire maze, jumping at every turn, while the rest of us were practically crying with laughter! The irony was just too perfect.
How long is a typical haunt experience at Scary Tales Haunted Maze from start to finish?
Our maze takes between 8-10 minutes, depending on how fast your fearful feet take you.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how scary would you say Scary Tales Haunted Maze is? Why?
I'd give it an 8 or 9. We are non a "touch" haunt, and we don't rely on predictable blood and guts. However, our psychological terror will follow you home and give you nightmares.
Does Scary Tales Haunted Maze's property have any real haunted history? Do you have a spooky encounter you'd like to share?
NA
What inspired you to open up a haunted attraction? What's your favorite part of the business?
I've been absolutely obsessed with Halloween since I was a little girl! I used to create elaborate haunted displays at home, complete with spooky decorations and little surprises designed to scare my friends. One of my favorite tricks was rigging spiders to drop down onto their heads when they least expected it! I guess I've always had a flair for the dramatic and a slightly mischievous sense of humor!
Creating a haunted attraction was a natural extension of my love for Halloween, theatre, and storytelling. My favorite part is dreaming up the crazy ideas and then watching our talented team bring them to life. I love the creativity, the collaboration, and of course, hearing people scream! But what makes it especially rewarding is knowing that all those scares support incredible Arts opportunities for kids in our community. It's the perfect combination of everything I love!
How has new technology (i.e. animatronics, special props, etc) helped you to enhance Scary Tales Haunted Maze?
We can't tell you much, but we are making several new props that are absolutely awesome this year. Come see for yourself!
Can Scary Tales Haunted Maze accommodate large groups? How many people can experience Scary Tales Haunted Maze together as a group?
We typically send people through in small groups of no more than 4. If your party is larger, we can make an exception, but you will find it much more fun if you go through in a small group. Monsters like to isolate you before they shred you to ribbons.
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Does Scary Tales Haunted Maze offer any special deals, discounts, or coupons?
$12 per person. $44 for a party of four discount. Fast pass to the front of the line is $18. All tickets will be sold at the door ONLY and are first come, first served. Cash & Credit Cards are accepted.
Anything else you'd like to let us know about Scary Tales Haunted Maze?
The maze is co-designed by Tina Ferkey, Robin Mendolia, and Melanie Heard. The theme changes every year!
Here's this year's story:
Deep within the blackened forest stands a forsaken shack, its rotting walls tangled in twisted vines and draped with decaying spiderwebs.
Locals whisper that the shack belongs to an ancient crone who gathers nightmares and weaves them into tales so terrifying that few can bear to hear them.
Inside her gruesome realm rests a cursed grimoire bound in weathered leather and stained by the passage of countless years. Yet its pages contain no spells. Instead, they are filled with grotesquely twisted tales of abandonment, terror, bloodshed, betrayal, monstrous creatures, and sinister dark magic.
The names may seem familiar, but these are not the characters of your childhood. Here, happy endings are devoured by darkness.
Few have dared to enter this nightmare fairy-tale realm.
None have escaped.
Will you?