Inside the South Park Horror House
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The entryway of the South Park Horror House, at 2962 Laurel St. Photo: Dave Decaro
Josh Schauert assumed his South Park neighborhood would be swarming with kids on Halloween when he moved there in 2019. Then he learned hundreds of kids flocked to Historic Burlingame, on the other side of 30th Street, but never ventured into his neighborhood.
He vowed to change it, and launched the South Park Horror House in the fall of 2020.
State of play: The massive Halloween display, with a haunted maze that winds around his house and back out the other side, is now a neighborhood mainstay, open on weekends in October and on Halloween.
- At the end of each year, he sells every decoration through Instagram, dozens of pieces, and uses the proceeds to buy new stuff with a single theme.
- This year's theme is "The Forest of Nightmares," last year's was "Death and Dolls."
Driving the news: Schauert gives his neighbors a break during the week, but fires up the lights, fog machines and animatronics from 7-9pm, Thur.-Fri. at 2962 Laurel St.
- The house will also be open next week on Wednesday from 7-9pm, and on Halloween from 6-10 pm.
- When kids arrive, they receive a glow stick to "keep them safe from the monsters." Each weekend, they also give kids a special treat, like bubbles or poppers.
What he's saying: Schauert, who for his day job runs a pressure washing company, grew up in South Lake Tahoe where his parents took him to elaborate neighborhood haunted houses.
- "We didn't have the money to do this type of stuff, but it was something I loved as a kid and it stuck with me," he said.
- "That first year we did it was during COVID — everyone was at home, everything was dreary," he said. "That gave me extra motivation to do something for the community."
Erin Wash, Schauert's girlfriend, helps him run the house. She is a special education teacher at Mid-City Elementary and a coach with Mid-City Little League.
- "We obviously really love Halloween," Schauert said.
Fun fact: The front yard features a life-sized Chucky doll that kids gravitate to, a massive grim reaper, a homemade "Horror House" entry archway, and lord knows how much spider webbing.
- One new feature this year: a custom-made coffin with an animatronic, talking skeleton that tells visitors, "You will meet your end at the South Park Horror House."