LOCAL LANDMARK: REIGN OF TERROR HAUNTED HOUSE
Voted as the number one walk-through haunt attraction in all Southern California as well as one of the top ten haunted attractions nationwide, The Reign of Terror Haunted House started as a Halloween tradition at owner Bruce Stanton’s residence in Thousand Oaks back in 1999. It was a passion that turned into a famous seasonal local landmark. In 2009, the haunted house moved to the Janss, a 4,000 square foot shoe store. The next year they moved to a 31,000 square foot space above Gold’s Gym where they stayed for ten years. In 2020, they moved to the old Marshall’s space where they are currently located.
Run strictly by volunteers, the Reign of Terror boasts more than 135 custom rooms in 10 different uniquely themed interconnected sections: Unhallowed Ground, The Haunted House, Miner’s Revenge, Containment, The Asylum, Infected, Inbred, Casa Blood, Fun House, and Quarantine. From planning to building to construction, this haunted attraction is a year-round operation by a team of six people who are creative and passionate about Halloween. Their sets are as elaborate as any local theme park during Halloween season. To keep things exciting and fresh, they are constantly changing and adding displays every year.
Photo by Reign of Terror
In an interview with the Ventura County Reporter, Bruce comments: “We don’t build the haunted house to just be scary. We want everyone to have a great time. And if that is you getting scared, that is great. If that makes you laugh at the detail and the sets, then we are happy with that as well. Our biggest goal is to make sure that everyone has a great time. If that is scaring them, making them laugh or amazing them with our detail and creativity, that is our goal.”
This year, they premiere their newest attraction called ‘Un-hallowed Ground’.
Photo by Rein of Terror
“For years we just kept building because we had so much space. Now the challenge is removing the old and creating the new. We always want to up our game and make things more impressive and memorable. Again, being on the ground floor, we have better opportunities to make this happen,” shares Bruce.
Reign of Terror is a non-profit organization. Ticket sales are donated to the teen center and the theater group of the Conejo Recreation and Park District.
Open now until November 5th, the haunted house runs on Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm – 11pm and on Sundays and weeknights from 7pm – 10pm. Tickets range from $30 to $60. They offer a LIGHTS ON walk through with no darkness, no special effects, and no monsters present for $5 (cash only). Parking is FREE. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit their website.
