At Restless Haunt, spooky thrills abound

by Conner Sura

news@thenewsleaders.com

For many, Halloween is a time to dress in costumes, get free candy and watch scary movies. But one St. Joseph family takes it further. 

To Jennifer and Greg Walker, a wife and husband duo and self-proclaimed Halloween fanatics, Halloween is much more than a holiday. To them, it is a time to scare and bring Halloween fright. Jennifer hosts what’s called “Restless Souls Walk-Through Haunt” from the Walkers’ home. This is the couple’s 20th annual Halloween haunt. The haunt started in 2003 as a way for their young daughter to experience the joy of Halloween. Their daughter loved Halloween, but she did not like going to the homes of people she did not know.

“You know, you tell me not to talk to strangers,” she told her parents. “But you tell me to go to people’s houses and ask for candy.” 

Jennifer and Greg both thought their daughter’s comment was insightful so they came up with a little haunted pathway in their yard where neighborhood kids could walk down. First, they had some cardboard cutouts of gravestones and gave their daughter silly string to play around with and jump out to scare the neighborhood kids. She loved that.

Thus, the Restless Souls Walk-Through Haunt became an annual tradition. Their daughter brought her friends over, and they would continue to add new scares to the Haunt. It became a big community event where families brought their children to have a fun scary time. 

When asked about how many guests they get, Jennifer answered.

“Anywhere from 300 to 370,” she said. “The weather plays a big role. If it’s really warm out, we get families that will stay and go through multiple times.” 

While attending the Haunt, one can feel the Walkers’ passion for Halloween. Everything was meticulously placed and crafted. The entryway was lined with various Halloween decorations, such as a giant talking pumpkin they named Peter. Their group of actresses from the College of St. Benedict (dubbed their “ghosts”) were laughing, cheering and having a wonderful time. Many said the haunt was better than their college theater classes.

When the Haunt began, one could hear the screams of the unsuspecting victims from down the street. Many of the returning guests told the Newsleaders this year’s Haunt was “the scariest,” “the best one they had yet” and “that they improve every year.” 

Damien Hewson of St. Joseph described the event as “pure terror” and said his children loved it. He admitted he was the most scared while his children braved right through it.  

Brooke Schwartz of St. Joseph gave some comments to the Newsleaders.

“I couldn’t tell if the people were real or fake because the Halloween stuff is so realistic,” she said.

Her friend, Hazel Shocker, also of St. Joseph, chimed in.

“I don’t really do Halloween haunted houses, but this one was really fun,” she said.

Brooke Shwartz’s older sister, Natalie, agreed.

“That was really fun,” she said.

Lane McIntyre of St. Joseph has been attending the Halloween Haunt since he was a child.  He said the Haunt is his favorite of any trick-or-treating experiences. He loves what they’ve done with their garage and backyard. When he was young, he got really scared. However, since he is older now, it’s not as scary, but it’s still really fun, he noted. 

Alas, Halloween might have ended for 2023. Yet, the spirit of the holiday stays with Jennifer and Greg Walker year-round. They are already preparing and planning for their next terrifying, bone-chilling, blood-pumping Haunt. If you are looking for your next Halloween scare, you can find it at The Restless Souls Walk-Through Haunt.