Halloween enthusiast packs decorations into Pueblo Mall for second-annual haunted house

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - It's more than just a packed attic. He's a horror collector from Pueblo, and for the second time, he's packed his own stock into a 4500 square foot space in the Pueblo Mall to open "The Funhouse Haunted House."

"Everyone here loves Halloween. They love haunted houses, and I think, most of all, we love to scare people," said The Funhouse Haunted House founder Jared Perea.

Perea has been collecting all things horror for about 15 years. A couple of years ago, he decided to start buying up more props and costumes to fulfill his dream of opening his own haunted house.

Perea said he's put thousands of dollars into building out the haunted house. In 2024, it was free and kid-friendly. Perea said he had to start charging this year to cover mall fees and other costs, like insurance. He said any money left over will go to his volunteer actors.

"We want to keep it cheap so you don't have to spend a lot of money to come into the haunted house," Perea said. "We don't cut corners on anything. We go from there, and we try to make it the best experience for the cheapest cost."

Perea said this year's haunted house is intended to give guests a good scare, but they will temper the jump scares if guests with children ask.

The haunted house is $8 a ticket online and $25 for a family of four. It's $12 at the door, but Perea said they will let guests buy online tickets while in line.

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