The town of Ellensburg is no stranger to festivity and every year in late October locals and students alike are treated to Haunting Ellensburg. The main event, Hellburg, is a haunted house course with a western theme. The course makes guests feel as though they have stepped into the Old West because of the authenticity of the make-up, the scripts that the actors follow and the fairgrounds general atmosphere. According to the press release provided by Haunting Ellensburg, director Eric Slyter feels confident that this year’s Haunting Ellensburg is the best one yet.

“We have an all- new story and all -new scares for those who came last year. This year has to do with mining, but I can’t tell you anything more than that or it might spoil the surprise,” Slyter said.

Though Hellburg officially runs from 6-10 p.m., the first hour is more toned down for younger viewers; for more mature viewers, 7 p.m. is when they can expect to start to get the full scare experience.  The Boneyard Barn is also open for visitors, this attraction is an all-ages alternative to the creepy Hellburg and is located directly next to Hellburg and runs for the same hours.

While Hellburg set out to scare, it seemed as though every face leaving out the back exit had a smile on it. The immersive course also encourages interaction with the scenery, and—to not give too much away—and gifts guests with a souvenir for the road. Brianne Drury, a 19-year-old law and justice major and survivor of Hellburg, said one of Hellburg’s best features was its attention to storytelling.

“I thought it was just going to be people popping out but it was more of going into places and kind of meeting the people in the village,” Drury said.

Slyter suggested that there was huge emphasis on storytelling and on making the experience immersive.

“The goal is to create an immersive environment which our guests will never forget, rather than yet another clown or guy in a rubber mask with a chainsaw,” Slyter said.