Mellen becomes 'Haunted Hotel' for Halloween

Friday, October 23, 2009

Senior Airman Erika Diaz uses paint to "gore up" a plastic skeleton for the haunted house.

For nearly 110 years, the Mellen Building hosted a variety of businesses for the Mountain Home community. It's housed a hotel, bank, various restaurants, post office, saloon, pool hall, grocery store, jewelry store barber shop and beauty salon. At one point, it even doubled as the city hall.

For two weeks starting Oct. 16, the Mellen Building at the corner of East 2nd and East Jackson streets has taken on a new life as volunteers transformed the upper floors of the former hotel into a haunted house.

The possibility the hotel is actually haunted is a bonus

Organized by volunteers from Mountain Home Air Force Base, the idea of turning the hotel into a haunted house grew out of a list of fund raising ideas proposed by squadron booster clubs. They opted to open one in town versus limiting themselves to the base in hopes of encouraging the entire Mountain Home community to come visit, said Tech. Sgt. Colette Roe, one of the people heading up the project.

The haunted house opened last week and will run until Oct. 31 with doors open to the public from 6-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Organizers offer a "toned down, no mask" haunted house from 2-5 p.m. each Saturday for youngster audiences before "ramping up" the full-scale scare for more adventuresome crowds.

Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children up to age 8 with paid adult admission.

See the Mountain Home News for the complete story.

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This could be fun in a spooky kind of way.

-- Posted by Beau on Fri, Oct 23, 2009, at 1:18 AM
I love haunted houses! And I love that there is now one in Mtn. Home so I can load up another 6 pack of kids and take them. Then I can take them all home to their Moms and Dads and let them deal with the sugar highs...heeeheeheee.... Bring it on!

Jessie

-- Posted by jessiemiller on Fri, Oct 23, 2009, at 8:24 AM
This sounds awesome. Last time I was at a haunted house though, someone was a little to "touchy - feely" and it kind of freaked me out. Maybe it was the ghosts.

-- Posted by highschoolmom on Fri, Oct 23, 2009, at 11:30 AM
I wenr to the hotel last weekend first with my 5 yr old son for a tuned down version. the went back a half hour later with 2 teenage girls we all had fun. it is even better when u tell the people the name of someone in ur party they make it a point to involve them as much as possible

-- Posted by tweety1207 on Fri, Oct 23, 2009, at 1:07 PM
Everyone involved did a fantastic job. I think my favorite room was the electrocution room. Definately something I'd like to see every year.

-- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Mon, Oct 26, 2009, at 9:32 AM

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