Burbank Man Works On His Scary Haunted House All Year Long
BURBANK (CBS) — The calendar might say Halloween is officially October 31, but for Preston Meyer of Burbank, every day is literally a reason to celebrate ghouls, ghosts and goblins.
For two decades, he has built his own haunted house on his front lawn and the mission...to try to top himself from the previous year.He works on the haunted houses a little by little each day until he achieves something that Knott's Scary Farm or Alfred Hitchcock would be proud to call their own.
As Edward Lawrence reports for KCAL9 and CBS2, this year Meyer had no trouble reaching new heights in gore and fright.
This year, Meyer's theme is a haunted space resort.
He tells Lawrence this is definitely a labor of love. "Sometimes you wonder if it's all worth it," he say, "then you get the first scream of the season and it's all okay."
All of the actors you see share in the passion. Some are friends, and some are...dare we say blood relatives, but when it comes right down to it, they, like Meyer love seeing the scared looks on people's faces.
Lawrence canvassed some of the early goers and, to a man, they raved. Said Wendy Hansen, "Amazing! It was really good!" Added Wendy Gunn, "They do go all out. They do go all out."
The haunted house project started as a birthday present for Meyer's daughter 21 years ago.
"It sounds odd," he says, matter of fact, "but it makes people happy to be scared."
The experience is free and open to the public. All Meyer asks if for a donation to help a Burbank charity, but it is not required.
The house (located on the 900 block of California Street in Burbank, between Verdugo and Magnolia, is open 7-9 p.m. Monday) costs Meyer thousands to build every year but his only concern is raising money for the charity and seeing all those people smile...or scream.
