Scary School Attracting Students In Record Numbers
RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) - It's a school many may be too afraid to attend. Instead of math and history they teach you the science of scaring people.
The scene is set. Get ready for a fright at Heartstoppers Haunted House and Scary U, the nation's only haunted school.
Joel Watson teaches high school students how to run a haunted house.
"Acting, makeup, there's power tools, electrical computer work," are all the things that go into a haunted house said Watson.
But doing haunted houses isn't like it was years before video games and movies. They have to use creative effects like animatronics to make it happen.
"Whatever they're interested in, we try to bring them out of their shell and into it," said Watson.
Fifteen-year-old Micah Onishi is part of this year's class.
"I thought it would be a nice opportunity to get some experience and do something I love to do," said Onishi.
What she loves is scaring people. Why?
"It's just addicting," said Onishi.
It's also empowering.
"As a normal female, I'm not very scary and people aren't intimidated by me," said Kaitlyn Foster. "Here I'm all powerful and men fall all over each other to get away from me, and it's amazing."
So far this year, they have record numbers over previous years.
"It's been busy. People love it," said Watson. "I think haunted houses tend to be a little more recession proof than other things. People just want an escape. They want to come out and have a good time."
There are only two more nights of haunting left. Heartstoppers is open Sunday from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and on Halloween night.
