The Small Business Spotlight: Waco Haunted Houses

In this "Small Business Spotlight," presented by American Bank, Austin Meek of Waco Business News highlights Danea Anderson of Waco Haunted Houses.

Danea Anderson, known during scaring season as Frenzy Rigor Mortis, operates the Waco Haunted Houses in Elm Mott. This year marks the 30th year in business for Danea and her husband, John. Photo by The Waco Tribune-Herald.

Enough cash changes hands every September and October that Waco Haunted Houses in Elm Mott can stay that way 10 months out of the year - seemingly abandoned, harrowing from the outside, skeletons hanging on light poles and roof trusses.

But for Danea Anderson and her husband, Tom, whose first date at a haunted house went so well they decided to open their own together 30 years ago, the scares are just part of the story.

"My name is Danea Anderson but I go by ‘Frenzy Rigor Mortis, Curator of the Museum of Horrors.’”

Dana and Tom always loved the outré and when property came available in Elm Mott in the early 90s, they decided to make their hobby a business that they'd expand incrementally.

"We built as we could afford to build and we got that building and we had this one open and then a few years later we got a deal on a Quonset hut and we put this one together."

Three decades of work have transformed their property into a Lycan lovers paradise. Employees dressed as vampires, ghouls, and goblins shuffle thrill seekers in between two buildings.

The Dead Zone, originally known as the Museum of Horrors, features movie monsters and zombies, and is tame in comparison to the second venue known as the Texas Chainsaw Nightmare.

Scare seekers queue to buy $22 tickets to the top haunted house in Central Texas.

"This one in here is real intense and it gets the adrenaline going since they’re chasing you with chainsaws.”

Ah, yes. My favorite way to spend an evening: stalked by a lunatic with power tools. I'm not the only one who thinks this is crazy.

"My best friend forced me. We want to have fun...come on!"

Dana said people of all ages love Waco Haunted Houses for the controlled chaos it provides.

"We're not really going to hurt anybody but it gets the adrenaline going. You know, a lot of people bring friends out so they can watch them get scared."

Attendees are required to wear masks and enter the houses in small groups that keep parties separate to avoid the transmission of Covid-19.

"There is a monster out there and we’re trying to keep everybody away from it."

The only monsters Dana hopes to see every year are her employees, usually a smattering of young people with a taste for the macabre. The unique environment provides scare-lovers with an occupation they'll never forget.

"I have such great people each year that come out and do the monstering for me. And I’ve had so many of them tell me that, later on, that it really gave them a sense of being part of something bigger and that it impacted their lives. So that’s what I always try to tell them. You’ll always have a story to tell, no matter if you’re in a nursing home and you’re 90 years old. Somebody will say something and you’ll say, ‘You know, I worked at a haunted house one time and I made someone pee on the floor.’"

Incontinent or not, Waco Haunted Houses welcomes any guest through Halloween night. If you're in a giving mood, visit this Saturday and donate a pint of blood to Carter Blood Care to get free admission and a t-shirt.

The Small Business Spotlight is presented by American Bank with three locations in town including an expanded branch at Franklin and 4th.

This "Small Business Spotlight,” co-produced by Waco Business News and KWBU, first aired on Friday, October 16, 2020, in Episode 92 of Downtown Depot on 103.3 KWBU-FM Waco.