Monsterland, a combination haunted house and horror film museum, will open along Main Street in Mesa this fall and will offer thrills and chills aplenty.
Monsterland co-owner Kevin Wynn says that while the attraction will debut in time for the kick off of the Halloween season on September 23, the plan is to keep it open year-round so horror buffs and monster lovers can get their fill long after the holiday has passed.
"We're not going to be one of those cheap haunted houses that's only open for four weeks and then shuts down for the rest of the year," he says.
Wynn adds that they'll change up the displays and monsters to fit the different seasons, like installing a rabid-looking Yeti head during the winter months.
He's also hoping to collaborate with Andrea Beesley-Brown and her nearby venue The Royale for special events.
Conceived by Wynn's daughter Breanna and her boyfriend Kyle Thompson (both of whom create monsters for local haunted houses via their special effects company Midnight Studios), Monsterland will feature a maze of themed rooms and environments, as well as a museum filled with props from horror flicks and statues of such slash film villains as Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street and Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
There's still plenty of work to be done before the grand opening, as Monsterland is nothing more than a cavernous room filled with construction material, welding equipment, and the barebones wooden framework for the haunted house.
Wynn, a local real estate developer, eagerly describes what patrons will experience come September while walking through the vacant Main Street location that will house the attraction. He strolls past various ghoulish goblins and demonic-looking statues that will be a part of Monsterland and are currently standing watch over thescene.
"This guy will be in the swamp scene that we're building right here," Wynn says. "We'll also have castle walls over there, and a bunch of spooky stuff that I'm gonna keep secret for now. Don't want spoil everything."
Monsterland is located at 18 West Main Street in Mesa. Click here for info.
