Niles Scream Park welcomes 1 millionth visitor
Published 8:21 am Friday, October 16, 2015
Submitted photo
Lori Keller is pictured with the prize package she received for being the millionth patron at the Niles Haunted House. Pictured in the front row from left are (Snowball, Lori Keller and the Doll. In the back from left are Lunar the Hellhound, Dr. Fear, Chase Keller, Alexandra Keller, Death, Scott Keller and Svenghouli.
The board of directors for the Niles Scream Park recently announced that the attraction known as the Niles Haunted House welcomed visitor number 1,000,000 on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015. The lucky individual is Lori Keller of LaPorte, Indiana. As a result of her good fortune, she received a special “ghost pack” from the Niles Scream Park.
Lori was visiting the Scream Park with her husband Scott and their children Chase and Alexandra. They have been coming to the Scream Park for more than 10 years. When they attended New Prairie High School, Chase and Alexandra attended the park’s media nights and wrote stories for the school paper.
This weekend while on their college fall breaks, they came home to visit their parents and attend the Scream Park together. Later in the season they plan to come back to enjoy the Park with their friends.
The Niles Haunted House is the original attraction at the Niles Scream Park (once known as the Niles Haunted House Scream Park). Opened originally in the early 1970s by the Niles Jaycees, the Niles Haunted House has been located at several locations, including the Carnegie Library in downtown Niles, in a couple of semi-trailers on a vacant lot, in “Barbara Jeans Restaurant,” in the “mushroom factory” and in the Old Bell School building.
In 1998, the Niles Haunted House relocated to its present location on Mayflower Road. A hayride was added the first year at that location and in the next couple years, other side attractions were added that have developed into the two interior haunted houses and Field of Screams currently operating on the site. The Niles Haunted House, however, remains the feature attraction of the Scream Park.
Given its long history, it will be a long time before any other attraction at the Scream Park reaches the remarkable milestone of welcoming one million visitors.
The Scream Park is open weekends until Oct 31, plus Thursday, Oct. 29. A special “Black Out” event on Saturday, Nov. 7, will feature the three haunted house attractions with no lights and the Field of Screams.
The Scream Park is located on Mayflower Road in Niles. The Park easily is accessed by taking Exit 5 (Niles-Buchanan Road) from the US 31 Expressway.
For more information call (269) 687-FEAR or check out the website at www.haunted.org.
