Inside Scarizona Scaregrounds
Arizona's Favorite Place of Fear is a family-owned haunted house in Mesa, minutes from Phoenix. Over two decades of October seasons, built and staffed in-house like a production you walk straight into.
Family-owned in Mesa · 20+ October seasons · 2024 Highest Rated Cast
Recognition
What the Industry Says
Highest Rated Cast in the Southwest
The Scare Factor · 2024 haunt season
“Scarizona serving up spooky fun”
AZFamily 3TV · Broadcast segment
Our Story
A Longtime Haunted House in Mesa
Scarizona Scaregrounds has terrified Arizona for over two decades, a family-owned tradition on Alma School Road that thrill-seekers put on their annual tour every October. It has outlasted the fly-by-night haunts for a simple reason: it is built like a production, with the cast, the set, and the effects made in-house and restaged every year.
The cast, the set, the special-effects makeup, and the intellectual property are all ours, produced in-house. Every year the show is redesigned and reimagined, which is why the scares hold up to what you saw online and why fans keep coming back for the next season.
“As a beloved family-owned tradition, we delight in conjuring up new ways to immerse you in the Halloween spirit. Our wicked minds have redesigned and reimagined our attractions, promising a frightfully fun experience like never before.”
Why We're Different
What Only Happens at Scarizona
Three Haunts, One Price
One timed-entry ticket walks you through all three flagship haunts (Mayhem in Madness, Startled Darkness, and Dr. Death ICU) with free parking included. One price at the box office covers every house.
An Award-Winning Cast
The 2024 Highest Rated Cast Award (Southwest) from The Scare Factor, a 9.0/10 cast score inside an 8.35/10 overall review. A real, in-character cast that hunts you through the dark.
Single-Artist SFX Makeup
Hand-crafted special-effects makeup built one face at a time, on an immersive post-apocalyptic gravel-lot set with roaming midway characters. The look holds up to what you saw online.
Built In-House
The set, the cast, the effects, and the intellectual property are all ours, produced in-house. This is a haunt run like a production, rebuilt and restaged every October season.
Who Runs It
Leadership
Allen Thompson
Director of Operations
Allen Thompson runs Scarizona Scaregrounds as Director of Operations, steering a family-owned Mesa haunt that has drawn thrill-seekers to its October seasons for over two decades.
Madison
Director of Strategic Operations & Administration
Madison keeps Scarizona running as Director of Strategic Operations and Administration, a decade deep in the haunt and the person who turns October’s chaos into a plan that holds.
Karlye Guerra
General Manager
Karlye Guerra is Scarizona’s General Manager, three seasons in and the steady hand on nightly operations from the box office to the last scare.
Maddox
Production Manager & Tech Specialist
Maddox is Scarizona’s Production Manager and Tech Specialist, eight years of making the animatronics, lighting, and effects fire on cue.
Jennifer Whinney
Attraction Manager
Jennifer Whinney is an Attraction Manager at Scarizona, eight seasons deep and responsible for the cast and pacing inside the haunts.
Evan Johnson
Assistant Attraction Manager
Evan Johnson is Scarizona’s Assistant Attraction Manager, a technical-theatre background put to work backstage in the haunts.
Krista Dale
Special FX Specialist
Krista Dale is Scarizona’s Special FX Specialist, five years of hand-built, single-artist SFX makeup on the award-winning cast.
Natalie Morris
Costuming & Creative Design
Natalie Morris leads Costuming and Creative Design at Scarizona, four years dressing the cast in pieces she builds by hand.
Zach Lane
Videographer & Media Specialist
Zach Lane is Scarizona’s Videographer and Media Specialist, three years capturing the haunt for everyone who has not walked it yet.
The Cast
The People Behind the Screams
A large, committed cast works every corner of the set in character, their faces built one at a time in single-artist SFX makeup. When October ends they do not disappear. They become the Scream Team, the seasonal cast and crew who rebuild the haunt for the next year.
Who It's For
Come If You Want to Actually Scream
- Thrill-seeking adults who want scares that actually hunt them through the dark.
- Groups and coworker outings splitting one simple price instead of per-house math.
- Superfans back for the next level: Blackout Night, Media Night, the Reapers Program.
- First-timers who want the intensity named straight before they buy.
This is a serious, high-intensity haunt. Our published guest guidance recommends it for ages 12 and up, and it is not built as a kids' or family-fun event.
Survivor Reviews
What Guests Say After
To my haunted house-loving friends, this was the coolest, most impressive haunted house experience I’ve ever enjoyed! They really went above and beyond, the actors were great! The setups impressive, the haunts wandering through the lines were so fun…5+ stars! Totally recommend Scarizona! I haven’t laughed like that in a long time… I don’t think I’ve screamed like that ever!
Scary but fun! The haunted house was full of monsters, zombies and ghouls. The zombies kept haunting me throughout and I have not yet taken it out of my mind.
Come Meet Us in the Dark
Over two decades of October seasons, three haunts on one price, free parking, and a cast that hunts. Pick your night and come see why fans put us on their annual list.
Family-owned in Mesa · 2024 Highest Rated Cast (Southwest)