Dunbar Haunted House

Kudos to the staff and planning/​organizing committee of the Dunbar Haunted House. For the past three years, I had the opportunity and privilege of experiencing this haunted house and I was never disappointed. My only disappointment is finding out that these folks won’t be continuing to scare the locals after this year.
If the Dunbar Haunted House returns for the 11^th year, I will certainly be there. I just can’t say ‘no’ to the layout, thought, and artistic splendour of this place!
For future reference (and this only applies if there’s another Dunbar Haunted House next year), SHOW UP EARLY if you intend to visit during the evening. My girlfriend and I waited in line for 2.5 hours even though we arrived right at 7pm (the time the live actors usually suit up).

I love anything spooky/​scary and the Dunbar Haunted House did not disappoint. I left with a sore throat from all the screaming and am quite convinced my heart came out of my chest more than once. Will be sad to see this place shut down.

#30DaysOfYelp: ²³⁄₃₀
Aiyeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
This was the sound I made through ALL THE ROOMS.
Even though this was my 2^nd time (I also went last year), I got freaked out a lot. But not enough to chicken out. We went with a couple of friends & we decided to preemptively scream as we stepped through… which was a bad idea because it got me all worked up about what was going to happen, making me jump even higher! It was hilarious to see some of the actors interacting with us standing in line outside & watching people come out the exit freaked out, forgetting that the actors are still there, waiting to surprise them.
This years theme was «The Daily Grime», based on general stories you’d see in a newspaper. So you’d walk through each room, and there were themes on Health Care, Education, Business, Law & Order, Science & Tech, and Entertainment. The freakiest room for me had dry ice and hanging butchershop meat that you had to walk through… eeeee! The production value is awesome. I won’t ruin all the surprises though, you’ll have to see it for yourself.
Make sure you go NOW though, because as we get closer to Hallowe’en, the lines will only get longer and longer! I went on a Tuesday evening at around 8, and we ended up standing in line for just 30 mins. It started raining, and there is a part of the line that is under cover, but the rest of it is not. Someone came out with a bucket of umbrellas, though… that was nice! Last year, we went on Hallowe’en night & the line up was like 2 hours! In the cold! Dress warmly! Also, there is some parking, but it’ll fill up on the busy nights… walking from the Marine Drive Canada Line station kinda stinks, so maybe carpool? Bike?
This haunted house is so well done and seriously planned out to maximize scariness! Highly recommend! The fact that 100% of the proceeds go to charity & is put on by volunteers and families is the icing on the cake.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year ;) I love Hallowe’en. While most people complain about the gloom and early evenings, I thrive on the darkness and love the fog. What could be better than a fantastic haunted house to pair with the holiday?
This is my fourth year in going to the haunt. It started as a haunt in their own home on Dunbar south of Marine. I was fortunate enough to see them put on a show for two years there. And man did it get busy; people would literally be lined up for blocks and for up to two hours to get a spook put into them. Is the wait worth it? F yes! They manage the crowds well with having live actors outside of the haunt to keep people entertained and the sad duty of turning people away late at night if the queue is too big to finish before shutting their doors.
It still gets just as busy at their new location under the Oak street bridge on the Vancouver side. They’ve acquired a warehouse that they occupy year round but only open up for the last couple of weeks on October. They’ve also ramped up from being by donation at their home to $ 10 entry at the warehouse. All the money goes to charity; it’s refreshing to see that there are others just as demented as me and love Hallowe’en even more than I do.
The lineups are bigger later at night and closer to Hallowe’en. Weekends and Hallowe’en proper are big nights too. Arriving before 7pm on a weeknight will give you a great chance at getting in quick. Subscribe to their Twitter feed to get updates on the line. Once you get up to the front and pay, they will delay you a few minutes. The intent is to have a party go through, get spooked, and let the actors reset before the next set of victims come through.
When you’re in, you wander through 15ish small rooms that are separated by curtains. Each has it’s own theme, actors, sounds effects, and lighting. There are also chicken out exits every few rooms so you can run away if the spooks are too intense. Keep in mind that they do keep a tally and the actors fully intend to scare you until you pee. Even though this is all put together by volunteer efforts, it has a professional, yet non-​commercial, feel to it. It’s so inspirational, that every time I’ve been to the haunt, I try to figure out how I can get out of work to volunteer here.
Last year they had portable toilets available for guests, but they weren’t on site this year when I went. Not a huge deal as it wasn’t an issue for me, but it would be nice if they were brought back for the times they have long lines. I think it would also be awesome if they could partner up with a couple of food trucks.
I definitely love this place and look forward to it every year. Hopefully, this year will be the first year that I’ll be hitting it more than once in a season. No matter how many times I hit it up this year, I’ll also be coming in future years too.

My best friend e-​mailed a link a week prior from the Georgia Straight about the haunted house. It was by my house and seemed like a fun Halloween thing to do. I didn’t know exactly what it was until I got there as I didn’t have time during my lunch to really explore their extensive website.
The walk there in the dark in the rain was a horror trek in itself, very spooky which set the tone. There are well visible signs around. Even someone as geographically stupid such as myself was able to find the place.
It is a haunted house with some serious detail and imagination. I could tell that a lot of work went into this house on more than one levels. Walk through slowly so that you can take everything in, the detail is just that amazing. I am a fan of horror movies, therefore, this was a perfect homage.
I thought that this was a Halloween display more than a haunted house and the charity angle made me want to do this. The props weren’t your cheesy community center props but more on the line of movie prop style… very well
all honesty from what other friends who have been to this and the Fright Nights, this house is up there in terms of quality if not more or better.
The house is fun, however, like Meana who accompanied me to the house, I cannot comment on the age appropriateness of the house. Depending on age, some might find it a bit much. If you love horror movies and well done houses, this is a must see.
The admission is extremely reasonable at $ 10 on the week nights and $ 5 on the weekends.

A friend of mine mentioned the Dunbar Haunted House as a fun activity we could check out. I read up on their website about how this tradition started out at a local residence and has grown over the years to a major production housed in a warehouse that generates a lot of money for charity. What an amazing and different way to give back to the community and have fun while at it!
We took public transit to get here and there were clearly marked signs pointing us in the right direction. The short walk through the back streets to reach the haunted warehouse was a little spooky in itself. We came on a rainy Monday night during the first week, so there wasn’t a line up. Friendly staff greeted us and chatted a little bit about what to expect.
The warehouse was set up into about 10 – 12 themed rooms that you walk through a narrow hallway/​walkway in and out of each one. Haunting music and sound effects accompany you throughout your journey while you wander in amazement through a visual wonderland. Each room has some sort of spook effect that jumps out at you slightly, whether a prop that comes to life through animatics or one of the many staff that might just reach out for you from the set or creep up behind you. They definitely will startle you, but it wasn’t over the top scary. Heck, I went through by myself! I was loving it. Each time I was caught up really checking out the scenery and props, I felt a little creeped out by the fact that I was all alone and at any moment, someone or something could jump out at me. I can admit that I never screamed although I did throw up some fists up in defensive mode a couple of times ready to deck one of the ghouls and goblins! Part of the fun is trying to figure out which ones are props and which ones are humans in costume. It was that well done.
There were some rooms that were just beyond amazing. The amount of detail, the amount of time, the amount of PASSION that went into building this is fascinating to me. I am in absolute awe of the team of people who put this experience together. It’s truly an awe-​inspiring haunted house unlike any other I’ve ever seen.
Because it wasn’t a busy night, my friend and I were so lucky to be taken on a behind-​the-​scenes tour through the experience after my first walk-​through. With staff accompanying us as observers, we got to really take in some of the scenery in a different light — without the perpetually looming fright. I got to appreciate once again just how creepy and macabre the props were. We were also given a glimpse of the behind-​the-​scenes effort that it takes to put on such a production as we were taken into the staff-​only area where all the costumes, masks, and backup props were. This is where the volunteers come to set up for each night which — as it grows closer to Halloween — only becomes more and more busy as the event becomes more popular and the lineups get longer.
Whatever you do – GO TO THE DUNBAR HAUNTED HOUSE. You will not regret it. It is not a waste of time or money. It’s such a fun experience and a great laugh (or scream). I can’t advise on age appropriateness since I’m not a parent, but man, I would have loved this as a kid. And I loved it as an adult.
In 2011, they raised $ 67,000 for charities. Tickets are $ 5 or $ 10 depending on age and what time you’re attending. Check their website for days/​hours and more info. Whatever you do, GO. Get spooked. Have fun!

All I can say is: WOW. This haunted house is freaken crazy! Sooo well done. We’re not talking about gay pop-​up ghosts or eyeball grapes here… this house is stocked with the most amazing, movie-​quality props I’ve ever seen. I was beyond impressed with everything. The theme this year is «History of Terror». The tour takes you through the Hillbilly Slaughter House, the Renaissance, the Plague, Apocalypse Now, etc.
Had it not been for the long ass line behind me, I’d like to linger through the rooms and take my time admiring their work. Word of advice: come early! Expect a long wait, dress for cold and rain, bring a thermos filled with hot chocolate & Baileys, and last but not least: donate donate donate!
Major props goes to the Dunbar Haunted House!

I went on Wednesday night and I’m going again tonight.
What an amazing haunted house! The volunteers, actors and decorations are all top notch. They work really hard to keep everyone safe and entertained.
It’s a scary haunted house, so if you’re a chicken shit or you have kids I would go before 6:30.
They accept donations for the Christmas Bureau and the Fighter Fighters Fund but when I was there on Wednesday I saw many, many people pass by the collection boxes without even giving some spare change. C’mon people!

These people go to some serious Halloween extreme to open their house for this seasonal event. I can’t even imagine how many hours it takes for them to put all of the lights, smoke machines, and decorations to get this place ready.
This is pretty much the best haunted house in Vancouver, and all of the proceeds go to charity, so the people who live here put this on by donating all of their time and effort for FREE. That is passion for Halloween, and you can tell they love this holiday more than anything. I visited the house last year on a cold day a few weeks prior to Halloween so there was literally no lineup, because I had heard that the closer it gets to Halloween the crazier the lines get.
Do yourself a favour, and pile up the car with the kids and take them to this house and watch them cry their hearts out. They’ll thank you in the end, after you change their underpants.

This is a must to-​do things of Halloween in Vancouver.
After reaing about it in the local newspaper, I had to check it out.
Their website had some pretty interesting pics and videos.
It is not a business actually, Entry is free and donations are accepted to benefit numerous local charities like Vancouver Burns Fund and VPD etc last year they raised 30,000 $. This is arranged in their own home and is quite an undertaking.
So i went today and the Lineup was HUGE in pouring rain !! we had to queue up for almost an hour, while some nasty Ghouls, evil clowns and dead monstosities kept visiting us to keep things Alive… huh? talk about Irony: P
But the heavy rain didnt dampen the people’s spirits as the queue was almost a block long. Inside the haunts were really well laid out and played by the actors. Live actors are from 6:30Pm onwards. Runs from October 15^th — October 31^st
Cant imagine there isnt a Ticket to this even as the 10 minute ride is well worth the penny. Make sure to leave some donation for the charity as that is the sole reason, the organisers spend so much effort into arranging and making this house haunted. Wish the weather was nicer but no complaints against any of those ugly zombies or what nots for making everyone scream like scared little girls.