Located on the outskirts of Eganville, one Ottawa Valley family is inviting fright fans to tour their haunted manor – if you dare.
Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor is becoming a popular attraction in the region this Halloween, promising a scary good time.
“On a scale of 1 to 10 for me? I’d put it on, eight and a half, nine, nine and a half level,” said Scott Rodden, one of the live actors within the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The frightening attraction is a homemade haunted house and maze at the home of Kelly and Robert Kumm.
“It’s so fun when we’re standing outside and we hear other people screaming and then laughing, and then they come out and they’re just like, ‘oh my God, that was great,'” said Kelly Kumm.
The couple say the idea started after years of hosting Halloween parties in the garage. Each year, the party became larger and more public.
“This year, we’re pretty much five times bigger than every other year,” said Kumm. “It’s pretty scary.”
The haunted walk takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Planning for each year’s event begins in the winter with construction starting in the spring.
The experience is free for all to enjoy. Donations are accepted and go directly to youth programs at the Bonnechere Union Public Library to help fund the cost of food, equipment and supplies.
“There just aren’t really a whole lot of youth-anything in Eganville,” said Candace Florent, Kumm’s daughter.
“So, it’s nice to give the library that for their program and help out, they do lots of nice stuff for them.”
“When they came to us not long after last year’s walk, they had this $500 cheque,” said Bee Stillar, program coordinator at the Bonnechere Union Public Library.
“So, it was really helpful for us to offset other costs that we don’t have funding for.”
Stillar says the program, which runs Wednesdays after school, provides a safe location for youth ages 9 to 12 to enjoy, with between 20 to 40 kids attending each week.
“There are no community centers in our area, so we are the sole provider for these kinds of programs for children of that age group,” said Stillar.
The attraction is only open for the two weekends leading up to Halloween this year.
A kids haunt will take place Saturday, Oct. 26 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free hot dogs and water are available afterwards.
Adult haunts will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 19, 25 and 26.
The Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor is located at 978 Minnie Road, Eganville.