A bowl of candy waits as reward to the brave souls who endure the frights of the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A bowl of candy waits as reward to the brave souls who endure the frights of the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Haunted Chamber reopens, offers free frights

The free community event started Friday and will run through Halloween

The Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center on Friday opened its Haunted Chamber for the second year in a row.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Samantha Springer said they were pretty excited for this year after last year’s turnout. She said this year they had more time to set up the space. “This year there’s definitely a better structure, so we won’t be fixing walls every day.”

She said there are more volunteers this year, “so more people to scare you, and just a different layout to try and mix it up.”

The free haunted house will run through Halloween.

Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be family friendly, but on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. the experience will have jump scares, flashing lights and frightening sounds.

On Friday’s opening day — one of those more “extreme” days — strange sounds crept around winding passageways inside the chamber. Figures jumped out of spaces in the walls and a presence lurked behind — fleeing from view when attendees turned around.

Springer said the Kenai Chamber of Commerce would like to make this an annual community event and hope people continue to enjoy it.

Reporter Jake Dye contributed to this story. Jonas Oyoumick is interning with the Peninsula Clarion through the Kenaitze Indian Tribe Daggeyi internship program.

A row of dolls fill one wall of the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A row of dolls fill one wall of the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A skeleton wrapped in cobwebs rests on the floor of the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A skeleton wrapped in cobwebs rests on the floor of the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

One frightening figure peers out from a doll house in the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

One frightening figure peers out from a doll house in the Haunted Chamber at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

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