Arlington haunted house closes after permit denied at 85% completion
New building and fire codes forced the Murray family to end their 11-year tradition before Halloween, leaving most props to be donated to a nearby attraction.
By Amelia Gupta ·
Visitors to Arlington, Washington, lost a local Halloween tradition this year when the Arlington Community Haunted House failed to obtain a required permit. The closure happened just weeks before the planned October 1 opening date, leaving the site incomplete and closed to the public for the first time in a decade.
Jackie Murray and her father, Brian Murray, have operated the attraction in their backyard since 2015. The event started as a family activity but expanded significantly after they paused operations during the pandemic in 2022. Volunteers helped build the maze, which was 85% complete when code enforcement sent an email notifying the family that their permit had been denied.
Jackie Murray stated that she met with officials in person to understand the denial. She explained that building and fire codes had been updated to require amusement structures to adhere to specific building standards. The family determined they could not afford the necessary updates to meet the new requirements.
"It was really tough, I tried to be strong," Jackie Murray said. "I walked to my car and went on a drive, and I cried because I knew I had to tell all my volunteers."
The family decided to end the tradition rather than continue with an incomplete structure. Instead of discarding the set, Jackie Murray contacted Terror for a Cause: Stanwood's Haunted Experience. The Stanwood-based attraction adopted many of the props from the Arlington site. Those props are currently available for visitors at the fairgrounds, where the experience operates on Fridays and Saturdays.
Brian Murray noted that the 2026 theme involved a circus setup near a nuclear reactor that melted down, resulting in a troop of radioactive clowns. Although the physical structure is gone, the family plans to continue the community connection in other ways. "It wasn’t ever about a haunted house," Jackie Murray said. "It was about bringing people together."
The Arlington Community Haunted House will not return this year. The Murray family said they are grateful for the relationships built over the past 11 years and have secured a new home for their decorations in Stanwood.
