A home in the tiny Metro Vancouver village of Anmore has made its annual transformation into a creepy haunted house. And scream fans will want to visit before it closes forever.
Ken Honigman and Lilija Lavoie are the founders of Anmore Manor, an award-winning scare destination found at 1151 Robin Way.
This Halloween is the final year for the Halloween attraction, and the creators are ready to go out with a bang with all of their fans.
“We held a Halloween party for our friends and family about 13 years ago,” explained Honigman. “Me and Lilija have both love Halloween so much, and people that came here were in awe of how we decorated. Then she gave me the challenge and said, ‘We can do better.’
“And so every year since then, we just kept growing and outdoing ourselves. Eight years ago is when we really started opening it up to everybody and began raising funds for our charity of choice, Share Society Food Bank.”
Last year, generous visitors helped Anmore Manor raise over $18,000, and the goal is to smash that total this Halloween season.
Anmore Manor/Facebook
The remarkable haunted house was built by hand and takes two and a half months to set up and a full month to tear down.
“Realistically, we’re working on Anmore Manor all year round,” said Lavoie. “With the planning stages, building new set design, gathering new props. It’s Halloween 24/7 in this house.
“We have a full boo crew of people that’s accumulated over over the years to help us. They’re loyal, have a passion for Halloween, and love giving back to the community.”
Anmore Manor/Facebook
Honigman shared that the reason why Anmore Manor is closing after this Halloween is so that he can focus on his new spooky role of being partner and art director of the new Surrey haunting destination, Dreadworks.
“That has taken up all of my spare time. I have a full-time job, I’m also a volunteer firefighter, and Lilija also works full-time. So, to be fair to us and the community, we want to go out on a good high note before it, like any event, gets too big for its size.”
Anmore Manor/Facebook
Fans are grateful that the haunted house is open for a final season so they can say goodbye, driving in from as far away as Portland and Kamloops for the screams. And the founders are excited to welcome them.
“We want to say a really big thank you to the community, everybody that comes and allows us to be created and have a lot of fun,” said Lavoie. “And thank you for the donations that we’ve collected over the years for the food bank.”
When: October 25, 26, 27 and 31, 2024
Time: 7 to 10:45 pm (October 25 and 26), 7 to 10:30 pm (October 27), 7 to 10 pm (October 31)
Where: 1151 Robin Way, Anmore
Tickets: General entry into the manor is a cash donation of $15 per person to the Share Society Food Bank