For Halloween 2020, one Long Beach family wasn’t going to let a global pandemic stop them from having a spooky good time.
The Duck family went all out decorating their home to look like a haunted 1930s-style mansion, and set up a contactless candy station out front for the kids who were missing out on trick-or-treating.
Each year, this family-run community attraction in the Los Altos South neighborhood brings in hundreds of visitors and even more donations.
Robert Duck wanted to make use of the increased foot traffic the newly dubbed “Fairbrook Manor” was attracting. He asked visitors to donate cash, canned goods and toiletries for the Long Beach Rescue Mission.
In 2020, Fairbrook Manor collected one barrel of food for the rescue mission. Last year, the haunted house collected 12 barrels of food and $4,000.
“Our goal now is always to exceed last year’s donation, we never want to go backward in that sense,” Robert said. “We want to keep donations going, and keep meeting or exceeding that every year.”
Fairbrook Manor received an enthusiastic response from the local community, and over the following years began to attract people from neighboring cities. Robert said that last year, visitors traveled from as far as the San Fernando Valley to see the haunted house.
“What’s funny is most people associate Christmas with togetherness and community more,” Robert said. “But you’d be surprised even for something like this we get an amazing response from the neighbors, the kids of the community.”
Planning Fairbrook Manor is a year-round activity. Robert said he starts hunting for props at estate sales as early as January.
Each year, the Duck family plans a new storyline for the haunted house attraction, and a new layout that keeps things fresh for visitors who have kept returning over the past three years.
It takes between 25 to 30 volunteers to put Fairbrook Manor together, Robert said. Volunteers help guide people outside the haunted house, or play the scary cast of frightening characters visitors meet as they walk through the house, dressed in bridal veils, creepy baby-faced masks or holding haunted-looking dolls.
Visitors can expect scary costumed characters to interact with them while they wait in line, as well as multiple jump scares once they enter. However, no one has to worry about getting chased by actors once they’re inside.
There isn’t a set minimum age limit to enter Fairbrook Manor, but Robert said parents should use discretion when deciding whether to let their young children walk through the haunted house. Parents should expect scary music, lights and jump scares
For the more nervous young visitors ages 9 and under, special “bravery torches” (glowsticks) will be available. Children can wield the “bravery torches” to silence cast members when they get scared.
“Ten and up, you got to go in on your own,” Robert said. “Last year we had a lot of moms, a lot of adults asking for them.”
Fairbrook Manor is located at 5426 E Fairbrook St., and will be open from Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 27-29 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The house will be open for non-scary daytime tours on Oct. 29 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and will only be on display for Halloween on Oct. 31, with no tours or walkthroughs.
Admission costs $5 per person, with all funds benefiting the Long Beach Rescue Mission. Attendees are also highly encouraged to bring canned goods and toiletries to donate.
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