CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – You would think checking out spooky things during the daytime would be less scary, right? Think again.
News4JAX anchor Aaron Farrar visited one of Northeast Florida’s most beloved free haunted houses — Daniel’s Dungeon of Haunted Horrors.
Related: Daniel’s Dungeon returns: 3 nights of free haunted horrors | Jacksonville’s best haunted house: Daniels Dungeon of Haunted Horrors
Daniel’s Dungeons of Haunted Horrors is celebrating its 11th year of screams and scares and gave News4JAX a behind-the-scenes look at the haunted attraction which is attended by thousands of visitors each year.
This year, the three-day event will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, Halloween, and will end on Saturday, Nov. 2. It’s located in Clay County off Blanding Blvd at 729 Harrison Ave. in Orange Park.
Whether you like to be overly prepared or want to pump yourself up before you attend this incredible event, click the play button above for a sneak peek of this year’s haunted horrors!
Daniel Stokes, the creator and man behind the spooktacular experience, told News4JAX the haunted house has grown so large that they had to move it to a larger property in January. He said he began creating this year’s haunted house in August, and it takes two months to fully assemble. Then, between January and August, he is always shopping, looking for new inspiration for new rooms, and watching new scary movies to bring the fear out. This year, Stokes said he spent up to $10,000 to make it the best scare yet.
“I do it for the community,” Stokes told News4JAX. “I love it. I am crazy about it. Halloween is my thing. I like building things and showing them off. I love doing it for the community. I love doing it for free.”
This year, Daniel’s Dungeon of Haunted Horrors will feature 17 different themed rooms with around 35 scare actors working each night. There will be a DJ out front and people handing out candy on Halloween. Some movie themes eventgoers can expect this year are “The Ring,” “Friday the 13th,” “They Are All Here,” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” There will be dark rooms, lit rooms, and of course, jump scares!
And don’t forget, when you enter a room, you’re never alone.
Daniel said in 2021, 7,000 people showed up. In 2023 they recorded 5,000 attendees over the three days. He is hoping this year is the best one yet!