'Haunted Road on Rossburn Way' returns for spooktacular experience

For Chapel Hill resident Jon Baumler, during Halloween season, his house isn’t just a home; it is a bone-chilling and mysterious trail waiting for visitors to stumble across its path. Eerie blue and purple fluorescent lights shine upon the house at 304 Rossburn Way, with a “Beware” sign displayed in the window. 

The seasonal attraction took place this past Saturday and will occur again on Thursday, Oct. 31. The crew bringing the event to life is composed of scare actors from a range of ages, including approximately 30 teenage volunteers who live in the neighborhood. 

Baumler said that his plans for the haunted trail each year draw inspiration from trends and popular culture, specifically movies and shows. 

“I like to take that [approach] because it will be popular and people will relate to the different actors and everything they’re going to encounter in the show,” he said.

This year’s trail is a haunted funhouse, modeled after the horror movie “IT”. The setup includes classic distorted carnival mirrors to enhance the sinister experience for visitors. Some actors take on an animatronic persona, similar to what is portrayed in the popular film “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”

Scare actor Rob Morrison is taking on the head role for this year’s trail, starring as Pennywise the clown. He used YouTube videos as a reference tool to help him channel the character. 

“I learned his various laughs, starting low. I know that sometimes he can be very soothing, because he wants to get people to trust him, and then once they do, that’s the last thing they’ll remember,” he said while talking about recreating Pennywises’s iconic laugh. 

For Morrison, his involvement in the show also extends to his family. His daughter Sasha also partook in the event as an actor. 

Actor John Tompos, who is also Baumler’s father, took on the role of the carnival ringmaster, who hired some bad clowns that overtook his circus for the worst. He said that he was trying to add a little bit of comedy to enhance his performance for guests.

Tompos, although being recruited by his son to partake in the event, also finds lots of personal joy in the role he plays. He believes this event brings some much needed cheer to the surrounding community. 

“It’s a good feeling that I can be a part of this and help people have a good time. I think we’re all too serious sometimes, and I think you have to let things go and just suspend belief and have fun,” Tompos said. 

While the haunted trail definitely creates an unexpected thrill for guests, it is also family-friendly and accessible to young children. At a point in the middle of the trail, guests can choose to embark on a path with one of two different scare levels offered. The less scary path is more toned down and suitable to those with lower scare tolerances. 

The more frightening path, on the other hand, turns dark quickly. 

“It’s pretty evident right away, because the lights go away. There are just little flickering candles and at one point you’re just inside of a dark maze which is sort of Pennywise’s domain,” Baumler said.

The “Haunted Road” has been going strong for multiple years now. Baumler first started the event when he and his wife were living in Madison, Wisconsin, and recruited a couple of his neighbors to put on a show to entertain trick or treaters. 

Now, after many years, he sees the haunted trail as a valuable chance to use his creativity for good and give back. At the end of the trail this year, visitors have the chance to make donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The event's impact continues to grow each year. What ultimately started as an impromptu scare performance with friends flourished into a Halloween tradition that continues to bring great happiness to the surrounding community.

“It’s such a huge production, and it’s a labor of love.” Morrison said.

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