One family is bringing huge scares to the hi-desert this Halloween.
The Dudra family has a history with Halloween. The Dudra brothers Jason and Phillip, and Phillip’s wife Judi have turned the yard of their home on Hanford Ave. in Yucca Valley into a haunted maze that will strike genuine terror into those who dare enter.
Judi Dudra explains the origins, “Well we’ve been doing it for the last twenty years, because my husband’s mom started the whole thing in LA. They moved here in 1995 and then she started doing it small in her yard. in 2018, she passed so we wanted to take it on, and keep her legacy going. Every year it gets bigger and bigger.”
The Dudra’s took me through their elaborate maze in the bright sunshine of the afternoon, and I was very nervous. I was amazed at the hard work and creativity that went into rooms and corridors featuring a vortex, haunted dolls, animatronics, hydraulics, and even a Stranger Things themed courtyard blasting Kate Bush. Bloody props, giant moving monsters, and eerie sound effects and special features fill the winding corridors built into an otherwise typical Yucca Valley backyard.
Even without the darkness, lighting effects or actors jumping out of hidden corners, I was quite startled and even jumped off the ground at a few key parts of the maze.
Phillip Dudra explained that he wanted to bring Halloween events in the vein of Knotts Scary Farm to the hi-desert, saying that many kids in our community couldn’t afford to go to big ticket Halloween events, and he was one of them. He’s thrilled to bring a proffesional level, fun, and absolutely scary haunted house experience to everyone in the hi-desert.
“It takes them about 3 months to get it together, and every year it gets bigger. It’s free but we accept donations and money goes to next year’s event. It’s how we are able to keep on building.”
The Dudra’s said they couldn’t do what they do without help from friends and family. You can experience the results of their hard work and visit the haunted house tonight at 7041 Hanford Ave in Yucca Valley. Little ones are invited to a toned down version of the house starting at 5 p.m., but once the sun goes down, expect a more frightening experience until 8:30 p.m.
If you miss it tonight, the Dudra’s haunted house will be open again Saturday night.
