By Dusti Lewars-Morton
The locals will tell the story to anyone willing to listen. “There used to be a haunted house, up in the Old El. It was great! And you left by going down a slide. Shame it’s gone.”
Dr. Dustin Morton, of Morton Family Chiropractic, heard those stories, noticed there were no local Halloween events, and started suggesting to the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce that maybe the community was ready for a little spooky fun. It took a few years of discussion, but this fall, the Chamber is sponsoring Morton’s haunted dream, with a goal of raising money for the Chamber.
Morton is no stranger to the world of haunted houses. For over a decade, he’s created Halloween attractions at his home, either in the yard or in his garage. The focus there has always been to be scary/creepy, not gory. “Blood is easy,” he says. “Creepy is more fun, and more appealing to a wider audience.”
David Krum has donated the use of the old Cole-Krum car dealership on Prairie Street. Morton and his wife have spent the past month designing, building, and painting a maze within a back bay of the property. Morton smiles. “We won’t have a slide, but we promise lots of surprises!”
The Chamber of Horrors will be open Oct. 25, 26, 31 and Nov. 1. Tickets are $5, or $4 if pre-purchased at select stores in Vicksburg. For more information, or to get involved, please visit
http://www.facebook.com/vicksburgchamberofhorrors.