Set in the heart of the lush San Joaquin Valley where the landscape is dominated by green pastures filled with rows of grapes, Fresno may not seem like a particularly scary city on the surface. Look beyond the farmland, however, and you’ll find frightfully haunted attractions throughout the region -- not just during Halloween, but year-round.
Kearney Mansion is an ornate French Renaissance home built for Fresno’s resident millionaire, M. Theodore Kearney, at the turn of the 20th century. Nestled inside the 225-acre Kearney Park, the historic mansion is open for tours. Local legend states the area surrounding the home is haunted by the Kearney witch and those who cross the nearby railroad tracks at night will see her dressed all in white and motioning for cars to stop. There also are rumors that children can be heard laughing in the park late in the evening.
Based in downtown Fresno, Meux Home Museum is a lavish Victorian mansion built in 1888 that was home to Dr. Thomas Richard Meux. Costumed docents lead you on a tour throughout various rooms of the preserved home outfitted with antique furnishings. Much like Kearney Park, many have reported hearing the sounds of children’s laughter fill the home. Claims have been made that doorknobs throughout the house suddenly disappear during the night.
Wolfe Manor is in the town of Clovis, 10 minutes northeast of Fresno. Built as a private residence in 1922 for businessman Anthony Andriotti, the home experienced a series of tragic fates beginning with Andriotti dying at a young age. The manor soon became a sanitarium for everyone from the mentally ill to those with tuberculosis. The fact that the staff reportedly kept dead bodies in the basement until the proper authorities could remove them lead to the manor’s reputation as the city’s most haunted building. The sanitarium closed in 1992 but was set to reopen to the public in 1997 as a haunted house. It never happened, however, as workers made repeated claims that ghostly spirits physically harassed them. There also were reports that the Clovis Police Department received numerous 911 calls from the home even though it remained vacant. Although Wolfe Manor is closed, it remains a popular drive-by attraction for locals.
Hobb’s Grove is a haunted attraction in Sanger, 20 minutes southeast of Fresno, and set on open farmland. Separate tickets are required for all three haunted zones. Take a walk through the grove’s ghoulish forest filled with ghosts and goblins, make your way through a darkened haunted house and embark on a haunted hayride through scenes of horror. The site has a free area for those who wish to skip the haunted portion, where you can grab food from concession stands, warm yourself by the fire pit and enjoy entertainment by dancers and aerial performers. On the weekends, there’s a daytime pumpkin patch for kids. The attraction runs from early October through early November.
Raisin Hell Ranch in Madera is 25 miles north of Fresno. The attraction includes three walk-through corn mazes where haunted scarecrows and chupacabra, the fabled man-eating beast popular in Mexican culture, chase you. The event is open to the public from mid- through late October. Because of graphic images, the attraction advises against bringing children younger 12 into the cornfield.
