- December 20, 2024
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Driver Engineer Chris Cottle with Hall of Terror attendees. Courtesy of PCFD
Hall of Terror volunteers and attendees. Courtesy of the PCFD
Lt. Kalin Graham screams at the sight of Fire Police Officer Kyle Willard dressed in costume for the Hall of Terror. Courtesy of PCFD
Driver Engineer Chris Cottle attempts to scare a dog in line at the Hall of Terror. Courtesy of the PCFD
The Hall of Terror saw over 5,000 attendees across Oct. 30 and 31. Courtesy of the PCFD
The 2024 PCFD Hall of Terror volunteers. Courtesy of Palm Coast
Palm Coast's Fire Department had "horror"-ific success with its 23rd annual Hall of Terror haunted house.
Over 5,000 people braved the fire department's event, which was themed "Greatest Slashers of All Time." Boo Master and PCFD Lt. Dan Driscoll said the goal is always to make the Hall of Terror better every year.
"The fun thing with horror is it's very similar to the fire department, right? As much as is times change, a lot of things kind of stay the same," Driscoll said. "Stuff that was scary 100 years ago is still kind of scary — you know, the monsters under your bed, the creepy people down the street, whatever it is."
This year's haunted house highlighted horror's iconic movies from the last 50 years — including scenes from the movies "Scream," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Psycho," "Terrifier," "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Child's Play" and "Friday the 13th," according to a city press release. Driscoll, who has been the Boo Master in charge of Hall of Terror for 12 years, said that as much as the department tries to keep it fresh every year, much of what scares people stays the same.
Most attendees only had to wait about an hour in line, Driscoll said. The haunted house is run by PCFD and city volunteers.
New this year, the PCFD included a sensory-friendly walkthrough from 6-7 p.m. each night, ahead of the full event.
"The low-sensory [hour] was definitely one of my favorite things that we got to do this year, because we got to reach a broader audience," Driscoll said.
Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill extended heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers, members of the Palm Coast Fire Department, and the City of Palm Coast team for their hard work in creating another memorable Hall of Terror.
“We love how this event continues to grow each year. We’re grateful for the community’s support and the efforts of everyone involved in delivering such a thrilling experience," Chief Berryhill said.
Feedback from residents is great every year, Driscoll said, and this year it was "overwhelmingly positive."
"It always warms my heart," he said. "Every year, someone comes up and says, 'I went to Halloween Horror Nights, and this was better.' And that makes me so happy."
