The Nightmare Factory was founded in 1987 by dorm counselor Ed Roberts as a fund raiser for the schools residential programs. Ed went to then director, GI Wilson and asked for a small loan to get the event up and running. $400.00 was given, and after much blood, sweat and elbow grease, the Nightmare Factory opened its doors for a four night run.
That first year the haunt earned $4000.00 and was an immediate success. A success both with the general public and with the students at OSD. The following year the Nightmare Factory relocated in the unfinished basement of the boy’s dormitory, this provided more room, the previous year the haunt was actually held in an unused wing of the same dorm, and a new permanent home for the event.
The original goal of the Nightmare Factory was not only to establish a fund raiser that would help provide for student needs and activities within the residential program, but to help give students a ‘can do’ attitude. Along with this also comes the philosophy of running a successful business. Students learn everything from how to move traffic through an event to how to design and construct sets for the haunt, lighting design, sound effects, advertising, acting, make up and so much more.
Over the years the Nightmare Factory has only closed one year for a full remodel of the haunt. Even though they hadn’t advertised that year people still came hoping they might be open!
One of the reasons the Nightmare Factory has thrived in this very tough industry is its belief that they must constantly re-invent themselves, and give their guests new show elements every year, while keeping the best from the previous years. They want people to come away from the haunt saying how much fun they had, not thinking that it was a haunt held at a school. They always say, “We are not your typical school run haunted house”. They also try very hard not to borrow from films or TV that, in their opinion, is the easy way out!
The Nightmare Factory is also proud to note that they are only one of two schools for the Deaf that hold annual haunted houses, the other being St. Rita’s in Cincinnati Ohio.
Though the Haunt was founded by Ed, he’d be the first to tell you that without the haunts director, Kivo (KC) Phillips (OSD alumni now counselor and involved with the haunt since day one), the support of everyone and the hundreds of volunteers over the years, there would be no Nightmare Factory, it is truly a community event.
Always looking to the future and the Haunts 20th anniversary on 2008, both Ed and Kivo are already making big plans, and we haven’t even opened yet!
We hope to see you this year; we can’t wait to scare you.
So what’s new this for 2007 –
The Brand new voodoo manor.
The Warehouse, or is that the SCAREHOUSE?
The ‘shed’.
New soundtrack
New effects
New Klowns, don’t you just love Klowns!??!
New shack bar
Photo booth
Come see why we’ve been around for 19 years!