New Hampshire 10-Year-Old Creates Haunted Woods Walk in His Own Backyard
The world is a better place thanks to people like this kid.
Jacob Hartford, age 10, is a Halloween enthusiast hailing from Barrington, New Hampshire. He loves the holiday so much, in fact, that he's created his own haunted attraction in the woods behind his family's home. As a fellow spooky season fan, this writer just had to learn more about this kid, and reached out to his family for the scoop.
From the time he was two, Jacob preferred passing out candy rather than trick-or-treating, and loved decorating the house and trying to scare those who came by. His parents explained that when he got older, he asked if he could decorate their four-wheeling trail and scare his friends as they walked through it. And thus, Jacob's Aurora Woods Haunted Walk was born.
This will be Jacob's second year opening the Haunted Walk to the public, according to the family. After a successful first year of spooks, the Hartfords sold their house and moved to Barrington. So, Jacob's been working extra hard to design and build a new attraction entirely from scratch. On a typical day after school, Jacob will complete his homework, then head outside to work. He spends lots of late nights planning, and even has a book chalked full of ideas.
This project is a massive, year-round undertaking, and Jacob's not alone in his efforts. Members of the community have gotten involved, including many of Jacob's friends (nicknamed "the boo crew"). Teamwork makes the dream work, after all.
To make things even better, these friends don't just help Jacob during the day. When the sun goes down, the kids, along with older friends, work as scare actors during the evening shows.
The attraction is on the creepier side, but Jacob has a solution for folks who don't want to be scared: glow sticks. "We're going to pass out glow sticks in the beginning of the walk, so the scares know not to jump scare anyone that is extra sensitive," the family said.
Once you've completed the haunt, you can visit a witches hut to enjoy a bonfire and treats like cupcakes, chocolate dipped pretzels, and more.
Jacob's parents are extremely proud of their son, and love watching him flourish in his lifelong passion. "The amount of work that he has put into this makes me extremely proud. Like I said, he’s constantly working. It’s amazing to watch your child have so much passion in something. This is not an easy thing to do, but he gives his all. He plans on growing each year and making this into a lifelong thing," one of them explained.
We're huge fans of this kid and his drive, determination, and enthusiasm. The sky's the limit for him, and we can't wait to see all that he'll accomplish (P.S. Need any extra helping hands, Haunted Overload?).
You can visit Jacob's Haunted Walk on Saturday, October 15, 22, and 28 from 6-9pm at 6 Keefe Road in Barrington, New Hampshire. Admission is free to the public. This writer will definitely be attending, and can't wait to see Jacob's hard work pay off.
Click here to learn more about Jacob's Aurora Woods Haunted Walk.
Speaking of all things Halloween, check out some popular haunted houses in New Hampshire and Maine, as well as some spooky things to do in Salem, Massachusetts.