ROY, Utah — While many haunted houses come with steep ticket prices, one Utah man is proving that Halloween thrills don’t have to cost a thing. For the 13th consecutive year, Wyatt Harris has transformed his Roy home into a full-scale, free front-yard haunted house — packed with ghosts, vampires, and jump scares galore.
Located at 5360 S. 3400 West in Roy, the Harris Haunted House has become a community favorite, drawing visitors from across the Wasatch Front. What began as a small neighborhood setup back in 2012 has grown into a nine-room spectacle of spooky fun.
“It’s pretty amazing what Wyatt has assembled on his lawn,” said FOX 13’s Scott McKane, who toured the attraction this week. Inside, visitors encounter everything from bats and caskets to a headless horseman — all meticulously arranged by Harris himself.
“Typically as you round that corner, her motion sensor kicks off,” Harris said, demonstrating one of his animatronic scares. “By the time they get to where you’re at, she jumps forward about a foot, screams, arms move out — it gets everyone every time.”
A Halloween Tradition Born from Passion
What started with one simple animatronic, bought years ago by Harris’s grandmother, has since evolved into a fully immersive haunted experience.
“It started with just a couple of rooms and that one scary robot,” Harris explained. “As I got older and started earning adult money, I was able to make more purchases — and it really skyrocketed.”
Today, Harris’s lawn features nine themed rooms, including a castle filled with vampires, classic ’90s Halloween props, and vintage haunted house décor collected from across Utah.
Despite the enormous time and effort involved, Harris refuses to charge admission. “I just want kids and families to enjoy Halloween the way I do,” he said. “After a long day doing concrete work, this is actually therapeutic for me — less messy, less labor-intensive, and a lot more fun.”
A Scare Worth the Drive
Visitors are traveling from far beyond Roy to experience the Harris Haunted House. Zoe and Levi Johnson made the trip from West Valley City with their aunt — and both said it was worth it.
“It was pretty fun and really scary,” said Zoe, smiling after making it through. Levi added, “She made me go first, so I got all the jump scares. The scariest part was probably the nun.”
Social media has helped spread the word, and Harris says attendance has exploded in recent years. Last weekend, visitors arrived from Alpine and Provo, and he expects the crowds to swell to hundreds of people on Halloween night.
For Harris, the growing turnout is exactly what he hopes for. “It’s all about bringing people together and giving them something to smile — and scream — about,” he said with a laugh.
