Where Halloween meets business, haunted attractions on the rise

PROGRESO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — It is late October in the Rio Grande Valley, and behind the quiet walls of Toluca Ranch, something eerie is coming to life.

The sound of saws, hammering, and creaking wood fills the air as workers transform the old ranch home into one of the Valley’s most chilling haunted houses. For owner Julie Vera, it is more than just a Halloween scare; it is a labor of love that has haunted her for over 14 years.

“This year we redid the whole sides there, and the year before that we did the roof," Vera said. "We invest about $30,000 to $40,000 a year to get it so far, depending right on the year, because some years we don't invest that much, but the last couple of years we have been.”

Toluca Ranch sees about 700 visitors per night, totaling over 5,000 guests per season. Many of them come from nearby Mexico and even as far as Atlanta, Georgia.

Toluca Ranch also supports local vendors and pays half of their acting staff, while the other half volunteers for the love of the haunt.

“Once you know you take out your expenses and in meals because we do feed you know our our actors and of course the insurances and the porta potties and all the wrecks that come with running the business, yeah, it comes out okay, we haven't made it that big yet," Vera said.

Even with years of experience, Vera says the haunted house business is not about getting rich but rather about bringing to life part of the Halloween festive scene.

“I personally could never say 'Oh yeah, I'm gonna get rich with this," Vera said. "It can turn into something big, but I mean, I guess it would just depend on the people behind it as well.”

The profit potential has also attracted newcomers to the industry. This year, Roy Landa opened his very first haunted house right inside his own 12,000 square foot warehouse in Alamo.

"It's just the fact when you walk through it and the creepiness and the creaky floors, and it just kind of lends itself to be a haunted house, so opportunity presented itself," Landa said. "It was no longer occupied. It was vacant.”

Landa’s project, The Slaughter on Tower, is the first large-scale haunted attraction in Alamo, and Landa has already invested over $9,000 and started working on it only five weeks before opening.

“So, I will have scene here and you are forced to come over here," Landa explains as he walks across his property.

And though it’s his first year, Landa says the community’s support—and encouragement from veterans like Vera—have convinced him to keep going, even if the profits take time.

“I mean, even if it doesn't work out economically, I wanted to keep going, you know, it's just something for people to look forward to," Landa added.

Back at Toluca Ranch, as the night settles and the fog rolls in, the lights flicker across weathered walls. For Vera, every scream, every gasp, every visitor is proof that the work is worth it.

It’s not just about business, but it is about the people behind it, and the thrill of keeping the Valley’s spirit of Halloween alive.