BY MARIO BOUCHER
Every fall, there’s something spooky going on in Snow Camp, a small town northwest of Pittsboro. For 35 years, The Original Hollywood Horror Show has been entertaining Triangle residents and out-of-state visitors to Snow Camp with haunting attractions like The Last Ride and Ghost Pirates of the Caribbean, featuring realistic, movie-quality sets and dynamic special effects.
The brainchild of siblings Dean and Starr Jones, seasoned makeup and special effects filmmakers, The Original Hollywood Horror Show has been voted the scariest haunted attraction by the Travel Channel—for those who dare to enter!
Special Makeup Effects Artists
Born and raised in Alamance County, the Jones brothers grew up on a steady diet of horror flicks, including Hammer and Universal Monster movies. Hooked on the movie business, Dean and Starr began using whatever they could get their hands on to surprise—and terrify—family and friends. As adults, the brothers headed to Hollywood to turn their passion into a career in makeup effects, where they achieved great success.
Dean and Starr’s list of credits is extensive, particularly in the world of Star Trek movies and television series, including “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” for which Dean won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series. Along the way, they bumped into the night with stars like Keanu Reeves in “Street Kings” and “The Neon Demon” and Johnny Depp in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, creating character makeup featuring aliens, zombies and androids, among many others.
Launching a Haunted Attraction
In 1989, the Jones brothers came up with the idea of launching a haunted house in their hometown. “Our small effects shop was stacked to the ceiling with props and makeup effects. It then dawned on us that we had enough resources to go back to our hometown and produce our own haunted house,” says Dean Jones. “It started as a one-time event and went really well that first year, so 35 years later, we are continuing the tradition.”
“We continue to utilize the props, costumes and special makeup effects that we’ve created for our films and make them a part of the haunted attraction,” says Starr Jones. “With the assistance of our great crew, we direct and produce the entire haunt. It’s like walking through an actual horror film set. Additionally, we’ve used our haunt for a number of filming locations for some of the film projects that we’ve produced.”
An Economic Boost
The annual horror show is more than just an attraction—it generates revenue for the local area as well. “The Hollywood Horror Show creates a stream of economic growth during the month of October,” says Dean. “[People] stay here, purchase gas, eat at the local restaurants and shop in the local stores. Most of this is spent in the nearby city of Graham.”
The annual show employs local people to work at the attraction. Some of them have been with Dean and Starr since the very first show as crew, costumers, stage managers and members of the sound and light department. “There have been a number of what we call crew and cast alumni, who have gone on to begin their careers in theater, film and television from being a part of our show,” says Starr.
At over 10,000 square feet, the event has room for expansion. The brothers envision adding a place where people can mingle after attending the show and have something to do after going through the attractions. “A lot of people like to hang out just to talk about their experience,” says Starr. Long-term plans include adding a new attraction based on the “Evil Dead” movies and a roadside café for a more carnival-like atmosphere.
Located at 6333 Bass Mountain Road in Snow Camp, The Original Hollywood Horror Show’s 2024 season is set for September 26–November 2. Please visit hollywoodhorrorshow.com for the latest information on the attractions and to buy tickets to the show.
