El Paso's longest-running Halloween tradition is coming back for its 31st year, and this time it's setting up inside a former shopping mall. The KLAQ Haunted House Experience opens October 1 and will run Thursday through Sunday nights through October 31, 2026, filling the month with scares at The Solana shopping center on the city's west side.
The haunt is a joint production between KLAQ and local company 915 Live Productions, which have crafted a new haunted-house experience for this year's Halloween season, according to KVIA. The attraction has been part of El Paso since 1995, making it a fixture of the Borderland Halloween season for more than three decades. Per The Solana, this year's haunted house includes something new to discover, though specifics on the twist have not been detailed.
A Mall Reborn as a Scare Zone
The Solana, where this year's haunt is located, was formerly known as Sunland Park Mall, a super-regional shopping center that opened in 1988. The property underwent ownership changes and a 2023 rebranding effort aimed at transforming vacant retail space into experiential entertainment and community gathering spots, according to background compiled by BestAttractions. The commercial center along West El Paso's Interstate 10 corridor now hosts other interactive attractions, including Jungle Reef, alongside its remaining retail anchors.
Using former mall space for a seasonal scare attraction isn't new for this particular haunt. Back in 2021, KLAQ and 915 Live Productions ran two haunted attractions simultaneously — The Fields Have Eyes at Desert Warriors Paintball on Montana Avenue, and The Haunted Theater inside the Sunland Park Mall movie theater, according to 95.5 KLAQ. The event has also operated out of warehouse locations off Lee Trevino Drive over the years, reflecting its history of relocating across El Paso venues as opportunities arose.
What It Takes to Open a Haunt in Texas
Before any of the fog machines or animatronics can switch on, Texas haunted houses face a strict regulatory gauntlet. Under Texas State Fire Marshal's Office standards and National Fire Protection Association guidelines, haunted attractions are classified as special amusement buildings, requiring automatic fire sprinklers, smoke detection systems, illuminated egress pathways, and automatic audio-visual kill switches that shut down disorienting noises when alarms trigger, per the Texas Department of Insurance. Temporary assembly spaces like these carry elevated fire risks because of dim lighting, maze-like corridors, and combustible prop scenery.
Locally, commercial seasonal venues in El Paso must also clear an operational safety review from the El Paso Fire Department's Fire Marshal Division, which enforces International Fire Code regulations through certified inspectors before issuing assembly permits. Inspectors verify exit access, flame-retardant materials, and fire suppression readiness before a haunt like this one can open its doors to paying customers.
Part of a Booming National Industry
The KLAQ Haunted House Experience isn't operating in a vacuum. The Haunted Attraction Association estimates there are more than 4,000 professional haunted attractions operating across the United States, drawing over 12 million visitors annually and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket sales, per reporting from WinCity Voices. Industry surveys cited in that same reporting show mid-sized haunts typically spend $50,000 to $100,000 upfront on sets and marketing, with fewer than 5% managing to stay open year-round.
That national appetite for scares shows up in the numbers, too. The National Retail Federation projected total U.S. Halloween spending would hit a record $13.1 billion in 2025, with 24% of celebrating consumers planning to visit a haunted house attraction during the season. Average seasonal spending per consumer reached $114.45, driven in part by early shopping and growing interest in immersive experiences, according to the federation's figures.
Radio Roots and Local Competition
KLAQ 95.5 FM, the commercial mainstream rock station behind the haunt's brand and promotion, is licensed to El Paso and owned by Townsquare Media, broadcasting from studios on North Mesa Street, per the Texas Association of Broadcasters. Townsquare Media operates 322 local radio stations across 67 U.S. markets, giving the haunt a marketing engine well beyond a single ad buy. Hoodline has previously covered other KLAQ-connected events, including the station's wild street fest nights.
El Paso's Halloween market is far from a one-haunt town. Other regional attractions include 915 Echoes of Horror in Socorro, Haunted Daze on Alameda Avenue, and the El Paso County Sheriff's Office's annual Fall Festival haunt, according to 93.1 KISS FM. Hoodline previously reported on that sheriff's office event, which drew families to Ascarate Park last fall alongside live music.
A City Steeped in Ghost Lore Year-Round
Beyond the seasonal haunts, El Paso also supports a year-round paranormal tourism scene led by nonprofit groups like Ghosts915, also known as the Paso Del Norte Paranormal Society, which hosts ghost tours at historic sites including Concordia Cemetery and the Wigwam Museum, according to Visit El Paso. Concordia Cemetery alone contains over 60,000 graves and remains a major site for historical ghost investigations, per that same account. It's a reminder that El Paso's relationship with things that go bump in the night extends well past October.
For operators looking to professionalize their scare game, the Haunted Attraction Association also offers a Certified Haunted Attraction Operator Safety program, an eight-hour training course recognized by fire marshals and insurance providers. The certification requires mandatory training in emergency exit protocols, crowd management, and fire safety compliance, according to the association. Whether this year's KLAQ Haunted House Experience staff hold that certification wasn't addressed in materials reviewed for this story.
