ScreamWorks Site 13 has become a bigger draw than its High Rock Way setting can comfortably accommodate. More than 1,000 people walked through on Friday night, Tampa Bay 28 reported, and organizer Josh Danley says he does not expect to host the free haunt at his home again next year.
The attraction fills the narrow space between Danley’s home and a neighbor’s. Neighbors helped build and furnish it, and visitors were asked to bring nonperishable food for the Parrish United Methodist Church food pantry. The immediate question is whether Danley can find another site: he told Bay News 9 he hopes to partner with a local farm by the end of the year or early next year. No new location has been confirmed.
A new site would bring different considerations
Moving from a residential side yard to another venue could change what local officials need to review, but the requirements cannot be determined without details about the location and setup. Florida’s State Fire Marshal says local fire officials enforce the Florida Fire Prevention Code and that local amendments may apply. That guidance does not establish that any particular permit or review is required for ScreamWorks.
Parrish is also the subject of proposed development, though it is not evidence of why Site 13 may need to move. WSLR reported that on November 14, 2025, the Manatee County Planning Commission endorsed a proposal for up to 2,047 homes on 683 acres; the proposal still required a county commission decision.
A separate local example
A free Halloween attraction can also serve a charitable purpose elsewhere in the region. In October 2024, CBS12 reported that Park Vista Community High School student Jonah Wides and his mother, Sheryl Wilk, hosted a haunted house in Lake Worth’s Winston Trails community to benefit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, which sends care packages to U.S. service members. It was a distinct event, with different organizers and a different beneficiary—not evidence of a broader trend.
Site 13’s future also overlaps with a nonprofit effort, but the accounts do not fully clarify how that effort relates organizationally to the backyard attraction. Bay News 9 reported that ScreamWorks Florida used the Site 13 name, involved 16 volunteers, and was pursuing grants and donations for educational opportunities. The organization’s website describes it as a 501(c)(3), while Bay News 9 reported Danley was working toward formalizing that status; the cited accounts do not resolve its current federal tax-exempt status. Whether the next Site 13 is a farm, another venue or a different arrangement remains unknown.
