Raising Hell House
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
When it first started 19 years ago, Hell House, a "haunted house" put on by a church in Texas was nothing if not shocking. Tour guides take visitors through rooms depicting botched abortions, or a mom who left her family for someone she met on the Internet (apparently, it happened to a church member).
Now? Less shocking, less sermon, more theatrical:
About seven years ago, a documentary about the church's Halloween effort was released. Here's NPR's Steve Inskeep's interview with the director:
"Despite our guffawing," he says, "these are very nice people. The people at this church needed this church, and they needed this community. If they were in New York, they would need therapy. But they don't have therapy."
Ira Glass also picks up the story as part of This American Life's theme on Saturday -- Devil on My Shoulder.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
