When Delana Butler shows off the "Electric Chair Room," complete with a writhing, shrieking victim, she has an ominous gleam in her eye. When Butler's partner William McLeod talks about the "Disorientation Tunnel" and the havoc it wreaks on unsuspecting visitors, he does so with a fiendish laugh.

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It's the seventh straight year McLeod and Butler have turned their property in Penticton's Carmi neighbourhood into a Halloween madhouse, and one gets the feeling there's nothing else these two would rather do than strike terror into the hearts of the innocent folks who dare drop by.

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And make no mistake. This isn't your typical high-end Halloween setup. It's a total reworking of their outdoor area – from their front yard, through their driveway, and into the back yard, where the entire space from fence to fence is consumed with a rich tapestry of ghoulish delights.

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The process takes them three weeks-plus to piece together, and the finished product is so enormous that it substantially impacts their day to day life. Even walking out the front door is difficult.  

For Butler, the lure of Halloween mania stems from her youth in the Fraser Valley, where her mom regularly assembled a display worthy of the local newspaper front page. "It was so cool," she said.

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For McLeod, it's the simple notion of putting smiles on kids' faces. "I just enjoy seeing the kids on the night of Halloween at our house. They have so much fun, they really enjoy it. It's always worth it."

Once finished, it's as complete a Halloween experience as you're likely to find in the region.

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Guests begin in the front yard, where a specter the height of a house watches over a sinister graveyard. Here, the lighting is moody, the fog lies low amongst the gravestones, and a walking path is conveniently positioned to put visitors in the middle of everything.

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But the real frights lay ahead. A series of walk-through "rooms," each constructed expressly for Halloween from thick polyurethane sheets, parallel the house into the backyard. Inside you'll find an assortment of deranged offerings, including some that are hideously interactive and others that you will feel against your skin.

Ugh.

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Once you've passed the final hurdle, you're suddenly thrust into the back yard showcase – a small village of themed rooms around the perimeter of the property.

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To your left, a young girl with glowing eyeballs sways back and forth on a rope swing, singing something quite unsettling about her mother as other ghouls look on. Next door, a pumpkin-headed freak seems ready for his eventual hanging.

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There's a crematorium, a crazed clown directing a deathly circus, a coven of witches gathered 'round a cauldron, and so much more.

In your time walking the grounds, you'll see things you can't unsee – don’t get us started about the "meat" on the barbecue – and hear things you'll wish you could unhear.

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But it's the concept and the design and the sheer amount of work involved in putting it all together that impresses most. This isn't simply a massive collection of high-end Halloween goodies. It's an artfully arranged, detail-oriented joyride that'll smoothly transport you into its sinister web.

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Seven years ago when they began, it was a front yard-only affair. But, said McLeod, "It gets bigger and better every year." Nowadays, they regular see in excess of 600 kids.

"And that doesn't include the parents," said Butler. "We have people coming from as far away as Summerland to see us."

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Given that they open only on Halloween night, that's a heck of a turnout.

What's more, their neighbours are fully on board. "One of our neighbours handmade a bunch of our props for us. He did this coffin for us, and this wooden fencing," said Butler.

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You'll find the Butler-McLeod palace of the absurd at 1588 Hatfield Drive. It opens at 4:30 Halloween afternoon, and continues as long as the crowds keep coming – typically to 10:30 p.m. or so.

There is no admission charge or donation bin. They do it, they say, "for the fun of it." And for that, they deserve every accolade they get. 

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