As far as Halloween is concerned, Cal Pawson owns the Coolest Dad award. While the rest of us are begrudgingly playing Olaf to their Princess Anna, he built his two kids a haunted house in their backyard. Let’s be clear: this isn’t some pleasant little afternoon project that involves fake cobwebs and an artfully posed skeleton— no, this is a journey into the abyss of unexpected fears, a multi-sensory creepy experience teetering on downright scary. In short, kids should LOVE IT. It’s Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion-level innovation on a “found object” budget, which makes the whole concept that much more impressive.
Matt Reuetz (left) and Cal Pawson (seated) are bonafide Masters of Halloween.
Found art
“A lot of it is found in dumpster dives or friends remodeling, said Cal, who worked with his friend Matt Reuetz for four weeks to bring terrifying life to the converted garage and shed space. “My buddy bought a house last year and it had a bunch of rusty stuff in the barn that he didn’t want, so we snagged it up. If I drive somewhere and see something on the side of the road, I say, ‘That looks old and nasty, let’s pick it up.’” Indeed, one of the most fantastic components of the house hinges around a one inch piece of Plexiglas that Cal found in a dumpster. The terrifying effect produced by that prop alone is worth the trek out to the house, just over the border in rural Michigan.
Abandon all hope ye who enter the Mini Manor
Tricks of the trade
With Cal’s technical experience servicing hospitals and veterinary clinics and artist Matt ’s eye for the macabre, what started out as a fun project last year is turning into a dedicated and permanent installation. “It’s grown into a creation that we want to share with everybody,” Cal said. And that’s exciting because it means that you and your kids can experience the scares for yourselves. Opening it up from 7-9pm on Saturday and Monday to work with the trick-or-treating hours, Cal and Matt are inviting you to come check out what imagination and a passion for delighting kids of all ages can yield. We don’t want to spoil it for you, but expect lasers, loud noises, sensor-activated terrors and plenty of tight corners in the appropriately-named “Mini Manor.” Oh and pay special attention to the cat skeleton— it’s real. “It’s a mummified cat that we found in the crawlspace when we bought the house,” Cal explains, still delighted by the inner workings of his own creations.
Dolls… why did there have to be dolls?
Worth it for the kids
“I was hesitant to do it again because it is time-consuming and costly would be the next word to describe it, but I said, ‘Let’s just bear down and do it,’” said Cal. And once you’ve experienced what the two friends have achieved, you’ll be glad they did it too. The address for the house is 8507 Whiteford Center Rd. in Ottawa Lake. While they aren’t charging you to walk through the Mini Manor, please consider donating to help offset the costs for this year and whatever they come up with next year. This is local artisans making something great for the community and any positive encouragement and support will benefit everyone. Hopefully the Mini Manor grows and evolves for years to come, right along with Cal’s kids. After all, they’re his number one fans. And it’s pretty clear that he’s theirs.
This garden needs more than a good weeding.
As far as Halloween is concerned, Cal Pawson owns the Coolest Dad award. While the rest of us are begrudgingly playing Olaf to their Princess Anna, he built his two kids a haunted house in their backyard. Let’s be clear: this isn’t some pleasant little afternoon project that involves fake cobwebs and an artfully posed skeleton— no, this is a journey into the abyss of unexpected fears, a multi-sensory creepy experience teetering on downright scary. In short, kids should LOVE IT. It’s Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion-level innovation on a “found object” budget, which makes the whole concept that much more impressive.
Matt Reuetz (left) and Cal Pawson (seated) are bonafide Masters of Halloween.
Found art
“A lot of it is found in dumpster dives or friends remodeling, said Cal, who worked with his friend Matt Reuetz for four weeks to bring terrifying life to the converted garage and shed space. “My buddy bought a house last year and it had a bunch of rusty stuff in the barn that he didn’t want, so we snagged it up. If I drive somewhere and see something on the side of the road, I say, ‘That looks old and nasty, let’s pick it up.’” Indeed, one of the most fantastic components of the house hinges around a one inch piece of Plexiglas that Cal found in a dumpster. The terrifying effect produced by that prop alone is worth the trek out to the house, just over the border in rural Michigan.
Abandon all hope ye who enter the Mini Manor
Tricks of the trade
With Cal’s technical experience servicing hospitals and veterinary clinics and artist Matt ’s eye for the macabre, what started out as a fun project last year is turning into a dedicated and permanent installation. “It’s grown into a creation that we want to share with everybody,” Cal said. And that’s exciting because it means that you and your kids can experience the scares for yourselves. Opening it up from 7-9pm on Saturday and Monday to work with the trick-or-treating hours, Cal and Matt are inviting you to come check out what imagination and a passion for delighting kids of all ages can yield. We don’t want to spoil it for you, but expect lasers, loud noises, sensor-activated terrors and plenty of tight corners in the appropriately-named “Mini Manor.” Oh and pay special attention to the cat skeleton— it’s real. “It’s a mummified cat that we found in the crawlspace when we bought the house,” Cal explains, still delighted by the inner workings of his own creations.
Dolls… why did there have to be dolls?
Worth it for the kids
“I was hesitant to do it again because it is time-consuming and costly would be the next word to describe it, but I said, ‘Let’s just bear down and do it,’” said Cal. And once you’ve experienced what the two friends have achieved, you’ll be glad they did it too. The address for the house is 8507 Whiteford Center Rd. in Ottawa Lake. While they aren’t charging you to walk through the Mini Manor, please consider donating to help offset the costs for this year and whatever they come up with next year. This is local artisans making something great for the community and any positive encouragement and support will benefit everyone. Hopefully the Mini Manor grows and evolves for years to come, right along with Cal’s kids. After all, they’re his number one fans. And it’s pretty clear that he’s theirs.
