MUNCIE, Ind. – A haunted house in Muncie that donates to those in need was shut down Tuesday by the Delaware County Commissioners.
Commissioners said the haunted attraction, The Organ Trail, does not follow zoning code as it is located in a residential area.
"It's a noble purpose and they could have done it lots of places but they didn't bother checking on anything,” said Steve Minnick, Delaware County's building commissioner. “They just proceeded and decided they were going to force it upon the neighbors in a residence zone and the county can't allow that."
Operators of The Organ Trail are now trying to reopen before the Halloween weekend. The attraction is not only for those looking for a scary visit but helps those in need.
Visitors have been asked to donate a $1 or give a can of food for the last five years. Last weekend the haunted house collected over 7,000 pounds of food and hundreds of dollars.
Those donations went to one of the volunteers who said her husband was recently injured and unable to work.
“Last weekend they raised $800 for me and my husband and it was amazing,” said Victoria Florez.
The attorney for Michael Keihn, who operates The Organ Trail, said the county is picking and choosing which zoning ordinances to enforce, and is unfairly targeting them.
Keihn and his attorney plan to appeal the county’s decision but realize they still may not open for the Halloween weekend. However, they do plan to reopen next year.
