LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Halloween is approaching and for one Gwinnett County couple, it's not just one day of celebration, it’s a way of life.
Vilonte McCloud and Megan Johnson are passionate about all things that are horror related and together, they own a company called Haunt Junkies where they've converted their Lawrenceville home into a haunted house.
“My dad used to always take us to haunted houses and trick or treating annually,” McCloud said. “It just became a love."
For the last three years, McCloud and Johnson have converted their Lawrenceville single-family home into a terrifying journey for willing participants.
They told 11Alive that they have invested more than $40,000 into their Haunt Junkies enterprise. When guests arrive, they walk through a “haunted” cemetery outfitted with fog machines, skeletons, and moving graves.
The house’s “host” greets guests in a bat-covered foyer after they traverse their way through a maze of spiderwebs.
Throughout the experience, haunt seekers will encounter a kitchen that is reminiscent of a murder scene and a dining room filled with severed limbs.
McCloud and Johnson converted their garage into a dark maze outfitted with skulls that will give guests the feeling of being in the catacombs.
“Our first year was nothing on this level. It was an idea on the cusp but we went all out last year,” McCloud and Johnson said.
For a feat this size, they told 11Alive that they start planning months in advance -- starting in the heat of the summer this year -- to prepare for this weekend’s festivities.
McCloud wants people to know that he and his family participate in Halloween for memories and the fun aspects of the holiday.
“There's a lot of negativity about Halloween where people look at it as Luciferian or a pagan holiday,” McCloud said.
“To us, it’s just a lifestyle of fun.”
This is a free event and will take place from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at 2100 Carlysle Park Ln in Lawrenceville.
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