Get scared for a good cause at Clearfield man's home haunt

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CLEARFIELD — A man in Clearfield is channeling his lifelong passion for haunted houses into a vehicle for good.

For the second year in a row, David Roberts spent months making Hill's Horror Haunted House in his backyard. He opens the haunt up to the public for free but welcomes canned goods as donations, gathering more than 3,500 cans for the Utah Food Bank in 2014.

"We built everything from scratch," he said. "Even a lot of props, like our dummies and such, are homemade."

> 23 days!! It's no laughing matter!! > > Posted by [Hill's Horror Haunted House](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hills-Horror-Haunted-House/669957729765932) on [Tuesday, September 8, 2015](https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=884454161649620&id=669957729765932&substory_index=0)


Roberts, who retired from the military in 2014, has a lot of experience with creepy attractions. While stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada he had the chance to work at Circus Circus' Fright Dome, which has been rated one of the top haunted attractions in the country. Roberts still keeps in touch with the owner, who he calls his mentor.

At Idaho's Mountain Home Air Force Base, Roberts used his skills to host multiple haunted houses. He said every year around January he would locate a building on the base that looked "kind of creepy" and obtain permission to use it, spending months preparing the building and finding actors. In six nights, his haunts would draw about 8,000 people.

"I've got the Halloween buzz now and I can't get rid of it," he said.

> Overhead view of our spider hallway 2015. > > Posted by [Hill's Horror Haunted House](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hills-Horror-Haunted-House/669957729765932) on [Wednesday, September 2, 2015](https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=881630821931954&id=669957729765932&substory_index=0)


Roberts' current haunt is smaller than some of his other projects, but it still pulled in about 2,000 people in 2014. This October it will be open on Friday and Saturday nights from 7-10 p.m., depending on weather conditions, and all of the donations will be given to the Hill Air Force Base Food Closet. It is located at 1394 W. 725 North in Clearfield.

The project is a family venture. Roberts' wife Amy helps with costumes and keeps the volunteer actors on track while Roberts performs his role in the haunt of the coroner. Their two sons, ages 5 and 7, jump in to help scare visitors.

"We're a big Halloween family," Roberts said. "(The kids) love it. We just bought a hearse, and they want me to take them to school every day in it."

Hill's Horror Haunted House is "recommenDEAD" for guests age 13 and older, but Roberts said they try to keep the haunt as family friendly as possible and can tone the level down upon request.

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