Ferndale’s Haunted House Legend Takes His Final Bow

Ferndale — There's always that one house in every neighborhood that goes above and beyond for Halloween. They've got all the lights, creepy decorations, and enough spooky surprises to make the rest of the street look a little underwhelming.

Well, in Ferndale, it's no different. Except this particular house is so elaborate that all the other neighbors don't even bother trying to compete.

On Maplehurst Avenue, one Michigan man has been turning his own house into an epic haunted attraction for the past 36 years.

His name is Warren Morche, a self-proclaimed Halloween freak who's always had a special connection to the holiday. His birthday falls on Nov. 2, and growing up, his family always celebrated it on Halloween.

What started back in 1990 as a few buckets of dry ice and scaring trick-or-treaters dressed as a scarecrow has slowly grown over the years into an attraction that's on par with just about any other small-scale haunted house I've seen.

"I think it was about 15 years ago, it totally snowballed... my kids got a little bit older, got a little more into it, and I just picked up here and there, as we went through. It's taken off," Morche said.

After more than three decades of collecting and creating decorations, his setup is pretty remarkable. Horrifying animatronics, creepy clowns, and smoke machines fill the entire front yard, extending all the way up to the porch. There's even a massive Ferris wheel filled with ghastly figures and a merry-go-round featuring creepy clowns as the passengers.

But things get even spookier out back, where he's set up entire tents themed as a haunted carnival, filled with even more terrifying displays.

And if you think that just because there are no live actors means this place won't be scary, you're in for a rude awakening. Some of the animatronic jump scares got me better than those at official haunted houses I've visited.

Much of his collection comes from Spirit Halloween, where he makes a point to shop the post-Halloween sales each year. But plenty of the decorations are homemade, and Morche has gotten pretty creative with repurposing old household items to take on an eerie new appearance.

"Like the fencing, this is my privacy fence from years and years ago when I replaced it. I'm like, why throw it out? Let's get it creepy, and I just keep it stored outside, so it weathers and just keeps getting older and older."

But Warren doesn't stop there. Part of what has kept him going all these years is seeing how much the community enjoys his haunted home, so he's made an effort to make the experience extra special for everyone who visits, beyond just having some scary decorations.

He projects scary movies onto the side of his house, serves free popcorn to match the haunted carnival theme, and, of course, hands out plenty of candy on Halloween night.

Visitors stop by all season long, but Halloween is by far his busiest night of the year. Morche says he typically welcomes around 200 to 300 people on that night alone.

And unlike most haunted attractions, this one is completely free to visit. Morche typically begins setting everything up toward the end of September, and visitors can come check it out on weekends throughout October.

But if you're in the area and hoping to experience it for yourself, you'd better get there soon, because this is your last chance. After nearly four decades of bringing the Halloween spirit to Ferndale, Morche and his family are preparing to move Up North, making this the final year families in Southeast Michigan will be able to experience the attraction at its longtime home.

He does plan to continue the tradition at his new property, although the location means he likely won't see the same crowds he's used to in Ferndale.

"In my next space, I have two pole barns. So I don't have to worry about little tents and everything. I can set it up all inside, but I'm in more of a rural area, so I don't know how much foot traffic I'll get."

For now, you can still check out this incredible homemade haunted attraction on Maplehurst Avenue in Ferndale, and trust me, you can't miss it.

It's open nightly from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Tuesday, Nov. 3, and admission is completely free. So if you dare to brave one last visit, make sure you stop by before this longtime Halloween tradition leaves Ferndale for good.