ARLINGTON, Wash. — Arlington will be a little less spooky this year. The Arlington Community Haunted House is closing after a decade of frights and delights.
Jackie Murray, the haunted house’s director of operations, shared online that the permit was denied – and they won’t be opening for the 2026 season.
After receiving a denial for the permit application, Murray said they met directly with city staff to determine whether there was a path forward.
“The fire and building code requirements now being enforced for this type of attraction make it effectively impossible for us to operate with our current construction,” Murray said.
The haunted house had been operating for 10 years and would typically run through the entire month of October.
“We want to make one thing very clear: our volunteers, sponsors, community partners, and supporters did not fail this Haunted House. Quite the opposite. Because of you, we were able to keep this event alive, rebuild it, improve it, and create something incredible year after year. The work you have put in, especially these last several weekends, has been extraordinary, and I could not be more grateful or proud of this team,” Murray wrote.
Murray said she is grateful to the city staff who met with us for their professionalism and respect and understands that they have a responsibility to enforce the codes and regulations.
“We are absolutely gutted, but more than anything, we are grateful for the incredible 10 years Arlington gave us,” Murray wrote.