Central Oregon Coast Scares: Florence's Haunted Maze Gearing Up for More Frights

Published 09/12/2026 at 8:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Florence, Oregon) - Once upon a time, fairy tales were meant to help children fall asleep. This October, the central Oregon coast theater group C.R.O.W. is turning them into the stuff of nightmares.

What could go wrong?

Well, your sleep schedule, for one. Or maybe your heart rate.

The organization is preparing its 2026 Scare-C.R.O.W. Haunted Maze, “Scary Tales,” running October 28-31 at the Florence Events Center, where visitors will step into a twisted storybook world filled with shadowy forests, wicked queens, sinister creatures, and frightening versions of familiar fairy-tale characters. In this maze, happily ever after is anything but certain.

“Our Haunted Maze gets more immersive and scarier every year,” said C.R.O.W. Artistic Director Melanie Heard. “With ‘Scary Tales,' we're taking familiar stories everyone knows and turning them completely upside down.”

C.R.O.W. has built a reputation for delivering some of Oregon's punchiest Halloween scares. Its previous mazes — “Quarantine,” “Carn-EVIL of Terror,” and “Abandoned” — each earned the title of #1 Haunted Attraction in Oregon, an impressive distinction for a nonprofit based in a coastal Oregon community of fewer than 10,000 residents.

Unlike permanent haunted attractions, C.R.O.W. constructs its elaborate maze from the ground up each year, relying on theatrical storytelling, detailed environments, live performers, special effects, and stage magic to create an added layer of psychological tension.

“On November 1, we have to pack the monsters away until the following year,” Heard joked.

“Scary Tales” takes place entirely indoors on the flat floor of the Florence Events Center and is ADA accessible. Organizers note that the regular Haunted Maze experience is not recommended for small children, and entry is always at each visitor's discretion and at their own risk.

More than 1,100 guests attend C.R.O.W.'s Haunted Maze annually, including Halloween thrill-seekers from across Oregon, California, and Washington. Beyond the maze itself, visitors can enjoy concessions, themed boutique merchandise, and haunted photo opportunities, creating a full evening of Halloween entertainment.

New this year, C.R.O.W. will introduce a Sensory Friendly Guided Walk-Through, allowing guests to explore the maze with the lights on and without jump scares. The popular Less Scary Hour will also return on two nights, offering a toned-down version of the attraction for younger guests, families, and anyone who prefers their fairy tales with less fright.

Proceeds from the Haunted Maze support C.R.O.W.'s 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth arts programs, which include theatre, dance, camps, workshops, community outreach, and free-to-participate youth mainstage productions.

This year's maze is co-designed by Tina Ferkey, Robin Mendolia, and Melanie Heard.

Event times, admission details, photos, videos, FAQs, and additional information are available at http://www.crowkids.com/haunted-maze or by emailing artisticdirector@crowkids.com.

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