About Us
From the Hollow to the Funhouse: The Story of How it All Began
The First Branch: Hornbrook Hollow Haunt
It started in October 2014 as a simple, five-minute "garage and front deck thing" in Grovedale. It was meant to be a little pre-candy fun for local families, but Dannette and Scott Hornbrook don’t really do "simple."
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Year by year, the hobby mutated. By their first professional season in 2018, Dannette was in the trenches, interacting with every guest who walked through the gates. The feedback was electric, but it revealed a deeper truth: the community was starving for more family-oriented, year-round entertainment.
The Masterminds Behind the Chaos
The Mastermind: Dannette has always been the strategic force—plotting the intricate maze layouts, handling construction, and propping every haunted room and trail with meticulous detail. During the October madness, she manages an army of scare actors and runs admissions. From the ticket booth, she’s spent years "pumping up" guests, ensuring the energy is electric before they take a single step into the shadows.
The Master Builder & The King of Scare Actors: Scott was the other half of the construction powerhouse and the soul of the "Hack Shack." The Shack was his baby; he didn’t just build the walls, he inhabited them. Scott was the iconic "Martha’s Husband," a character so legendary he eventually transitioned into the "Headless Creepy Guy" crawling through the trails when his health began to decline.
The Second Branch: Hornbrook Hollow’s Funhouse
As Scott’s health declined, the family knew they needed to pivot. They both shared a love for games and "friendly" competition, and they both loved mini-golf. The idea was simple: create a glow-in-the-dark world that wasn’t scary, but was blasting with color, magic, and pure FUN. It was supposed to be their retirement "gig."
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Construction began in December 2019 with a planned opening for March 2020. We’d all like to forget the chaos of 2020–2022, but let's just say the game plan changed overnight. We almost sank a few times, but through sheer grit, we kept The Funhouse afloat.
One Legacy, Two Branches
Since Scott’s passing in April 2023, Dannette has operated both branches of Hornbrook Hollow Inc. like the maniac warrior goddess she is. Driven by a need to keep the Hornbrook legacy alive and a sensational desire to bring people together, she slays the odds every single day.
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Her heart explodes every time a school bus pulls up to The Funhouse, and she hears the squeals of delight from kids seeing the neon for the first time. And knowing that families now travel from as far as Fairview, Dawson Creek, and Ft. St. John to make The Haunt their annual tradition makes every drop of blood, sweat, and tears 100% worth it for her.
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Two branches, one tree: The Haunt is our legendary seasonal pillar, and The Funhouse is Grande Prairie’s golden hidden gem for authentic, face-to-face connection.
IN MEMORY: The Legend of Martha’s Husband
Current day during Haunt season, Dannette tells guests that Scott’s spirit never truly left the property. His ghost still haunts the trails... and if you listen hard enough through the Hornbrook Hollow woods, you can still hear him yelling:
"WHAT?! YOU DON’T LIKE MY PIE?!"