What started as a modest display at Daymon Ward’s home on Thruston Dermont Road has evolved into a must-see Halloween attraction in Owensboro. Known as “Deadwood Manor,” Ward has added a 1,000-square-foot, 11-room haunted house with animatronics, jump scares, fog, and live actors to accompany the regular front yard decor and scares.
“We’ve always done some decorating for Halloween, but during COVID, we really stepped up our display,” Ward said. “That first year, we had a corpse wedding scene with ghostly guests seated at a dinner table. The display was only visible from the road, but we’ve expanded each year since.”
The name “Deadwood Manor” is a nod to the family’s neighborhood, Brownwood Manor, blending its suburban roots with a spooky twist. Over the years, Ward’s yard has become more elaborate, adding animatronics, interactive elements, and even a short, custom-built roller coaster in 2022 that took guests on a ride through a dark tunnel and into a clown house.
Although the roller coaster isn’t part of this year’s experience, Ward continues to raise the stakes. For 2024, he moved the scares indoors, constructing the 1,000-square-foot haunted house right in his front yard. The attraction took about 200 hours to build and features fog machines, laser effects, and, on some nights, live actors.
“My passion for horror started when I was 6, after visiting Castle Dracula in Myrtle Beach,” Ward said. “Since then, I’ve always loved building haunted houses, starting with scaring our neighbors in my childhood home.”
Ward’s elaborate haunted house is open every night through Halloween from 5-9 p.m., with the best scares happening after dark. Families with younger children are encouraged to visit earlier in the evening when there’s still light out.
Although the haunted house is free to visit, Ward invites guests to make donations to New Beginnings, an Owensboro-based agency that provides free counseling services.
“There’s a donation box and QR code for those who want to help out,” Ward said. “We give away candy every night, and there are new scares throughout the month to keep things fresh.”
Deadwood Manor is located at 4661 Thruston Dermont Road. Ward said they close at 9 p.m. out of respect for the neighbors, and they always close when there are high winds or rain.
