What started as a last-minute idea has turned into a must-visit Halloween attraction in Leesburg. Josh Blake, a former scare actor at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and current Creative Arts Director at the Lake Square Mall, took a leap of faith when an opportunity arose to create his own haunted house in 2021. Now in its third year, Scream Scenes: Mystic Manor has grown from a small, makeshift haunt into an elaborate attraction, captivating guests with bigger scares and intricate designs.

Josh credits his years as a scare actor at Halloween Horror Nights from 2015 to 2021 with teaching him not only the nuances of what makes a great haunt but also giving him confidence as a performer.

“I LOVED being a Scare-Actor and greatly credit them for not only teaching me ‘the haunt’ styles but also building confidence in myself as a performer,” Josh says. But he always dreamed of creating something of his own.

When the opportunity at the Lake Square Mall presented itself two years ago, Josh jumped at it, despite the timing being less than ideal.

“It was incredibly last minute,” he says. “I had to come up with a name, concept, all the sets, and hire the cast in about three weeks’ time.”

The first year was a scramble. Auditions didn’t go as planned—“not one person came to it because it was so last minute,” he laughed. Josh even had to basically beg two mall walkers to see if they’d like to try out.

Despite the chaotic start, the haunted house came together in time for opening night, with a little help from a local scare actor who reached out at the last minute to join. Once word got out, other actors followed. Josh describes the random mix of scenes he created using whatever props he could find, including old arcade games that were being discarded at the mall. The result was a haphazard but thrilling experience.

“When we opened, the guests that gave it a try literally ran out screaming! Some even fell out of their shoes and would not go back in to get them,” Josh laughed. “We knew we did something right!”

Year Two: Bigger and Better

The first year of Scream Scenes proved successful, allowing Blake to make improvements the following year.

“We actually did make a little profit, to my surprise, which allowed us to build it a little bit bigger the following year,” Josh says.

With the extra funds, he was able to invest in better lighting, sound cues, and a more cohesive setup, taking the haunt to the next level.

Josh also had to take on a new role—scare makeup artist.

“I had never done makeup before, let alone scare makeup, and we didn’t have a budget to hire a makeup artist,” he says. “It was a fun challenge, though, and I’m glad because it taught me a LOT of what works and what doesn’t work in the house.”

He improvised, using what he learned from watching the makeup artists at Universal, and in under an hour each night, he had to get the entire cast ready to scare.

Year Three: A Haunt on the Rise

Now in its third year, Scream Scenes has truly hit its stride. With a new, larger location at the Lake Square Mall, the haunt has tripled in size, allowing for a more elaborate maze and intricate sets. This year’s theme, Mystic Manor, takes guests into the eerie world of a 1940s vampire family who have enslaved their staff for eternity.

“The guests enter into their domain and will get to see all the different rooms inside and outside of their home, but will they get out? That’s to be determined,” Josh says.“It was a fun challenge, though, and I’m glad because it taught me a LOT of what works and what doesn’t work in the house.”

Josh wasn’t alone this year—he was able to hire extra help in the form of Evan Williams, a local actor known for his performances at the mall as the Easter Bunny and Beetlejuice.

“Evan has been a HUGE help in working side by side with me the last three months,” Josh says.

Together, they’ve worked tirelessly to build new scenery, add lighting and sound effects, and recruit a strong team of scare actors. Robin Reynolds, the mall’s Event and Marketing Director, along with Ailime Diaz (Marketing), also played a key role in helping promote and build the haunt, bringing even more community members into the project.

A Haunt for Everyone

While the haunted house has grown in size and production quality, Josh and his team have kept ticket prices low. This year, tickets are just $5, compared to $10 in previous years.

“We know that everyone is struggling this year financially, so we thought it wise to drop the price for all guests,” he says. His goal is to make the haunt accessible to as many people as possible, giving families a fun and affordable reason to visit the mall.

As Scream Scenes continues to grow, Josh hopes it becomes a staple of the Leesburg Halloween season.

“We hope to keep building it bigger each year and giving new opportunities for the youth and local actors to be a part of,” he says.

With an enthusiastic cast, expanded maze, and a story that’s sure to scare, Scream Scenes: Mystic Manor promises to be one of the most thrilling haunted experiences in Central Florida this year.

Scream Scenes runs on select nights through October 31. Tickets are available for purchase at Lake Square Mall.