The history behind the Haunted Trails of Balboa Park
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park, a family-run attraction in San Diego, has been thrilling visitors for 26 years with its mile-long path of frights.
Founded by the Defatta family, who also started the Haunted Hotel in downtown San Diego 35 years ago, the trail has become a staple of local Halloween festivities. The attraction features around 80 actors and a variety of props to create a spine-chilling experience.
"I've always wanted to do an outdoor haunt and where would a better place be than San Diego where the weather is virtually perfect," said Greg Defatta, co-owner of the Haunted Trail of Balboa Park.
The Haunted Trail has evolved significantly since its early days, when it relied on boom boxes and a few lights to create its eerie atmosphere. Today, the trail uses equipment acquired from collaborations with Ron Howard's company Imagine Entertainment and Universal, enhancing the experience with professional-grade effects.
Dylan Defatta, Greg's son and co-owner, has been instrumental in designing new features for the trail. Despite his initial fear of haunted houses, Dylan became a scare actor at 14 and now uses his woodworking skills to craft intricate and terrifying scenes.
"When I'm trying to find inspiration, it doesn't always come from a scary place," Dylan said. "A lot of times I could be at a concert or a theme park or anywhere."
The Defattas continue to innovate and expand their haunted attraction, drawing in new generations of thrill-seekers. Tickets for this year's Haunted Trail are still available online or at the box office, ensuring that the screams will echo through Balboa Park for nights to come.
FOX 5/KUSI's Jennifer Franco contributed to this report.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.
