Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

James Lewis, dressed as the demon judge from hell, emerges from his courthouse to taunt visitors to Nightfall, an interactive haunted house in the Elena Gallegos Open Space. The final night for the attraction was Saturday, but organizers hope to open it again next year.

Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

A glowing skull hangs from the doorway leading out of the haunted house. "Our goal was to make people think it's the most kick-ass haunted house they've been in," said Cody Polston, president of the Southwest Ghost Hunters Association and mastermind behind the attraction. "Eventually, it will be the most awesome haunted house in New Mexico," he said.

Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

It's hard to tell where the creepy sensation is coming from when walking up the dusty path toward the fabled town of Nightfall. A fog machine spews a low cloud on the horizon. The full moon hovers above the Sandias, casting its pale light on what is arguably New Mexico's most distinct haunted house.

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It's hard to tell where the creepy sensation is coming from when walking up the dusty path toward the fabled town of Nightfall. A fog machine spews a low cloud on the horizon. The full moon hovers above the Sandias, casting its pale light on what is arguably New Mexico's most unique haunted house.

And people are screaming.

"Hopefully we've created something that will be around for years to come," said Cody Polston, president and CEO of the Southwest Ghost Hunters Association. "I just wanted to bring something to Albuquerque that is different."

Polston dreamed of creating a haunt unlike any in New Mexico. "I wanted to amp up the whole Halloween experience for people," said Polston. "I knew I could pull off something really good if I could get the space."

In stepped the Open Space Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes use of the city's Open Space land. In exchange for half of the proceeds from the attraction - tickets were $20 - the city granted the ghost hunters association use of land in the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area.

What makes Nightfall unique is that people are on their own, said Polston. "They walk up alone, and they try to solve the riddle alone," he said, referring to a puzzle given to each visitor. Those who figure out the correct answer win a prize.

Visitors wind through a ramshackle house with demons and zombies oozing out of dark spaces. Beyond the house, they walk deeper into the haunt, through a crumbling cemetery speckled with tombstones and ghouls, toward a cluster of trees illuminated by a dim red light where they encounter the final rite. Once they pass, they have only the moon or stars to light their way out.

"The story can continue every year, changing and evolving," said Polston. "It's such a perfect area. The ambiance is incredible."

The haunt closed for the season Saturday night, but the association hopes to expand the attraction next year. For information, check out the city's Open Space Web site, cabq.gov/openspace, or the ghost hunters Web site, sgha.net.