This month, the South Bay got a new addition to the seasonal finery on display during Halloween when Marigold Manor began drawing crowds to a pumpkin patch off Tennant Avenue in Morgan Hill.
What started as a childhood passion for Jack Teresi, 19, and Luke Conor, 18, has transformed into a professional haunted house operation that demonstrates age is no barrier to entrepreneurship.
Teresi and Conor are the co-designers behind Ethereal Acres, a home-grown haunted house attraction now in its third year of operation. This year’s creation, Marigold Manor, is expected to host between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors by the end of the season.
Teresi, a Gavilan College student, began constructing haunted houses at age 11. But his motivation wasn’t simply a love of Halloween.
“The holiday of Halloween isn’t what inspired me to do it,” Teresi said. “I always had a big love of set design, and I grew up going to Disneyland. I loved it. I love feeling like I wasn’t where I am. I love having the ability to take someone out of the real world and put them into a story that I made, into a completely different environment.”
That passion for immersive storytelling drives the elaborate world the teenagers create each year. The haunted house’s story centers on an 1860s plantation house during the Civil War, where tragedy and madness converge. In this fictional tale, after the family matriarch is killed in an accidental crossfire, her grief stricken husband descends into insanity and forms a cult to reunite the family in death through dark rituals.
The grisly attraction features multiple scenes, including an imposing cathedral that took the teens six months to construct, with the assistance of dozens of friends and family members. Next year, Teresi plans to expand the narrative by introducing pirates as the family’s ancestors.
Conor, also now attending Gavilan College, complements Teresi’s storytelling vision with technical expertise in animatronics and design. The former neighbors discovered their shared interest through their front yard Halloween displays, gradually expanding from simple decorations to walk-through experiences.
“Atmosphere,” Conor said, summarizing his passion for Halloween attractions. “I love making a cool set, with the lighting and the fog. At Christmas you just don’t get that. Christmas is a bunch of LED lights and happy vibes, but it’s not the same atmosphere.”
The teens work almost year-round on the attraction, only taking a two-month break after dismantling the previous year’s attraction in November. From January through March, they focus on conceptual work such as storyboarding and developing characters. The actual construction phase spans about six months.
The enterprise relies heavily on volunteers, with about 20 people contributing as actors, artists and fabricators. Many fill multiple roles, and recruitment happens organically through word of mouth and social media.
Securing a location for the attraction presents an annual challenge. As the son of farmers, Teresi leverages family connections to approach landowners, though he faces frequent rejections. This year marked a turning point when the pumpkin patch reached out to them directly, expressing interest in making Ethereal Acres a permanent attraction.
“Staying small like this, in a location that’s calmer, it is easier for me to run my business because there’s fewer people interfering with what I’m doing,” Teresi said.
Both young entrepreneurs are developing valuable skills through their sinister endeavors. Conor has taught himself robotics and programming in order to design his own in-house animatronics, while both have gained experience in construction, event coordination and business management.
Teresi’s ultimate dream is to create a haunted house complex featuring multiple attractions in one location, similar to a theme park.
Visitors have responded enthusiastically to the experience. Haunted house goer Dominic Cortez praised the professionalism and production quality, while Anthony Rodriguez called it “a pretty cool experience” suitable for friends and family.
“Very professional,” Rodriguez said. “Good scare, you know, pretty cool for the amount it’s worth, and a really great time. So yeah, just come check it out.”
Teresi expressed wonder and amazement at the success of his passion project, and encouraged others to follow their dreams no matter how discouraging it may seem.
“You can do anything,” he declared. “You can do absolutely anything.”
Marigold Manor is open 7-10pm through Oct 31 at 1488 Tennant Ave, Morgan Hill. sites.google.com/view/ethreal-acres
