Cal Poly Students to Unveil Haunted House Friday

The student-led attraction opens this Friday at the Cal Poly campus after months of design and engineering work.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Theme Parks

Bold vector editorial illustration of a weathered door frame in a courtyard, representing student-led theatrical design and engineering. — Cal Poly engineering and theater students open a collaborative student-constructed haunted house attraction on the university campus this Friday. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should university students be responsible for managing complex event logistics like haunted houses on campus?

Engineering and theater students at the Cal Poly campus will open a student-constructed haunted house on Friday, October 30, 2026. The project represents a collaboration between the university's Amusement Park Engineering Design and Student Stage organizations.

Why it matters

This project integrates technical engineering and creative design to repurpose existing campus infrastructure. The collaboration serves as a practical application of skills for students pursuing careers in themed entertainment design.

The project relies on the expertise of sound designer Brianna Quinlan, who brings 5 years of professional experience to the production. The attraction utilizes a pre-existing black box theater and its established lighting grid for the layout.

The players

Cal Poly

California Polytechnic State University is a public research university located in San Luis Obispo known for its polytechnic curriculum.

Brianna Quinlan

Brianna Quinlan is a sound designer who contributed five years of experience to the development of the campus attraction.

The details

Students spent months developing engineering plans and layouts while coordinating with university departments on safety protocols. The project also included organized workshops to prepare scare actors for the opening weekend.

Project development began in spring 2026.
The attraction is scheduled to open on Friday, October 30, 2026.
A fire marshal inspection is scheduled for October 30, 2026.
The haunted house will be open on Halloween night, October 31, 2026.

Travel Outlook

The project follows a pattern set by the Cal Poly Amusement Park Engineering Design organization, which connects classroom theory with real-world entertainment construction. Such student-led initiatives mirror industry efforts to integrate engineering precision into temporary pop-up venues.

Visitors should prepare for the attraction to open on the evening of October 30, 2026, with additional availability on Halloween. Attendance depends on the results of the official fire marshal inspection scheduled for opening day.

The takeaway

This event demonstrates how students can leverage campus facilities like black box theaters to create professional-grade immersive experiences. Future years will likely see continued iterations of the project as the design team refines its production workflows.