Haunted Woods Trail canceled this year

The Fulton County Historical Society's Haunted Woods Trail has been canceled for the first time in nearly two decades. 

Those looking for their annual scare along the Fulton County Historical Society's Haunted Woods Trail will be disappointed to learn that it has been canceled this Halloween season. 

The haunted trail, a popular fundraiser for the museum, has taken place on the grounds of the Historical Society – four miles north of Rochester on U.S. 31 – for the past 18 years. That run, even through the COVID-19 pandemic, comes to an end this year. 

Fulton County Museum Director Melinda Clinger hopes for its return in 2025. 

"We've had some change of people, and it's not organized for this year," she said of new board members of the Historical Society and the event's cancellation, which was announced Monday via its Facebook page.

"It was easier to cancel than it was to try and scramble and get it done," she added. 

Clinger also noted that volunteers, some who put weeks into making the haunted trail possible, are important to its success each year. 

"It's an effort that at this point, this year, just wasn't going to work," she said. "We're planning to reorganize after the first of the year, get people involved and go from there."

The cancellation is bittersweet for Clinger, who has had some health issues for the last month or so. 

"For me, it's sort of a relief not to have it this year because of that," she said. "But, I know people have had a lot of fun with it and it's been a great fundraiser for the museum."

In its post, the Historical Society asked the public to check back for the event next year and thanked the community for its continued support.