JOPLIN, Mo. — Rather than trick-or-treating for candy this Halloween, hundreds of kids and adults — many in costume — journeyed through the ‘haunted’ trail known as “Drachenmoor.”
On Tuesday (10/31), the family-friendly, yet spooky Halloween trail located in south Joplin, opened early to welcome those waiting in line to tour the three-acre haunted trail that’s filled with hundreds of Halloween-themed inflatables, animatronics, and static displays.
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With plenty of iconic Halloween characters on hand — and of course, that beloved dragon at the trail’s entrance — families from across the Four States (including a few dressed-up pets) enjoyed the interactive attraction — many of them for the first time.
After several months of hard work setting up the large Halloween-themed trail, “Drachenmoor” is only open for two weeks during the month of October, before closing the gates at 9 p.m. Halloween night. Work immediately begins the following day to put the residential property, owned by Dan and Marian Goepfert, back in order.
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While donations are accepted, the experience is free. Drachenmoor continues to grow after 20 years, as they add more displays every year — many of them were constructed by Dan. The Goepferts say they’re “addicted” to providing this unique experience to the community.
“There’s a lot of satisfaction in the people of the community. They tell us over and over how much they enjoy it. We have generations that come here. People that came here when they were kids, now have their own kids that they bring,” said Drachenmoor co-owner, Dan Goepfert.
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“He is very creative. He built the dragon, and all the props on the other side, he built those as well — and that’s his fun time. He works really hard all year and he enjoys this,” said Marian Goepfert, co-owner of Drachenmoor.
It takes at least two weeks to put each item away. As for next October, the Goepferts say they’ll start the process of bringing out and setting up the halloween-themed displays in late spring.
