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Littleton's scariest entrepreneurs

Contributed by: Ryan Parker on 3/11/2008

Among severed body parts, princess costumes, and a statue of Darth Vader the Reinke Brothers have carved their niche, and a pumpkin or two, in Littleton.

Greg and Chris Reinke have been making and running their own haunted houses since the two were 10-year-old boys in their parent's basement, and have never stopped.

"We've set the bar for haunted houses, and when we were put on the cover of the of the 'Spotlight' section of the' Rocky Mountain News'in 1988, the business really took off," said Greg Reinke.

Although people might think that haunted houses are nothing but blood and gore and anyone could put one together, Reinke said they are very wrong.

"We liked blood and guts when we started out as little kids, but it's just not scary, and it's too easy to do. I want to do better than that for people," Reinke said.

This whole conversation might be considered a funny one coming from the man who was voted "Littleton's most valuable person" by the Littleton Independent, unless they knew just what the store and haunted house named The Haunted Mansion have accomplished in the town.

"We helped revitalize downtown Littleton and we couldn't be happier about it. We have even helped build the floats that are used in the parades, such as the Western Welcome Week that takes place here, and help with costumes for the local high school's theater productions," he said.

Reinke tells the story of how the idea of a shop to go along with the haunted house came to be after he was on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland as a child and saw skulls being sold in the small gift shop afterward.

"I was a 12-year-old then, and I went and bought an old china cabinet to put skulls in for our haunted house and I still use the same cabinet here in the store to display skulls today," Reinke said.

The idea behind everything the brothers do is entertainment --that's what they are here to do. He added that money is no object when it comes to doing the job right.

"We spend 60 to 80 grand a year to re-do the house so that it's even better than the previous year," Reinke said.

Thecity of Littleton means so much to him that he ran for city council in the past, but lost by a small margin, which he blames on something he finds to be funny.

"People didn't like my hair," Reinke said. "I had people tell me they wouldn't vote for me just because I have long hair, which I got a kick out of."

He said he had no problem telling people he liked his hair, and that he grew it out because it seemed to him that is what ladies seemed to find attractive on guys.

Reinke vows to continue to support the life and the re-growth of the downtown, and do his best to entertain all of its patrons.


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