Ghouls dangle from rafters and line haunted trails, a large carved Bigfoot is flanked by a skeleton band next to the train store and a gathering of bright green aliens has gathered in the town square of Metamora for the Haunted Village.
The village is welcoming tourists for what is usually a big business period, a little over two months after historic floods devastated many of the Whitewater River-adjacent homes and businesses.
Before the haunt began, we talked with Tara Bell at the historic mill.
"It was hard. It was really hard. People were just, what do you do? Nobody has been through it before," she said.
WATCH: We revisit Metamora ahead of the haunted village's launch
Haunted village returns to Metamora two months after historic floodingA collective community effort has pulled the flood-damaged town back to relative normalcy in time for the village to show off for customers.
"It's come a long way. Most of the shops are back. They're open," Ball said.
That includes Buttons and Bows, a store nestled into the back corner of Metamora closest to the river.
Inside, we found owner Jackie Beneker surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of decorations for sale.
"It was two feet of water in the building down by the end," Beneker said while a fabric ghost sailed over her shoulder from an awning. "Luckily, our two shops only got eight inches."
Beneker said they lost inventory and had to work hard to clean up all of the mess, but they had help all the way.
The main issue remaining for businesses this Halloween haunt is the return of the Whitewater Valley Railroad's Haunted train. Ball and Beneker both said flood damage has kept the fall attraction from returning this year.
Beneker says the business owners have focused on the village experience to make up for losing the train.
"We've really improved all the haunting and the decorations around town and hoping that's enough to draw people," she said.
Metamora is still raising flood-relief funds to keep it from becoming a permanent ghost town.
The Haunted Village of Metamora runs every Friday and Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Oct. 31.
