COLUMBIA, MO. -- Halloween is only a month away.

That means haunted houses are popping up all across Mid-Missouri.

At Columbia’s Necropolis haunted house, professional actors wear scary costumes on movie quality sets.  According to Yahoo, Necropolis is one of the top rated haunted houses in the country.

Necropolis owner Bill Schnell said, “We liken it very closely to roller coasters, actually.  It’s the same thing.  You know that it’s a safe environment.  It’s just an extreme adrenaline rush.”

Visitors to Necropolis experience the story of a killer out for blood.  You should be at least 13 years old before you enter.  During the past 5 years, more than 1,000 adults left the show early because they were so scared.

The actors at Necropolis have 2 goals when you enter their haunted house.  They want to scare you when you know this is all just an illusion.  They also want to scare you when you know that people in costumes and monsters might touch you.

Actors suggest you visit them as early as possible before the larger crowds and longer lines appear around Halloween.

An actor dressed like a zombie said, “I think words like zombie and undead are thrown around way too often.  We really are real people.”

An actor dressed as a bloody clown said, “I’m a funny clown.  I like to make jokes.  I like picnics.  I like walks in the park, but they won’t ever let me leave this place.”