Volunteers Needed for 2026 Haunted Science Laboratory

The Idaho State University physics program needs your help with one of the area’s most popular Halloween attractions.

The ISU physics program and Kiwanis Club of Pocatello’s Haunted Science Laboratory will return to the Bannock County Event Center in October. Volunteers are needed to help set up and prepare for the hundreds of local students who attend. The Haunted Science Lab features more than 50 educational and interactive science exhibits designed to delight, fright, and educate kids of all ages. Some exhibits use the same principles as Disneyland’s Haunted Science Mansion, except they are explained.

“Volunteering with the Haunted Science Laboratory is a great way to share excitement about science, celebrate Halloween, and provide a positive educational experience for our youth,” said Steve Shropshire, professor of physics at ISU and lead organizer of the Haunted Science Lab.

Set-up for the event will take place from September 30 through October 14, with field trips scheduled for October 15 through 22. The public day will be October 24, and take-down sessions will be from October 25 through 31. 

For more information on volunteering and to sign up, contact Steve Shropshire at (208) 282-2212 or shrostev@isu.edu. 

Since 2011, Idaho State’s Department of Physics and the Kiwanis Club of Pocatello have hosted the Haunted Science Laboratory as a free field trip for local schools. Last year, over 1,900 local students from across the region visited the Haunted Science Laboratory on a field trip, and when it opened to the public, more than 400 visitors stopped by.