When Kivo LeFevre goes out in public, he may not be immediately recognizable — until he laughs.

That's because for one month every year he uses his laugh as a scare-tactic when he portrays Mr. Booger at the Nightmare Factory, the longest running haunted house in Oregon.

When the Nightmare Factory opened in 1987, LeFevre was one of the first student volunteers, and now he's the co-director.

More than 45 creatures and monsters that lurk in the Nightmare Factory will once again open the doors to willing victims for what co-founder Ed Roberts said is the scariest year yet.

"People know that we are going to change things every year," he said. "Everything has changed."

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Keeping the Nightmare Factory relevant isn't a problem, even after 31 years.

With decades of scaring-experience, LeFevre and Roberts have become experts in their areas of fright: LeFevre covers clowns and freak show elements while Roberts handles all things monsters.

Students and volunteers have been involved more than years past in the creation and completion of this year's haunt, providing new costumes, props, characters and artwork.

This year is the first year of a five-year plan, Roberts said, where some elements will deteriorate over time while others grow. Here's a glimpse of what awaits:

Desolation Alley

One of the more drastic changes to the Nightmare Factory is Desolation Alley, which is Roberts' area of the haunt. Guests will walk-through a variety of rooms dedicated to "shops."

Think of all the businesses that give you the creeps, chances are they're featured in Desolation Alley.

It begins with a Curiosity Shop owned by Roberts' character, Candy.

"I'm a monstrosity," he said, "A twisted six-foot-five-man child."

As guests go deeper into the haunt, they will enter a seance room, perfumery, a black-lit apothecary, greenhouse, taxidermy, meat shop and stitchery.

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In the middle of the alley, town square is guarded by a werewolf portrayed by Nick Hardwood, a student at the Oregon School for the Deaf. He looks forward to scaring people as a new character this year.

Hardwood was one of the students who contributed artwork to this year's haunt, painting Desolation Alley's brick floors. Many of the props and paintings featured in this section were also made or donated by students and volunteers.

Desolation Alley will slowly deteriorate as part of the five-year plan.

The Upside Down

Last year, guests probably noticed a tribute to the hit Netflix series, "Stranger Things," in the haunt — a tribute that is back this year but will not be returning.

Next year, the space will be used for something else. This section is the only part of the haunt that references pop culture, and there are currently no plans to in the future.

"We tend to stay away from this stuff anymore since Universal Studios is doing it," Roberts said.

The tribute has moved to a larger space and features traditional "Stranger Things" elements including alphabet lights, couches, 80s style furniture and, new to the haunt, a Demogorgon.

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Mr. Booger's Funhouse

The last third of the haunt is dedicated to LeFevre's expertise— clowns.

Will clowns ever not be scary? The answer is no; killer clowns are pretty much timeless, right?

Plastered all over the walls of Mr. Booger's Funhouse are hundreds of dolls collected over the years. Black lights illuminate paintings on the walls done by students, including Jolinda Mathis.

Mathis enjoys the creative aspect of the Nightmare Factory, which allows her to feature her artwork, come up with new characters and design.

When people visit the Nightmare Factory, their screams are not the only thing they contribute. The money raised goes towards the school and students, providing supplies, athletic programs, field trips and funding school functions.

In the end, the Nightmare Factory — in all it's scary-goodness — is about the kids.

Kobe Beard, also a student, said working at the Nightmare Factory gives him and his friends a place to be themselves.

"A lot of people don’t think we can do this or that," he said. "It shows that we are not broken."

Abby Luschei is the entertainment reporter for the Statesman Journal; she can be reached at aluschei@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6747. Follow her on Twitter @abbyluschei or facebook.com/luscheiabby.

Interested in telling a story at one of the upcoming Salem Storytellers Project events? Submit a story here: storytellersproject.com/salem/speak. Learn more about the project here.

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If you go

What: The Nightmare Factory, Oregon's longest-running haunted house, will feature more than 45 actors, Desolation Alley, a tribute to "Stranger Things" and an improved Mr. Booger's Funhouse.

When: Weekends Oct. 5-25, open daily Oct. 25-31; open for Blackout Nov. 2-4

Location: Oregon School for the Deaf, 999 Locust St. NE, Salem

Cost: $15, $25 for VIP (shorter line), $10 in addition to ticket price for Z-Tag Live Zombie Infection, $10 for Scare Again (same night only), $40 for Mr. Booger's Wild Ride. $2 off the price of a general admission ticket for groups of 20 or more.

Information: 503-378-3825 or facebook.com/NightmareFactorySalem