LAKE WORTH - Despite a recession the G-STAR School's annual X-Scream haunted house was able to more than double its attendance over last year's opening weekend.

"It's a gigantic success," said Greg Hauptner , founder and CEO of the G-STAR School of the Arts for Motion Pictures and Broadcasting. Last year the haunted house was named one of the country’s top 13 haunts by the Travel Channel. He said it takes 45 minutes to make it through all six areas of the haunted house.

This year they've added a free entertainment area outside of the haunted house that includes a bounce house, games and live entertainment such as bands and dance troops. There's also a kids tour through the haunted house with the lights on an hour before the adult show starts each night.

"This is our fourth year and we've become a real destination," he said. "Everything is new this year. The whole thing is built by…15 year-old-kids."

Each year, he said, the kids at the school come up with new haunts and then build them. In doing so the kids learn set construction, makeup, and wardrobe. He said it takes more than 200 kids to put everything together and 130 of them will actually participate in the show.

The six themes this year are: Abducted, Scream Park, Puppeteer, Gauntlet High, Killer Tomato and Xpedition Chupacabra.

In addition to the haunt and entertainment area there will also be a special one night only live presentation of the Rocky Horror Picture Show 10 p.m. Oct. 31.

He said G-STAR is the largest film, TV production and acting high school in the nation and the only high school in the world with a real motion picture studio on its campus.

The haunted house will be open Fridays and Saturdays in October from 8 p.m. to midnight with the kids show from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost is $5 for the kids show and $13 for the regular show. Visit www.xscreamhalloween.com for more information. Their address is 2030 S. Congress Ave., in West Palm Beach.