The Straw Maze, one of Rexburg’s many seasonal attractions, opened this week. The Haunted Forest will begin the last weekend of September and the Haunted Maze will start the first weekend of October.
According to Jared Orr, the owner of the maze, this year is the 16th operating year for The Straw Maze and The Haunted Maze. They will also celebrate the 10th year of The Haunted Forest, which runs adjacent to the maze.
The Straw Maze includes many other attractions, like escape rooms, axe throwing, photo areas and slides.
For more information about ticket prices and hours visit The Straw Maze website
According to Orr, The Straw Maze is constructed every year using local straw that he purchases and bales himself — usually between 2500 and 3500 bales of hay.
“We created a computer program to design the mazes,” said Orr. “Then I get in and we set it up … once the straw is in, we can have a fully functioning maze and courtyard in about 16 hours.”
The Straw Maze’s inaugural opening occurred in 2007. Orr and his friend, Derek Jones, were college students attending BYU-Idaho. They ran the maze from 2007 to 2017 until Jones moved to Montana. Jared and his wife, Melanie Orr, have been running it since then.
The maze employs between 100-120 people every fall — employees range from high school students to college students and adults.
“We wouldn’t be able to do it all without them,” said Orr. “We used to hunt with seven people and we would run through the maze … it’s grown from where we started in 2007.”
