After nearly 500 people showed up for a haunted house event at Fort Casey State Park last Friday night, Jon Crimmins said he and other organizers were feeling pretty good about how well they handled things.

“It was like, ‘Wow this is fun. We’ve got this down,’” said Crimmins, who oversees several of Washington’s state parks on Whidbey Island, including Fort Casey.

Then nightfall arrived Saturday.

“Oh my goodness, all those headlights started rolling in,” Crimmins said.

Fort Casey’s first “Haunted Fort” blew away organizers’ expectations.

More than 1,500 people attended the event as 1,025 came Saturday night, causing Crimmins to think back to the last time that many visitors set foot at the park for a single attraction.

“I’m almost certain we had the most people this park has seen since 1968 when guns were put in,” said Crimmins, who grew up not far from the state park in Coupeville.

The event grossed nearly $10,000 with proceeds going toward the continued restoration of the century-old Admiralty Head Lighthouse.

Sharon Sharpe, program specialist with State Parks who works out of the lighthouse, showered praise on the more than 60 volunteers who came to scare people, tell ghost stories, attend the parking lot, take tickets and lead children’s games.

Among the helpers were lighthouse docents, students and sailors from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

“There’s no way we could have pulled this off without them,” said Sharpe, who at one time was afraid she might have to cancel the event after it appeared there would not be enough volunteers.

Organizers scrambled to find additional parking after people kept coming Saturday night.

Long lines formed in a trail through the woods and led to the lighthouse, where children’s games were played outside and ghost stories were told inside.

The main attraction was a trip to Battery Reuben Turman, a relic of the former U.S. seacoast fortification built in the 1890s where frighteners awaited in dark chambers.

“I thought it was really cool,” said Coupeville’s Jennifer Marzocca, who came with kids. “It’s something that should have been done a long time ago.”

Crimmins said a meeting will be held to determine how to improve and possibly extend the event next year, but assured there would be a next year.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Crimmins said with a laugh. “We’re going to have people in this park one way or another expecting it to happen.”