Here is the Haunted Attraction Industry News for September 14th.
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Our 61-day Hauntathon brings you to a different haunted house every day from September 1st through October 31st, 2022. Count down to Halloween with daily podcasts and videos from haunted houses worldwide. To top it off, get your adrenaline pumping with six exclusive haunted house experiences in various cities. More info below.
Theme Parks
Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights (Orlando, FL) sold out for the first three nights of the event. The Haunted Attraction Network was there to experience all the spooky fun. Get a taste of the event with a full walkthrough of The Weekend: After Hours Nightmare.
SeaWorld San Diego’s Howl-O-Scream announced two new haunted houses, an additional scare zone, new “scAREAs”, bars, and a macabre show. The new haunts for this year’s event will be “Circus of the Damned” and “Area 64: Alien Outbreak” and the new scare zones are “Clown Gauntlet” and “Sea of Souls”. The themed “scAREAs” feature the “Carnival of Chaos” midway of mayhem and “Vampire Underground” nightclub. Take the edge off your fears or just toast the terror at three new bars, Toys N’ Tonic, Blood Moon Bar, and Big Top Drinks. The house-inspired themes continue with returning bars, Simon’s Screamtorium, AmBARlance, and the Howl-O-Scream Bar. Each is located outside its corresponding haunted house. Finally, a new thrilling show will premiere at this year’s event – “Darkness Falls”. Mesmerizing performers and percussionists will lure innocent souls into an intense journey through your wildest nightmares, while struggling with adversities and battles between good and evil! Howl-O-Scream takes place select nights September 16th – October 31st. Tickets are available online starting at $39.99.
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Disney villains will steal Disneyland Paris‘ 30th Anniversary limelight this Fall with the Disneyland Paris Halloween Festival. From October 1st – November 6th, get ready to enter a ghoulish atmosphere of spellbinding encounters, wickedly wonderful activities, terrifyingly-fun attractions, and more eye-popping surprises. Meet Maleficent, Captain Hook, Jafar, the Queen of Hearts, Cruella de Vil, and all their wicked friends at the Royal Castle Stage; dine on Halloween-themed entrees, desserts, and drinks; and purchase exclusive Halloween merchandise. After a two-year absence, the fan-favorite Mickey’s Halloween Celebration cavalcade will return, featuring Mickey and friends dressed in their Halloween best – and new for 2022 is the “Mickey’s Illusion Manor” float. On October 29th & 31st Disney Halloween Parties bewitch Disneyland Park until 2:00 a.m. Halloween party guests will be treated to new exclusive shows, the Halloween cavalcade, and memorable interactions with Disney Villains. Additionally, some areas of Disneyland Park will be transformed into homes for terrifying creatures, including zombies in Adventureland’s caves and crypts, ghostly encounters at Frontierland, and at the stroke of midnight, the most fearless guests will experience scary moments on Main Street, U.S.A. as mysterious spirits take over. Tickets are available online starting at $94.80/person for the 29th and $106.80/person for the 31st.
Celebrate the Halloween season at Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, CA) on more dates than ever before as the park’s family-friendly Halloween event, Knott’s Spooky Farm, runs Thursdays – Sundays, September 29th – October 31st. The park will be transformed with themed décor, and little ghouls can trick-or-treat around the town of Calico’s shops and buildings. Get an up-close view of spiders, bugs, and other creepy-crawlies at the Livery Stable with “Creepy Critters Corral”, get seasonal photos at the Calico Park Pumpkin Patch, and travel with the PEANUTS gang on the Grand Sierra Railroad to spot Halloween characters and effects along the trail. Halloween-themed entertainment includes the Great Pumpkin Palooza with Snoopy and the Peanuts gang at Camp Snoopy and the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre Show at the Bird Cage Theatre. Two of the park’s rides will get a Halloween overlay – the Timber Mountain Log Ride hosts a Halloween Hootenanny, and the Calico Mine Ride will transform into a candy wonderland. Daily admission tickets are available online starting at $69.
U.S. Haunts & Events
The scares return to Western New York this October when Everhaunt Haunted Attraction (Angola, New York) reopens for the Halloween season. Three new add-on attractions for 2022 are: The Earthquake: Thrill Experience, Zombie Paintball Shooting Gallery, and The Chambers – a terrifying 2-minute simulated testing experience gone wrong. Returning is the popular Horror Icon Series, where horror stars spend the weekend at the attraction visiting with fans. This year is headlined by Seth Gilliam, Father Gabriel from AMC’s The Walking Dead. The General Admission ticket price ($25) is the same as last year, and some of their add-on prices have been lowered. In a press release, founder Kevin Donovan discussed the haunt’s pricing, saying, “With inflation and higher gas prices, we understand that people are looking for affordable, quality entertainment.” Everhaunt runs select nights from October 1st – November 5th. Tickets can be purchased on the event’s official website.
Pumpkin Nights returns to Austin & Dallas/Fort Worth from September 22nd to October 30th. Pumpkin Nights was founded in 2016 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds with a mission to showcase local artists and celebrate the most magical time of year without the gore and scares. At Pumpkin Nights, attendees set out on a Halloween walking path where they will discover 10-foot tall Jack-o-Lanterns, the world’s largest pumpkin guitar, a flying 40-foot handmade dragon, a life-size pumpkin pirate ship, and more fantastic surprises built by artists using over 5,000 hand-carved real and synthetic pumpkins. The celebration continues with entertainment and games in The Village festival area. Pumpkin Nights is located at Howell Farms in Arlington, TX, and Pioneer Farms in Austin, TX. Tickets go on sale to members of the Pumpkin Nights e-mail list on September 6th, and general sales start on October 7th. Adult admission is $26 on weekends and $18 on weekdays. Child Admission (ages 4-12) is $18 on weekends and $14 on weekdays. Children 3 and under are free.
Opening for its second season this October, The Haunted Woods at Shawnee Hills (Powell, OH) takes place near the Columbus Zoo on nearly a mile of spooky trails through the woods. The haunt is open every Friday and Saturday from October 14th – 29th from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Sensory-friendly/minimally scary sessions will take place from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. every Saturday. Tickets are available online starting at $15 for General Admission and $20 for VIP Front of the Line Access. 100% of the proceeds benefit the work of Adaptive Sports Connection, whose mission is to break through limitations with adaptive innovation, ensuring people of all abilities, the health benefits, freedom, and sense of belonging from recreation and outdoor experiences.
Get ready for eerie family fun with Creatures of the Night at ZooTampa (Tampa, FL) on eleven select nights from September 30th – October 30th. Ever wonder what – or who – lurks in the swamp? This year’s event welcomes the Swamp Witch, a mysterious new resident looking to make a deal. Known to all who fear her as Blackwater Mattie, this spooky character spends her nights mixing potions and conjuring spells in the darkest corners of Florida’s murky swamps, where few dare to tread. Do you dare enter her swampy domain? Other new experiences for 2022 include the HooDoo Hall dance party, New Neverland: Forever hide-and-seek along Zoo Boulevard, and the Spooky Safari. Returning family-friendly events include Twisted Tales villain-inspired storytime, Clown Carousel, Scarecrow Junction dance party, and HaHa Haybale Maze. Brave guests can enter the returning haunt, Junkyard of Broken Dreams, or dance the night away with Arachne, the Spider Queen at The Realm of the Sider Queen. Guests 21+ can enjoy the VooDoo Bar in the Beer and Wine Garden. Admission to Creatures of the Night is free for members, and general admission tickets are $34.95.
Banish the evil spirit and lift your curse in the newest escape room adventure, The Weeping Witch, by Cross Roads Escape Games. Owners Madison and Luke Rhoades create immersive sets, special effects, and show moments in their newest game using their theatrical background. The Weeping Witch lures people close by mimicking the sound of a woman crying. When people hear its wails, they follow the sound, thinking someone needs their help. Once they get close enough, the Witch reveals a mouth on the back of its head and slowly sucks the life out of its victims. Will you be able to banish the evil spirit and end your curse before the Weeping Witch consumes your soul? Tickets are on sale now for $38 per person. The game is 60 minutes long for 3-8 players over the age of 14, and bookings run Wednesdays – Sundays year-round starting Friday, September 9th.
Art’s Sideshow (Montclair, CA), a horror prop gallery, opened to the public on August 27th. Life-long horror fan Art Cordova began collecting life-size horror film props as a hobby, and as his collection outgrew his garage, he decided to share it with the world at this gallery. Art’s Sideshow features 12-themed areas of photo ops – including Classic Horror Slashers, Beetlejuice, and more. Tickets can be purchased on-site for $25 per adult and $15 per child (12 & under).
On select nights from September 27th through October 31st, Pirates Dinner Adventure (Buena Park, CA) will host Vampirates, a Halloween-themed dinner show that’s guaranteed to provide spooky fun for the whole family. Guests will experience the annual Halloween Ball, a gala filled with celebration, games, songs and fun. But beware! Danger lurks just outside the safety of Treasure Bay. A ruthless crew of Vampirates, led by the dark soul of Captain Sebastian the Black, have set sail, creating destruction and spreading fear. The only way to defeat the Vampirates and bring peace back to Treasure Bay is with your help. During Halloween weekend, Pirates Dinner Adventure will offer trick-or-treating and a costume contest at each show. Pirates Adventure Dinner general admission includes a three-course dinner with unlimited soft drinks. Ticket prices for the Halloween special are $64.95 for adults and $36.95 for children 11 and under. Receive 25 percent off tickets for Vampirates with the code “FANGS” when booking over the phone (714) 690-1497.
Celebrate the Halloween season with Goblins & Giggles Weekends at the Gaylord Palms Resort (Kissimmee, FL). The resort will host family-friendly entertainment each weekend through October 30th. Activities include the Monster Mash Bash Dance Party and Costume Contest, Ghoul School walk-through interactive show, Trick-or-Treat Expedition, Jack-O’-Lantern Walk, and Story-time and Cookie Decorating. Test your sleuthing skills with the Secret Garden Escape Room and Hide & Seek Scavenger Hunt. Brave all sorts of creepy creatures – from snakes to alligators – with Adventure Kids Spooky Celebration and Spooky Animal Encounters. Enjoy a Drive-In Movie, Spooky the Square Pumpkin” at Cypress Springs Water Park, and the nightly Phantom of the Atrium Light Show. Finally, have some Halloween-themed libations (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at the Wicked Brews Spookeasy, featuring creepy portraits and a wise-cracking musical ghost. Goblins & Giggles Weekend tickets can be purchased on Gaylord Palm’s official website.
Travel Over the Rainbow to Beech Mountain, North Carolina, and celebrate Land of Oz‘s annual Autumn at Oz Festival – one of the world’s largest Wonderful Wizard of Oz events. September 16th – 18th and 23rd – 25th, The Land of Oz theme park, which operated between 1970 – 1980 will reopen to the public. Fans can visit the Gale farm in Kansas, experience the twister, meet Glinda in Munchkinland, and follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City while meeting their favorite characters and experiencing live performances along the adventure. The event will also include unique craft & memorabilia vendors, delicious food & beverages, face painting, photo ops, and more. Tickets are available online starting at $55.00 for General Admission with a $6.00 Over the Rainbow Observation Deck Add-on.
International Haunts & Events
Alton Towers (Alton, Staffordshire, UK) celebrates 15 years of its award-winning Scarefest event with a new maze for 2022. In “The Invitation,” the Lakeside Cemetery invites you to join them for a grave experience that will live with you for eternity. Their friendly funeral director is dying to assist you as you descend into the burial chamber, where you can choose your final resting place. Some caskets have already been filled, but others are still empty, waiting for you! “The Invitation” joins three other returning mazes, “The Attic: Terror of the Towers,” “Darkest Depths,” and “Altonville Mine Tours: Uncover the Legend of the Skin Snatchers.” Scarefest takes place on select dates, October 7th – 31st. Tickets are on sale now on the event’s official website, starting at £32.00 for all four mazes (theme park admission required).
After a devastating fire in late May, Creepy Hollow (Alberta, Canada) plans to reopen October 1st. The haunt raised funds via a GoFundMe campaign and live events over the past few months. They are currently taking donations of themed props, animatronics, and decorations. More information about the new build and this year’s event will be posted to the haunt’s Facebook page in the coming weeks.
Conventions & Mixers
The 9th Annual Spook Show returns to Halloween Club in La Mirada, California this Saturday, September 24th from Noon – 7:00 p.m. The event celebrates all things Halloween, featuring artists, vendors, food trucks, entertainment, and more. View this year’s vendor map to browse all the 100+ exhibitors and food trucks. Halloween Club will be open daily during this time and will be holding a 30% off sale. The event is free to attend. RSVP online for tickets.
Education
In his most recent episode of A Scott in the Dark, Scott Swenson discussed integrating Halloween into Museums, Zoos, Restaurants, Retail locations, and other attractions to create new (but still on-brand) guest experiences. Integrating Halloween into a year-round attraction serves important purposes other than just entertaining guests – it reinforces the brand loyalty and commitment of membership and invites a new pool of people into your facility. It can also drive revenue. “Halloween is one of those things that can be done at night. So, you can have your day and night products – and it’s like getting two days in one. It also allows you to sell specific merchandise, specific culinary – you can even add alcohol and cocktails to the evening event.” With creativity, Halloween can be integrated into an on-brand experience at any attraction. For haunters, Scott suggests reaching out to local attractions to create cross-promotional opportunities. For example, a local bookstore may welcome a few scareactors for a late-night ghost story reading. The bookstore benefits from a new event that draws from a different customer base, and the haunt providing the scareactors benefits by passing out flyers and demonstrating the talents of its staff to an audience of horror-lovers. It is all about creatively finding non-traditional spaces for holiday events.
As we are now in September, promotion for your haunt should be well under way. In August’s Haunter’s Toolbox Master Class, Philip Hernandez of the Haunted Attraction Network discussed 13 cheap ways to promote your haunted attraction. By utilizing Local involvement, Press releases, Media nights, Influencers, Email, Instagram, TikTok, the Google Business Suite, Website Optimizers, Facebook Freebies, Wristbands, Customer-generated content, and Direct Mail, you can expand your reach and better promote your event. Sign up for Haunters Toolbox Membership to access each month’s live session, past recordings, and more.
Music
As we enter into the spooky season, we all have our favorite playlists to get us into the Halloween spirit. This past year’s Midsummer Scream featured two panels delving into beloved film and tv scores and soundtracks. In the “Composers of the Apocalypse” panel, talented musicians that created iconic horror film scores and famous themes came together to discuss the legacy of their beloved works. Moderated by Michael Kolence of Grimm Life Collective, the panel featured John Massari (Killer Klowns From Outer Space, The Ray Bradbury Theater, The Wizard of Speed and Time), Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th and sequels, The Swamp Thing, House), Holly Amber Church (Open 24 Hours, Ruin Me, Dark Light), Alan Howarth (Halloween 2-6, Christine, They Live), Richard Band (Re-Animator, Troll, Ghoulies), and Christopher Young (Hellraiser, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities). In the Spooky Music in Visual Media panel, moderator Evan “Kidd” Bogart (LVCRFT) spoke with LVCR co-founder MNDR and music supervisors Rebecca Rienks (NBC Universal) and Jennifer Smith (Rat Dance Party) about how to select the perfect music for a project. Their methods and approaches can even be adapted to finding the perfect music for your haunt.
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Upcoming Events: September - November 2022
September 17: 9th Annual Spook Show (La Mirada, California)
October 14 – 16: Son of Monsterpalooza (Burbank, California)
November 14 – 18: IAAPA (Orlando, Florida)
November 25 – 26: Creep It Real Festive (Santa Ana, California)
Featured Videos
Hauntathon 2022
Listen
Tune in for daily podcasts featuring in-depth discussions with masters of fear from all over.
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Watch
See the scariest parts of the country with daily on-location videos. We’ve gathered a gang of ghouls to bring the sights of Halloween to you.
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Experience
Get off the couch and join us for SEVEN exclusive haunted attraction experiences in various cities. Mingle with the creators, explore with the lights on, and then get a VIP seat when the lights go out. These ultimate fan opportunities are available nowhere else and offer unparalleled access to these select haunted experiences.
Sept 30: Undead in the Water, Tampa FL
Oct 7: Terror Vault, San Francisco, CA (Get Tickets Here)
Oct 8: Castle Dark, Riverside, CA (Get Tickets Here)
Oct 14: Zombie Joe’s, Hollywood, CA (Get Tickets Here)
Oct 15: Bones Gulch, Santa Clarita, CA (Get Tickets Here)
Oct 29: The Willows, Hollywood, CA (Get tickets here)
Oct 30: Cemetery Lane, Hollywood, CA (Get tickets here)
Daily Show Rundown
Day 1: Previewing Halloween Horror Nights with John Murdy
We’ll hear from John Murdy about the design process for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Day 2: Unhinged: Nightshade’s Curse at The Winchester Mystery House
After a two-year hiatus, Winchester Mystery House presents a new terrifying chapter, Unhinged: Nightshade’s Curse.
Day 3: Shaqtoberfest, Delusion, & the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group has a large footprint in SoCal. This year, Delusion and the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride are returning, plus the team has a new event in Long Beach – SHAQTOBERFEST. We’ll learn all about it in this panel presentation recorded live during Midsummer Scream.
Day 4: Reign of Terror Haunted House: A Retrospective
Reign of Terror Haunted House in Thousand Oaks CA is one the longest-running independent haunted attractions in Sothern California. Their journey has been anything but easy. In this presentation recorded during Midsummer Scream, founder Bruce Stanton shares the trials of their 23-year odyssey in haunting.
Day 5: The Scare City Experience opens at Camelot Theme Park
Scare City Experience is a 2-hour long, 2KM horror trail set within the abandoned Camelot Theme Park in Lancashire. This episode is courtesy of our partners in the UK – ScareTrack – and you’ll hear Mikey interviewing Paul Butterworth & Georgia Ramsey discussing the new event.
Day 6: 4 Hot & New Haunts Coming to SoCal
Today – 4 SoCal haunts will present their 2022 plans – Bones Gulch, Fright Nights at Alesmith, Castle Dark, and Fear Farm.
Day 7: Evil Intentions Haunted House in Elgin, IL
Evil Intentions In Elgin, IL is Planning For A Killer 2022 – What Do They Have Up Their Sleeve? We’ll find out.
Day 8: The Fear PDX in Portland, OR
What does The Fear PDX have planned for their 10th season? We’ll find out.
Day 9: Massacre Haunted House in Montgomery, IL
Coming up, We’re going on-location to Massacre Haunted House in Montgomery IL, to learn about their 2022 season.
Day 10: Santa Ana Haunt
Home haunts are a huge part of Halloween, and today we’ll learn what Santa Ana Haunt has planned for their Halloween Season.
Day 11: Previewing Knott’s Scary Farm 2022
We’re previewing this year’s Knott’s Scary Farm offerings. Specifically, we’ll hear about the two new mazes, Bloodline 1842 and Grimoire, the food, new merchandise, Into The Fog exhibit, and the new daytime tour experience. These interviews were conducted live at Knott’s by Elsie from Sharp Productions, one of our content partners. Eric Nix, Christopher Do, Karl Busche, and Wilf Seymour are featured in this episode.
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