Two Theme Parks Transition Away From Scary for Halloween

From the creators of Hush Haunted Attraction comes “The Legendary Axe”, a new axe throwing bar in Westland, Michigan. The new Axe Throwing and haunt share the same building, and is part of the move Hush Haunted Attraction is making to operate year-round. The venue’s grand opening weekend will be March 12th – 13th. Axe throwing sessions are $24.99 per person Wednesdays – Thursdays and $29.99 per person Fridays – Sundays. Private VIP room reservations for up to 10 players are also available starting at $350 – $400 for a 90 minute session. In addition to axe throwing, The Legendary Axe offers a full bar and lounge, small bites, and photo ops. 

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group will kick off their 30th season with Blood Alley Haunt March 11th – 13th in North Hollywood, California. Dare to wind your way through a forgotten passage haunted by the spirits of its diabolical past in this haunted theater maze spooktacular. Blood Alley Haunt is directed by Zombie Joe and Jorge Lozano with live musical score by Kevin “The Cop” Van Cott. The show is intended for ages 17+. Tickets are on sale now for $10 ($12 at the door). 

Residents of Thomasville, NC will be able to experience a new Halloween event this coming season: Scream Dreams Haunted Attraction. Located in the basement of a 1957 industrial building, the 66,000 square-foot haunt will feature over 40 rooms, taking approximately 35 minutes to walk through. General Manager Gus McPherson expects to employ approximately 80 staff members (including scareactors) to operate the attraction. Scream Dreams is scheduled to open September 1st. Updates and more information can be found on the Scream Dreams website. 

Proving that horror-themed events are not just for October, Fear on the Farm hosted a successful 5th annual Zombie Prom Saturday, February 19th in Winfield, West Virginia. Nearly 60 participants dressed as monsters, horror movie characters, and – of course – zombies to dance and party the night away. Fear on the Farm hosts around 30 events throughout the year. Their next scheduled event is a Vampire Ball taking place on August 28th. More information will be posted soon on Fear on the Farm’s official website. 

Hall of Horrors in Cayce, South Carolina was featured on ABC Columbia News for their first-ever Valentine’s Day event, Sins of the Flesh. The event, produced by the local Jaycees chapter, benefits the Camp Hope charity. In the interview, Program Director O’Shawn McClendon accredited the haunt’s success to the scareactors, “Our actors are what make the show what it is,” he said. “They bring it to life every year. All we do is create the environment for them. They’re able to take it from us. We give them a concept and they take it to the moon.”

Wicker Manor, a home haunt in Denver, Colorado, takes visitors on a terrifying journey through the depths of the abandoned – and haunted – Herman Brothers mineshaft. Take the tour yourself via a 4K walkthrough Youtube video. From custom-built animatronics to professional quality special effects – this small home haunt isn’t one to miss!

More and more haunts are opening for off-season events and creatively theming their haunt to match the holiday. In an interview with the Haunted Attraction Network, Cody Bailey, owner & creative director of Hush Haunted Attraction in Westland, Michigan (as well as the Vice President of the Haunted Attraction Association) discussed how he transforms his haunt for Valentine’s Day. One of the ways they create a new experience for the holiday is to add new, holiday-exclusive characters, “I just always think there has to be something new, something more unique, to create a better experience for our guest. I think the characters play a part in that, and if we’re trying to actually sell this as a Valentine’s haunt, we need characters that specifically fit that. So that’s why we don’t reuse… I’ve never once used a Valentine’s character inside of our regular season show.” Bailey sees a lot of value in producing these off season events. “We are bringing in revenue in the offseason, which helps cover ongoing operating costs, and engaging and continuing to interact with our core staff.” 

How do you differentiate your haunt from others in the area? Fear Overload and Ultimate Terror Scream Park are both owned by brothers Nathan and David, but the pair take vastly different approaches to each haunt that keep them unique in their respective markets. Fear Overload differentiates itself from other events in the San Francisco area (such as Six Flags Fright Fest) by creating a more intimate and “horrifying” atmosphere with loud noises and darkness instead of lots of scenery and detail. In contrast, Ultimate Terror Scream Park is located in the Sacramento area, where many of the local haunts are smaller, more intimate experiences. So for that flagship event Nathan and David designed a haunt in a 40,000 square foot facility that would appeal to a wider audience, not just the hardcore horror fans. “Some people are coming there for the animatronics, some people are coming there to see the actors and to get really scared,” explained Nathan in a recent Haunted Attraction Network interview, “Some people are coming there to view these massive sets that they’re walking downtown, some people are there because they really love the outdoor environment and the fog and everything that’s outside during the midway. So, we really have something for everyone. Our demographic there is 18 to 55.” Both Fear Overload and Ultimate Terror Scream Park fill a void in their respective market, and thus stand out with unique offerings for their audiences.