Here is the Haunted Attraction Industry News for April, 13th.
If you would like to receive this in your inbox, CLICK HERE
U.S. Haunts & Events
Paranormal Cirque is back for 2023 tour dates around the country. This fusion between a circus, theatre, and cabaret will transport audiences to a dark world inhabited by creatures with incredible circus art abilities. There will be three separate productions – Paranormal Cirque, Paranormal Cirque II, and Paranormal Cirque III, each visiting different areas of the U.S. with dates set for April – May. Tickets are available now with prices ranging $15 – $60.
Want to learn more about Paranormal Cirque? Last year the Haunted Attraction Network visited Paranormal Cirque for a behind-the-scenes look at this fascinating production and an interview with Paranormal Cirque Social Media Director / Publicity Director Steve Copeland and Artistic Director Ryan Combs.
After their April 29th – 30th event quickly sold out, Fear Columbus (Columbus, OH) has announced they will offer a second weekend of their highly anticipated Nightmare Combat event: May 5th – 7th. Battle monsters with realistic tactical weapons in this 40,000 sq. ft. live-action survival horror laser tag experience. This post-apocalyptic event has a cityscape with overturned cars, city streets, a giant haunted asylum, and live actors with targets built into their costumes that are triggered by your weapons. Just like any video game, you will also have to conquer the giant boss before you complete your mission. New for 2023 is 2-Way Scoring – the monsters now have proximity sensors that damage players if they don’t defeat them before they get too close. Tickets for this newly added weekend will be on sale soon – join the event’s e-mail list for early access. Tickets start at $44.99 for General Admission and $49.99 for General Admission + Souvenir Photo.
Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group can’t wait until Halloween to bring you, well, Halloween. On May 12th & 13th, their select haunts across the country are celebrating Halfway to Halloween. Participating haunts include 13th Floor Haunted House Denver (Denver, CO), 13th Floor Haunted House Houston (Houston, TX), 13th Floor Haunted House Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL), House of Torment (Austin, TX), The Old Joliet Haunted Prison (Joliet, IL), and Nashville Nightmare (Nashville, TN).
On Saturday, April 29th, Lincoln Mill Haunted House (Philadelphia, PA) opens for Viktor’s Vengeance: Halfway to Halloween. The Lincoln Mill is haunted by many spirits, including the former mill owner, Viktor Kane. For Halfway to Halloween, the chamber has been lit up in ultraviolet light to reveal unnatural activity. Messages have appeared, revealing the presence of a demon and a dark truth about Viktor Kane. Brave guests can venture inside the mill to learn just what may have possessed Viktor Kane in the 1930s. Tickets are on sale now for $25 per person.
On May 26th – 27th, The Haunted Hotel (Louisville, KY) will present “The Last Survivors.” You can navigate your way through the overgrown and overrun grounds of what once was an old hotel. What lurks, clicks, or hibernates inside will decide your fate. Will you become the last survivors or not? More event and ticket information will be available in the coming weeks on the haunt’s official website.
The Haunted Hydro (Fremont, OH) offers area high schools fundraising opportunities with their upcoming Halfway to Halloween event on May 12 & 13th. Participating groups are given an online ticket purchase code to promote to their communities and will receive $3 from each ticket sold using their unique code. In addition, the group that sells the most tickets during the promotion will win a $300 prize. On May 12th & 13th Haunted Hydro is sectioning off an area of their event for a Zombie Prom – complete with DJ, dance area, snack, and several photo ops. The area will be used for Juniors, Seniors, and their guests. Prom students will not only be a part of the Zombie Prom, but they will also be able to go through the Hydro and have the option of 1 escape room or adding a touch pass to the experience. Area schools that wish to participate in the Zombie Prom fundraiser can fill out the official interest form. Only one group per school will be chosen to participate.
Nightmare on Eastbrooke (Evansville, IN) has outgrown its humble beginnings as a home haunt and will be returning in 2023 as Evansville Nightmare Factory. The haunt’s new facility is a 17,000-square-foot warehouse. Owner Shawn Smith announced the change by saying, “After a decade thriving as Nightmare on Eastbrooke It was time for The Nightmare to grow. Carved from the skeleton of an old factory and forged in the dark, a nightmare like never before began to feed and thrive off of all who dared face it… Welcome to Evansville Nightmare Factory as we bring Evansville and the tri-state a new and more intense Haunted Attraction than the area has ever experienced before. Prepare yourself for a new Nightmare and ask yourself… Have you had E N F ?” The haunt will open in Mid-September for the 2023 Halloween season.
The Spooky Swap Meet (Los Angeles, CA) is fast approaching on April 29th – 30th. Aside from vendors, you can enjoy trick-or-treating at spooky houses hosted by AdamJess FX, A Mr. He Slasher, Fear Farm, Bones Gulch Haunted Attraction with Samhain’s Lot, LA Haunted Hayride, and Vamp and the Fiends. Purchase them soon at the event’s official website.
Theme Parks
When darkness falls, Dementors, Death Eaters, and other fearsome creatures cloak the stone walls of Hogwarts Castle with sinister images from the darker side of magic as Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle returns to Universal Studios Hollywood. Experience the fire-engulfed army of Inferi, the soul-draining breath of Dementors, and the haunting image of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as you stare in awe at the castle’s takeover. This powerful spectacle is accompanied by an atmospheric musical score created by John Williams. Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle will take place select nights from dusk to park close: May 27th – 29th, and June 17th – August 13th.
Livestreams
The next installment of TransWorld Live: The Road to Midwest Haunters will occur Tuesday, April 11th at 5:00 p.m. PDT. This week’s episode will feature Pandora, Deoblo, Phil of Haunter’s Hangout, John Laflamboy of Zombie Army Productions, and Paul Lanner of Haunter’s Against Hate.
Conventions & Mixers
Are you traveling to this year’s Midwest Haunters Convention (Rosemont, IL) on June 10th – 11th? Be sure to book your hotel early, as area hotels are filling up quickly. As of last week, The Doubletree was sold out, and Embassy Suites Chicago O’Hare Rosemont only had limited rooms remaining. Midwest Haunters Convention features two pre-convention bus tours (June 8th & 9th), an expansive show floor, top-notch educational seminars, networking, contests, party, and more. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $30 – $35 for One-day Show Floor Access, $50 for Two-Day Show Floor Passes, and $385 for Weekend Packages.
Sinister Visions has debuted a time-lapse video of creating this year’s Midwest Haunter’s Convention t-shirt design. The shirt will feature a skeleton in a coffin with smiling jack-o-lanterns.
SHARE THIS
Upcoming Events: April - June 2023
April 29 – 30: Spooky Swap Meet (Los Angeles, California)
May 5-7: Southeast Hollows Haunt Convention (Savannah, Georgia)
June 2 – 4, 2023: Monsterpalooza (Pasadena, California)
June 10 – 11, 2023: Midwest Haunters Convention (Rosemont, Illinois)
Spring / Summer Haunts
April
Crimson Carnival (Gainsville, FL) – April 13 – 15
Frightmare (Chesapeake, VA) – April 14 – 15
Scarehouse (Tarentum, PA) – April 15
Folklore Haunted House (Acworth, GA) – April 22
Hellstead Manor (Hallstead, PA) – April 22
Fright Kingdom (Nashua, NH) – April 28 – 29
Reign of Terror (Thousand Oaks, CA) – April 28 – 29
Woods of Terror (Greensboro, NC) – April 29
Fear Columbus (Columbus, OH) – April 28 – 30
Field of Terror (East Windsor, NJ) – April 28 – 29
Lincoln Mill Haunted House (Philadelphia, PA) – April 29
Nightmare Acres (South Windsor, CT) – April 29
Waldorf Estate of Fear (Lehighton, PA) – April 29
May
C and D Bunner Family Spooky Yard Haunt (Fairmont, WV) – May 6
Fear Columbus (Columbus, OH) – May 5 – 7
Field of Screams (Mountville, PA) – May 6
Field of Terror (East Windsor, NJ) – May 5
Kims Krypt Haunted Mill Scream Park (Spring Grove, PA) – May 5 – 7
Maniacs in the Woods (Warren, OH) – May 5 – 6
13th Floor Haunted House Denver (Denver, CO) – May 12 – 13
13th Floor Haunted House Houston (Houston, TX) – May 12 – 13
13th Floor Haunted House Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL) – May 12 – 13
Deranged Haunted Attraction (Romulus, MI) – May 12 – 13
The Haunted Hydro (Fremont, OH) – May 12 – 13
House of Torment (Austin, TX) – May 12 – 13
Nashville Nightmare (Nashville, TN) – May 12 – 13
Nightmare on 13th (Salt Lake City, UT) – May 13
The Old Joliet Haunted Prison (Joliet, IL) – May 12 – 13
Wicked Woods of Terror (Caro, MI) – May 13
Doom Haunted Attraction (Idaho Falls, ID) – May 19 – 20
Bedlam (Scottsboro, AL) – May 18 – 20
Haunted Hills Farm (Jasper, GA) – May 20
Terrorfied Forest (Pickney, MI) – May 20
The Haunted Hotel (Louisville, KY) – May 26 – 27
June
Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park (Smithville, TX) – June 2 – 3, 9 – 10, 16 – 17
Eloise Asylum (Westland, MI) – June 3
Hollerin Haunts Hayride (Clinton, NC) – June 2-3
Dark Castle (Elgin, SC) – June 10
SRD’s Haunted Attractions – Pocatello (Pocatello, ID) – June 23 – 24
July
AMS Haunted Attractions (Maryville, TN) – July 8
Cinema of Horrors Haunted House (Kelso, WA) – July 14 – 16
Featured Videos
Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In
From Boar Masks to Evil Candy Corn: Inferno Effects 2023
We tour the Inferno Effects booth at Transworld’s Halloween and Attractions Show. From Boar Masks to an expansion into Evil Candy Corn Props, we’ll learn about all the new products and trends.
Springtopia Debuts in Woodland Hills with Two Scare Mazes
Springtopia is a new event in Woodland Hills, CA, running through April 16th. The event has 7 themed lands spread over 200,000 SQ FT. One of those lands is Spooky Land, which has 2 scare mazes. In this episode, we go on-location to learn more from owner Danny Bennish.
Haunted Attraction Industry News for April 4th
Read more here.
2023: The Year of Year-Round Horror Experiences?
Theme parks nationwide have announced expanded Halloween schedules; meanwhile, more horror experiences are opening up in the off-season. Will 2023 be the Year of Year-round horror? In this episode, we look at the Creepiest Trends for 2023.
Partner Stations
Craving more haunt goodness? We’re thrilled to be partnered with HaunTopic Radio, ScareTrack, The Scare Factor, and A Scott in the Dark. Give them a listen.
This Episode is Sponsored by:
