Haunted Attraction (simulated)

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List Parameters

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  • Notability: Must be international, national or at least substantially regional
  • Scale: Must involve substantial portion or entire park, multiple venues; single attractions not included
  • Seasonal: Must be ad hoc event, run seasonally, not permanent attraction
  • Theme: Strictly Halloween theme, harvest festivals, etc. not included

List of Theme Park Haunted Attractions

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List of theme park haunted attractions
Attraction Location Open Date Status Source Notes
Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios Florida October 25, 1991 operating largest single event worldwide
Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios Hollywood October 9, 1997 operating two earlier attempts not listed (see Article)
Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios Singapore October 2011 operating now feature local Singaporean legends
Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios Japan September 14, 2012 operating currently the longest run at 59 days in 2015
Fright Nights Six Flags Astroworld 1986 closed 2005 later renamed SixFlags Fright Fest in 1993
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags over Texas 1989 operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags Great America operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags St. Louis operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags Magic Mountain operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags New England operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags over Georgia operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags Great Adventure operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags Fiesta Texas operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags America operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags Discovery Kingdom operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags Mexico operating
Six Flags Fright Fest Great Escape (amusement park) operating
Six Flags Fright Fest La Ronde (amusement park) operating
Howl-O-Scream (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) Busch Gardens Tampa Bay operating
Howl-O-Scream (Busch Gardens Williamsburg) Busch Gardens Williamsburg operating
Howl-O-Scream Sea World San Antonio operating
Halloween Spooktacular Sea World Orlando operating
Halloween Spooktacular Sea World San Diego operating
Fright Fest Elitch Gardens Theme Park operating
FrightFest Darien Lake 1998 closed 2015 replaced by Harvest Fest in 2016
Fright Nights Warner Bros Movie World 2006 operating Queensland, Australia
Knott's Scary Farm Knotts Berry Farm October 26, 1973 operating
Fright Nights Thorpe Park 2002 operating Surrey, England
Mickey's Halloween Party Disneyland 2005 operating
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Walt Disney WorldMagic Kingdom operating
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Disneyland Paris Resort 2008 operating Paris, France
SCarowinds Carowinds 2000 operating
HalloWeekends Cedar Point 1997 operating
Halloween Haunt (California's Great America) California's Great America 2008 operating
Halloween Haunt (Canada's Wonderland) Canada's Wonderland 2005 operating originally Fearfest
Halloween Haunt (Dorney Park) Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom 1998 operating originally Halloweekends
Halloween Haunt (Kings Dominion) Kings Dominion 2001 operating originally Fearfest
Halloween Haunt (Kings Island) Kings Island 2000 operating originally Fearfest
Halloween Haunt (Worlds of Fun) Worlds of Fun operating
Ocean Park Halloween Bash Ocean Park Hong Kong 2001 operating
Halloween Haunt Valleyfair 2006 operating previously HalloWeekends, 1998 to 2000
[[]] [[]] operating

Leads

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List 2 Parameters

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  • Notability: Must be international, national or at least substantially regional
  • Scale: Single attractions only
  • Seasonal: Must be a permanent attraction, open when its park is open
  • Theme: Strictly Halloween-like theme, "fun houses" not included

List of Simulated Haunted Houses/Mansions/Castles

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List of Simulated Haunted Houses/Mansions/Castles
Attraction Location Open Date Status Source Notes
Haunted Mansion Disneyland August 12, 1969 operating seminal attraction
Haunted Mansion Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom operating
Haunted Mansion Tokyo Disneyland operating
Phantom Manor Disneyland Paris operating
Mystic Manor Hong Kong Disneyland operating
NYC Halloween Haunted House Vortex Theater Company 2009 operating
Haunted Castle Six Flags Great Adventure 1979 closed 1984
Trauma Towers Pleasure Beach Blackpool closed 2009
Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back! Alton Towers 1992 operating redesigned 2003
Trimper's Haunted House Trimper's Rides 1964 closed expanded 1988
[[]] [[]] closed
[[]] [[]] closed
[[]] [[]] closed

Leads

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  • Cleared list into table or deleted. Any more leads?

List 3 Parameters

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  • Notability: Must be international, national or at least substantially regional
  • Scale: Single attractions only
  • Seasonal: Must be ad hoc event, run seasonally, may be permanent location
  • Theme: Strictly Halloween-like theme, "fun houses" not included
List of Simulated Haunted Houses/Mansions/Castles (seasonal)
Attraction Location Open Date Status Source Notes
Nightmare on 13th Haunted House Salt Lake City, Utah 1990 operating permanent location run seasonally
Hundred Acres Manor Haunted House Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2003 operating replaced Phantoms in the Park at same location
[[]]
[[]] [[]]
[[]] [[]]
[[]] [[]] operating
[[]] [[]]
[[]] [[]] closed 2009
[[]] [[]]
[[]] [[]]

Leads

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  • Cleared list into table or deleted. Any more leads?

Extreme Haunted Houses

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As the haunted attraction industry has evolved, it has trended toward ever more elaborate settings, higher technology, more elaborate backstories and so-called "extreme" haunted houses. Most operators, from the mega-haunts down to local charity events have felt the competitive pressure to improve their events. Higher quality scenery and props and ever more elaborate concepts and writing have become the norm. As well, the experiences have expanded in terms of sheer size, either by making the mazes longer, or by providing more than one attraction on the same site.[1][2]

Some operators have tried to distinguish themselves by adding more extreme experiences. The most common upgrades beyond those cited above include blackout houses, interactive houses, and the inclusion of virtual reality and/or laser tag elements. The blackout houses are what they sound like: pitch black mazes which the guests must feel their way through. This may involve crawling, and sometimes, contact by the actors. This is usually not allowed in less extreme houses, and may require to guest to sign a waiver prior to entering. The interactive houses may involve the guests being closed into an "escape room", where that have a time limit to try to figure out how to escape, and physical clues scattered around the space. Naturally, there are scares also hidden in the space, and often guest escape efforts have consequences for wrong guesses. The VR and laser tag houses add an element of the first-person shooter video game experience to the guest's journey through the house.[3] [4]

The most extreme houses may feature full contact with guests and include a chance that the guest may be subjected to light torture, including simulated drowning, simulated assault, and simulated torture. Guests are often given a safe word for anyone who can't handle it. San Diego's McKamey Manor requires both an application process and a waiver. Unlike most of its rivals, there is no safety word. The tour, which is free, can take up to four hours to complete. In that time, guests have been tied and gagged, forced into coffins and freezers, and had their heads crammed into cages full of snakes. People have even been known to leave with scratches and bruises on their bodies. The reigning champ is Blackout, which has versions in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and New York, and has been rated on several lists as the most extreme haunted house in the world.[5]

The Naked and Scared Challenge was an adults-only experience at Shocktoberfest, a 27-acre fear park located in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. Visitors at least 18 years old were invited to disrobe before entering. After choosing the "nude" or "prude" (underwear-only) option, guests are asked to sign waivers prior to a clothes-free fright. The nude option was cancelled prior to opening, due to pressure from local authorities. There are a few such houses around the country, but they have apparently not caught on.[6][7]



  1. ^ Gryniewicz, Josh (October 30, 2014). "Beyond the Shadows of the American Haunt Industry". Pop Matters. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  2. ^ Zinoman, Jason (October 21, 2010). "Haunted Houses Profit by Going to Extremes". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  3. ^ Olmsted, Larry (September 28, 2016). "America's Best Haunted Halloween Attractions". Forbes. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  4. ^ Alton, Liz (October 31, 2016). "Halloween Is Big Business: An Inside Look At The Haunted House Industry With Larry Kirchner". Forbes.
  5. ^ Moss, Charles (October 24, 2014). "Extreme haunted houses: Inside Halloween's most terrifying new trend". The Week. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  6. ^ Prisco, Joanna (September 26, 2013). "Naked Haunted House Scares 'Nudes and Prudes'". ABC News. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  7. ^ Taylor, Victoria (September 28, 2013). "Shocktoberfest cancels nude part of its 'Naked and Scared' haunted house challenge". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 31, 2017.