Haunted House in San Diego California - Best and Scariest Haunted Hotel

 

San Diego, California - The Haunted Hotel

San Diego, California - The Haunted Hotel

By Hauntworld Magazine

TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN CALIFORNIA

San Diego Haunted Houses are some of the scariest and best in America!  Hauntworld.com rates and review the best haunted houses, haunted attractions, and Halloween evnets in America!  The Haunted Hotel is located in the San Diego California, and has one of the scariest haunted houses in America!  Prepare to scream!  California has many haunted houses but there are NONE that match up to the SCREAMS of The Haunted Hotel.  Other haunted houses in California claim to be scarier but the reality is this is by far the biggest haunted attraction in the state.  Are you ready for the biggest, scariest and flat out best haunted house in the San Diego, CA  area?  Sit back and prepare to scream through our review of The Haunted Hotel!  The Haunted Hotel In San Diego California is actually more than just one attraction but three owned and operated by the same group.  You must visit their website to learn more about all of their haunted houses.  This Halloween you can't miss the scariest and best haunted attraction in the entire state of California Haunted Hotel!

To learn more about San Diego, California's The Haunted Hotel visit their websit below:
www.hauntedhotel.com

 

The Haunted Hotel 

TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN SAN FRANCISCO



In 1993, the Haunted Hotel opened its doors in the lively, buzzing downtown Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, CA. Since then, the haunt has been welcoming brave guests to wander down the dark, bloodstained hallways where shadowy figures line the walls and nightmarish scenes are rampant.  

But the Haunted Hotel’s journey didn’t start here. In fact, it began as Greg DeFatta, Secretary/Treasurer, built his first spook zone out of refrigerator boxes in his Shreveport, Louisiana home when he was only 12 years old. Despite his early interest in the eerie, DeFatta took a job in Los Angeles as a talent agent where he worked for years and where he would meet his current business partner Robert Bruce – originally from Memphis, Tennessee – who worked as a lighting tech in the film industry at the time. Around the point DeFatta began feeling burnt out and run down from his L.A. job, he was introduced to a top haunt in St. Louis, Missouri which left a lasting impression on him. DeFatta realized he could fuse his background in business with his creative side to produce a world where ghosts and ghouls rule. Now all he needed was to partner with Bruce and begin their legacy.

The original Haunted Hotel opened in Louisville, Kentucky in 1991, where DeFatta and Bruce partnered up to produce spine-tingling scenes in what was known as a hot bed for haunted houses. Two years later in 1993, they decided to return to the west coast and open the Haunted Hotel in San Diego, and went on to produce haunts around the country with Universal and Ron Howard’s company, Imagine Entertainment and Spencer Gifts. In 2000, the unstoppable duo opened The Haunted Trail in Balboa Park and later partnered with the State of California to produce The Scream Zone at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The pair has since eliminated their nation-wide haunted houses and now focus solely on scaring the San Diego market.

“The Haunted Hotel is the longest running haunt in San Diego, heavy on the movie themes, and is one rapid fire scare after another,” DeFatta said.

While sets and scenes change constantly, the haunting themes are always based on trending horror films.  “The Exorcist,” “The Ring,” “Saw,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Shutter Island,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” and “Friday the 13th” have all been used as inspirations in the Hotel. Perhaps one of the most successful and memorable rooms is the moving subway car.  It’s comprised of characters hanging from the sides, getting inches away from guests’ faces, and spooking them at immeasurable lengths. The Haunted Hotel is packed full of spine-tingling, heart-pounding effects that will shake up your reality and send all of your senses into a tizzy.

California Haunted Houses


Of course, the Haunted Hotel doesn’t come together overnight. It takes a truly dedicated team to bring the nightmare to life. “The planning starts soon after we close for the season. We have idea meetings beginning in January that consists of managers, actors and a construction crew.  Anyone who has an idea is welcome,” DeFatta said. “The Haunted Hotel construction starts in March.  We have a dedicated construction crew that has worked with us for years.  After construction, the scenic painters then come in and do their magic to make everything look old and scary. After that, a wardrobe and makeup artist meets with us to come up with character looks. In any one night at the three locations, we can have more than 150 actors working.  While all of this is happening, we put together the ad campaign that has to be dead on, as we only get one shot each year to make it right.

Over the years, many celebrities have stopped through the Haunted Hotel including Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Neil Patrick Harris, Eddie Vedder, Rachel Weisz, Kane Hodder, Gunnar Hansen, Butch Patrick and numerous Charger and Padre players.“We provide a very strong product that is as good as any in the nation. It is all we do, we work on it all year, and we have great crews that push the envelope each year,” said DeFatta. This year, the Haunted Hotel invites guests to survive the “Walking Dead” dungeon, come face-to-face with killer clowns and get a real scare in the “Evil Dead” cellar. When asked what DeFatta hopes guests leave the Haunted Hotel saying, he exclaimed, “Nothing!... We want to take their breath away!!”

In 2000, the Haunted Trail opened in Balboa Park to produce more thrills in a secluded area called Marston Point. San Diego’s only all-outdoor haunted attraction features a mile of twisted paths leading through pine trees and gnarled oaks in what is surely Mother Nature’s nightmare. Within the trail, a school bus features zombie prisoners, girls from “The Ring” and Freddy Kreugers all trying to escape. While the Haunted Trail is the main event, there is now a separate maze of freak-infested terror called The Experiment. This additional labyrinth is over 3,500 square feet of fear that lets some go easy but others are forced to stay awhile to work their way out.


Haunted Houses


“The outdoor setting makes it so unique and spectacular, and we can do huge props and sets that are amazing,” said DeFatta. “Sometimes I can stand inside the fence at the Haunted Trail and people are walking up the street after going through, and I can hear their conversation. I learn a lot about the event, because as soon as they come out they start reviewing it to each other. I learn what is working and what needs some help.”

And if that’s still not enough, DeFatta and Bruce keep the fear alive in the Scream Zone, located in North County, San Diego. The Scaregrounds are situated along five acres of the Del Mar Fairgrounds and include rolling floors, strobe lights, fog machines and dripping natural elements.

"The Scream Zone has three different events all at one location: The House of Horror, The Chamber and The Haunted Hayride.  So there is virtually something for everyone. You can spend the entire evening going from one event to the other. We were the first Haunted Hayride in Southern California and others have copied us. It’s a great setting for scaring,” said DeFatta.

Prior to the season starting in September, the Haunted Hotel opens for a sneak peek during the international Comic-Con convention mid-July, which annually drives thousands of comic book lovers to San Diego. For two days only during the Comic-Con weekend, tourists and locals alike can get an exclusive look at the hotel’s upcoming scares.  It’s an event most haunt-goers cannot resist!

The Haunted Hotel, The Haunted Trail and Scream Zone will open this year from September 27 through November 2, 2013
It’s hands down San Diego’s best scare and the city’s biggest attraction during the fall.  Step inside… if you dare!




TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN LOS ANGELES

 

Trending Articles

Top Ten Icon Haunted Attractions in America Ranked - Best and Scariest
Article Logo

Icons of The Haunted Attraction Industry - Hauntworld Names the Top 10 Icons of the Haunted House Industry.  See which haunted attractions currently in operation are named the ten biggest ICON haunted attractions.  

America's Top Rated Scariest Haunted Houses 2022 - Top 13 Rated Haunted Attractions
Article Logo

Hauntworld ranks the top scary places in America to get SCARED and Scream 2022.  The best and top rated haunted houses, and Halloween Attractions in America.  Did we rank a haunted house near you find out by clicking on this article.  

The Darkness Haunted House - Review 2022
Article Logo

Are you ready to experience the best haunted house in America? How deep into the depths of The Darkness can you plunge before your next breath is your last? The all new Darkness Haunted House, located in Soulard, off South Broadway in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, has been rated as America's BEST haunted house.

America's Top Rated Scariest Haunted Houses 2021 - Top 13 Rated Haunted Attractions
Article Logo

Hauntworld ranks the top scary places in America to get SCARED and Scream 2021.  The best and top rated haunted houses, and Halloween Attractions in America.  Did we rank a haunted house near you find out by clicking on this article.  

America's Scariest Haunted Houses 2020 - Top 13 Rated Haunts
Article Logo

Hauntworld rates the top 13 best and scariest haunted houses in America.  Hauntworld rates and reviews the scariest, best, longest, haunted houses and Halloween Attractions in America 2020.

America's Best Haunted Houses 2018 - Top 13 Scariest Haunts
Article Logo

Hauntworld rates the top 13 best and scariest haunted houses in America.  Hauntworld rates and reviews the scariest, best, longest, haunted houses and Halloween Attractions in America 2018.

Headless Horseman Haunted Hayride New York - Rating and Review
Article Logo

Read Review and Ratings of Headless Horseman Haunted Hayride located in New York.  Headless Horseman features hayrides, haunted houses and much more. 

Creepyworld Haunted Screampark - St Louis Missouri Haunted House Review Rating
Article Logo

Creepyworld Haunted Screampark is America's biggest haunted attraction with over 13 attractions including a haunted hayride.  Learn more and read the review click here. 

Escape From Blood Prison - Mansfield Ohio Scariest Haunted House
Article Logo

Escape From Blood Prison in Mansfield Ohio site of one of the single most famous Prisons in Hollywood History ( Ohio State Reformatory) famous of the film "The Shawshank Redemption".  Now its one of the biggest scariest haunted houses in America.  Read about Escape from Blood Prison! 

The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor California Best Scariest Haunted House
Article Logo

Haunted House Review The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is Los Angles California's biggest, scariest and most haunted real haunted house.  Read the full review of this haunted attraction click here. 

Trending blog

Transworld Haunted Attraction and Christmas Light Show is about to happen in St Louis Missouri March 7-11, 2024.  Learn more about the show at www.HaaShow.com  Hauntworld will be document

Today Hauntworld goes behind the SCENES at one of the World's best haunted houses 13th Gate in Baton Rouge.  We take the tour with Dwayne Sanburn and explore the entire attraction and try

The Darkness announced a Haunted House tour during Transworld Haunted House Tradeshow in St Louis, Missouri.   Transworld is the World's Biggest Haunted House and Halloween Trades

Hauntworld on Youtube has started to visit Haunted Houses again this offseason.  We're setting out to learn about the best and most iconic haunted houses in America.   In 2024 we

Hauntworld takes you on a tour thru the IAAPA amusement park show.  Watch the video below and be sure to like and subscribe.  The IAAPA show is an amusement park show with arcades, amusement

Hauntworld teaches you how to build your own haunted house from SCRATCH!  Watch the video and be sure to like and subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more haunted house content. 

Hauntworld created a video series many years ago called 'Hauntworld The Movie' and now all the movies which document the haunted house industry from the 1990's are finally uploaded. 

Hauntworld Interviews the World's Largest Silicone Mask Company Immortal Masks of Los Angles California.  Additionally we take a tour and showcase their entire new lineup of Monster Masks for

Hauntworld recently visited Monsterpalozza a convention dedicated to make up artists.  We take you on a tour to see some of the most amazing monsters, Hollywood special fx artists and so much mor

Hauntworld visited the Midwest Haunters Convention in Chicago.  We walk around the show to see what the show was like.  Watch the video below to see haunted house props, costumes, masks and

Find a haunted house near you by state, city, zip code, rate, review and share all types of haunted houses, hayrides and everything Halloween.  Hauntworld rates and reviews more haunted houses than any other website on the web now featuring over 200 haunted house reviews and over 5000 haunted attractions.  Find a haunted house to hayride near you.
All images, content and information contained on this website is © 2019 Halloween Productions/Blacklight Attractions. Developed and Maintained by iSummation Technologies. All Rights Reserved  Condition of Use | Privacy Notice