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  • #16
    Several years ago I took a big chance (for me) and redefined my basic show here. I may have alienated some previous customers, I seemed to have gained more/better customers as judged from audience responses.
    Pleasing your audience is important, pleasing yourself may have to often be the first priority though, then everything else falls into line.
    I wonder if Skull Kingdom did and /or paid any attention to exit surveys?
    Maybe what was needed to make everything really work was something hard to define, something much more intangible?
    Learning from other's failures and successes can be a valuble thing because nobody has enough time (on this planet) or money to make all the mistakes themselves, I know Skull Kingdom must have been doing a fair number of things "right" to have survived as long as it did.
    hauntedravensgrin.com

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    • #17
      They did do exit surverys, once. And we knew what the results were going to be.... scarier, longer, more actors.

      All of that is $$$, which we didn't have a lot of.

      We did do things right, for a while, at least, but not enough rights to turn it around.

      Oh well. I'll have fond memories and friends from that place, if nothing else.

      -=BP

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      • #18
        When they say ,"Longer", I'm not sure this is always a viable suggestion or complaint.
        Most tours here take 90 minutes and even though people usually know this, some of them still drag their feet (and other body parts) and for some unknown reason, try to make the time here even longer!?
        hauntedravensgrin.com

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        • #19
          reply

          Hey Duke,
          Key in on pumpkins lots of pumpkins if your near a metro area and sell them for a decent price, people will come.
          We have a pumpkin farm near us that does really well. They sell buy the size and their reasonable if not cheap, this draws a big crowd. They started adding in the smaller attractions and they got really big.

          The prosper because all the nursery's that sell pumpkins near us sell them by the pound and you pick a medium sized pumpkin and take it up and bam your looking at a 12$ pumkin! Uh no!

          For years i went to a guy and i would tell him i want lots of pumkins for my outside display. I would say i have 25 bucks what can you do and he would sell me five huge pumpkins 50-60 lbs+, my kids could fit inside them.
          I would go back three or four times and get more pumpkins until i had the edge of my whole roof lined with giant light pumpkins,a bunch in the yard as well.
          A well placed pupmkin farm can do well.

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          • #20
            They are a dying breed but small independent year round haunts in year-round touristy areas seem to do well.

            Bill Nehring's Dungeon of Horror in the Wisconsin Dells (water park mecca) and a few other haunts in the Dells (not to be confused with and no relation with Kevin Dells) :wink: have been there since I was a little kid (almost 30 years?!?!)... Wisconsin Dells has been increasingly a year-round destination now that alot of the resorts have indoor water parks. Their haunts in the "off-season" are still open on weekends. They aren't as detailed as many haunts here - they are situated in a busy downtown strip full of fudge shops, arcades, tourist trap stores... and are built for more a quick "cure the curiosity and run em through" more than to awe/entertain. ...but yet they've been there since the first waterslide went up in that town.

            The Pumpkin Farms in our area are a dying breed (Milwaukee-Chicago corridor) - they are being bought up for housing/subdivisions - the farmers/families are getting older, it's too much work, and their property is worth hundreds of thousands if not millions - so they sell (and I can't blame them). There are only a few BIG ONES where (as Kev said) you pay through the nose... and there are THRONGS of humanity there any given weekend in October. Not the little cute intimate rural pumpkin farms of yore. Sigh.
            Blood & Kisses,

            ~ Nicole

            Production Team Member
            The White Star Farm
            "Hey Baby, this blood's for you."

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            • #21
              I have thought about putting part of the property in pumpkins. The pumpkin farmers that I know don't make big buck on that end of things. In fact, they often do better by building pumpkin launchers as an event than in the sale of pumpkins.

              For me though, the big problem with pumpkins is that they are seasonal. The don't lend themselves to a year round attraction, which is my ultimate goal. And, in the short term at least, I am running a haunt in town in October, so won't be on the farm to run sales. Unless, of course, we were to somehow sell pumpkins through he haunt.

              Thanks for the suggestions guys.

              Dave
              Lords of Chaos, LLC
              House of Chaos Haunted Attraction

              Comment


              • #22
                Replica pumpkins, made out of durable concrete.
                Just be carefull not to over-stress the pumpkin launcher!
                All-seasonal!
                I always wanted a concrete pumpkin , just for those pumpkin vandals to get hernias from.
                Or the vandals that baseball bat or kick pumpkins too.
                hauntedravensgrin.com

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                • #23
                  8

                  I got a hernia from stealing a cement pig from a bar when i was a teenager.
                  We thought it would be cool for the yard so four of us grabbed hold and carried it to the parking lot and put it in my buddy's olds 98 trunk.
                  Big Problem! The pig was so heavy it went right through the rusty trunk when we let go of it. It was then stuck half in and half out so it took six of us to get it back out and into the back seat!

                  Jim the concrete pumpkin will work, it's round harder to carry, the pig had all sorts of places to grab on to.

                  No im not a theif anymore, i took up crossdressing for a bigger rush! :shock:

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                  • #24
                    We've been talking about planting pumpkins in the back yard. We even saved the seeds out of our huge pumpkin from last year. (My yard is about a 1/2 acre.) I've been wanting to plant a veggie garden back there, but my hubby always says that the dogs will tear it up. The Pumpkins would be sort of a 'test drive' to see if my furry children will behave.
                    ------------------------
                    The child is grown, the dream is gone.
                    I have become comfortably numb.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Kevin! Are you SURE that your'e not a theif?
                      You aren't stealing guys away from their girlfriends with your cross-dressing now are you?
                      I guess you had some "clothing" plans for that concrete pig, didn't you?
                      I put Bermuda shorts on my Pteradactyl skeleton hanging from the outside of my house. Ever noticed their pelvic bone design? It looked pretty suggestive, and this was a publically displayed item here with a 23 foot wingspan, 9 foot tall, it covers alot of wall.
                      hauntedravensgrin.com

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        reply

                        Jim, you bet im stealin all the hunks away!! Hubba Hubba!

                        And if anyone asks it's a coconut in his shorts and mine! It was being used for the bra but kept sliding down, I"ll try duct tape it fixes everything!

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          One roll of good duct tape = 6 months of a handy-off-the-roll birth control product applicable to either gender.
                          Total control requires the usage of more tape, also covering the eyes to thwart those feelings and desires from even getting a toehold to start with.
                          hauntedravensgrin.com

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            We published this list of haunted attractions open outside of the traditional Halloween season in the IAHA Haunted Attraction section of the September/October Issue of TAP (Tourist Attractions & Parks) Magazine. I thought some of you might be interested... there are a good number of attractions open most of the year.

                            BB

                            Scare Up Some Fun All Year Long

                            Many of us in the haunted attraction industry find it difficult to visit other haunted houses in September and October because we are operating our own attractions. However, there are over two dozen haunted attractions scattered across North America that are open all or most of the year. Many of these haunted attractions are in tourist rich cities like Myrtle Beach, Orlando, or Niagara Falls. However, some of these haunted attractions are a little more off the beaten path; Raven's Grin Inn owner Jim Warfield jokingly claims that the Mississippi River is the nearest tourist attraction.

                            When you are on vacation this year, whether you are traveling to a big tourist city or maybe somewhere a bit smaller, take this list with you and make visiting a haunted attraction part of your vacation plans. And don’t forget, there are over 100 darkrides across the United States, both free standing attractions and those on boardwalks and in amusement parks. A comprehensive list of dark rides is available on the Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts website at www.dafe.org.

                            California

                            Fright Walk
                            Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
                            400 Beach Street
                            Santa Cruz, CA 95060
                            (831) 423-5590
                            www.beachboardwalk.com

                            Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula
                            100 Universal City Plaza
                            Universal City, CA 91608
                            themeparks.universalstudios.com



                            Florida

                            Skull Kingdom
                            5933 American Way
                            Orlando FL 32819
                            (407) 354-1564
                            www.skullkingdom.com
                            (Closed November 2006)

                            Haunted Grimm House of Old Town
                            5770 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
                            Kissimmee, FL 34746
                            (407) 397-2231



                            Illinois

                            Raven's Grin Inn
                            411 N. Carroll St.
                            Mount Carroll, IL 61053
                            (815) 244-4746
                            www.hauntedravensgrin.com



                            Kentucky

                            Guntown Mountain Haunted House
                            I-65 Exit 53
                            Cave City, KY
                            (270) 773-3530
                            www.mammothcave.com/guntown



                            Massachusetts

                            Nest of Monsters,
                            Edgar Allen Poe Witch Mansion,
                            & the Hollywood House of Wax
                            Pickering Wharf
                            Salem, MA
                            (978) 745-7283



                            Missouri
                            Gravity House
                            Haunted House on Hill Street Wax Museum
                            211 Hill Street
                            Hannibal, MO
                            (573) 221-2220

                            Haunted Adventure
                            Hwy. 13, Branson West
                            Branson, MO 65616
                            (417) 272-0411
                            www.thehauntedadventure.com



                            New Hampshire

                            Los Bravos Silver Mine
                            Storyland Amusement Park
                            Route 16
                            Glen, NH 03838
                            (603) 383-4186
                            www.storylandnh.com



                            New Jersey

                            Curse of the Mummy 3D
                            Morey's Adventure Pier
                            3501 Boardwalk
                            Wildwood, NJ 08260
                            (609) 234-5810
                            www.moreyspiers.com

                            Haunted Halloween House
                            Land of Make Believe
                            352 Great Meadows Road (Route 611)
                            Hope, NJ 07844
                            (908) 459-9000
                            www.lomb.com

                            Hollowgraves Haunted Manor
                            Funtown Amusement Pier
                            1930 Boardwalk
                            Seaside Park, NJ 08752
                            (732) 830-PIER
                            www.funtownpier.com



                            New York

                            Dr. Morbid's Haunted House
                            115 Canada Street
                            Lake George, NY 12845
                            www.drmorbid.com

                            House of Frankenstein Wax Museum
                            213 Canada Street
                            Lake George, NY 12845
                            (518) 668-3377
                            www.frankensteinwaxmuseum.com



                            Ohio

                            Ghostly Manor
                            3319 Milan Road
                            Sandusky, OH
                            (419) 626-4467
                            www.ghostlymanor.com



                            Oregon

                            Enchanted Forest Haunted House
                            8462 Enchanted Way SE
                            Turner, OR 97392
                            (503) 363-7616
                            www.enchantedforest.com



                            Pennsylvania


                            Pirate’s Cove
                            Waldameer Park
                            220 Peninsula Drive
                            Erie, PA 16505
                            (814) 838-3591
                            www.waldameer.com


                            South Carolina

                            Ghosts and Legends Theatre
                            Barefoot Landing
                            4818 Hwy.17S.
                            North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
                            (843) 361-2700
                            www.ghostshows.com

                            Nightmare Haunted House
                            918 N Ocean Blvd
                            Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
                            (843) 626-0022
                            www.beachscream.com

                            Ripley's Haunted Adventure
                            915 N. Ocean BLVD
                            Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
                            (843) 916 8971.
                            www.hauntedadventure.com



                            Tennessee

                            Haunted Helen
                            115 Escowee Drive
                            Helen, GA 30545-3101
                            (706) 878-0072
                            www.hauntedhelen.com

                            Mysterious Mansion
                            424 River Road
                            Gatlinburg, TN 37738
                            (865) 436-7007

                            Ripley's Haunted Adventure
                            908 Parkway
                            Gatlinburg, TN 37738-3104
                            www.hauntedadventure.com



                            Texas

                            Ripley's Haunted Adventure
                            329 Alamo Plaza
                            San Antonio, TX 78205
                            (210) 226-2828
                            www.hauntedadventure.com



                            Virginia

                            Haunted Fun House
                            2500 Atlantic Avenue
                            Virginia Beach VA 23451
                            (757) 422-1742

                            Haunted Mansion
                            700 Birdneck Rd.
                            Virginia Beach, VA 23454
                            (757) 422-6419

                            Haunts of Richmond
                            11 N. 18th Street
                            Richmond, VA 23223
                            (804) 343-3700
                            www.hauntsofrichmond.com

                            Nightmare Mansion
                            20th Street & Atlantic Ave
                            Virginia Beach VA 23451
                            (757) 428-FEAR



                            Wisconsin

                            Adventures In Time
                            & Mass Panic
                            Wisconsin Dells Parkway (Hwy. 12)
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (888) 413-5946
                            www.timefantasy.com

                            The Castle of Terror
                            Extreme World
                            1800 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (608) 254-4111
                            www.extremeworld.com

                            Dungeon of Horrors
                            325 Broadway
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (888) 413-5946
                            www.timefantasy.com

                            Ghost Out-Post Haunted House
                            633 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (608) 254-2127
                            www.ghostoutposthauntedhouse.com

                            Haunted Mansion
                            112 Broadway
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (608) 254-7513

                            Haunted Shack
                            Little A-Merrick-A
                            700 E. Main Street
                            Marshall, WI 53559
                            (608) 655-3181

                            Loony Bin
                            633 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (608) 254-2127
                            www.dellsloonybin.com

                            Old Kilborne Haunted House
                            Old Kilborne Amusements
                            633 Wisconsin Dells Parkway
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (608) 254-2127

                            Top Secret
                            527 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy
                            Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
                            (608) 254-6700
                            www.dellstopsecret.com



                            Canada

                            Castle Dracula's Haunted Castle
                            4933 Clifton Hill
                            Niagara Falls, Ontario
                            Canada

                            The Haunted House
                            4943 Clifton Hill
                            Niagara Falls, Ontario
                            Canada
                            www.falls.com/hauntedhouse.htm

                            House of Frankenstein
                            4967 Clifton Hill
                            Niagara Falls, Ontario
                            Canada
                            (905) 357 9660

                            Nightmares Entertainment
                            1215 Government Street
                            Victoria BC
                            (250) 388-4024
                            www.nightmaresentertainment.com

                            Screamers House Of Horrors
                            5930 Victoria Ave.
                            Niagara Falls, Ontario
                            Canada
                            www.screamersniagara.com
                            Brett Bertolino
                            Terror Behind the Walls
                            Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.
                            www.TerrorBehindtheWalls.com
                            www.EasternState.org

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                            • #29
                              The shortest distance between Chicago and the Miss. River is Rt. 64 , which passes right by Mount Carroll, home of Ravens Grin Inn.
                              The Palisades state park ocverlooks the river with a panoramic cliffside veiw of three states and slightly downstream, the widest spot in the entire river, 3 miles wide! (You can stand upon a 2,000yr. old indian burial mound right there also)
                              According the US Army Corps of engineers the Miss. river from 50 miles south, on downstream is considered a dead river and huge efforts are underway to preserve the natural wildlife still surviving in our portion of the river.
                              This last week we drove 18 miles to lock & dam 13 and watched at least 200 Bald Eagles feeding in the only availble open water (not frozen) churning up from the dam, quite a sight! Quite some bird!
                              Bird watchers, deer hunters , boaters all find this part of the world a tourist draw, as do many others.
                              hauntedravensgrin.com

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