Best Haunted Houses... Please Nominate

[bobgoblin]

WOW! Almost 75 Haunts nominated so far!

These haunts have four or more votes, love the new categories too!

Terror on the Fox – 10
www.terroronthefox.com

NetherWorld – 8
www.fearworld.com

DreamReapers – 7
www.dreamreapers.com

USS Nightmare – 5
www.ussnightmare.com

Erebus – 5
www.hauntedpontiac.com

The Darkness – 5
www.scarefest.com

Verdun Manor – 4
www.thrillvania.com

Baxter Avenue Morgue – 4
www.13bats.com

Ravens Grin Inn – 4
www.hauntedravensgrin.com

Headless Horseman – 4
www.headlesshorseman.com

Pirates of Emerson - 4
www.piratesofemerson.com

Castle Blood – 4
www.castleblood.com

-bobgoblin

[RJ Productions]

Of course I submit my own haunts The Asylum and Hotel in Las Vegas.

The only bad part about us nomination haunts is most people never get to actually SEE any of these haunts. We might only get to see ones in our area or associated with special events, Netherworld at IAAPA, Rocky Point for "Scream Break". So we end up nominating attractions based on name recognition or merely the web site.

Disadvantage is a relly cool web site doesn't necessarily mean it's a good haunt. I NOT saying this as a rule, just little things like Baxter Ave Morgue's story is the basement of a Morgue (which maybe it was once) now it's down the block. Our attractions are mobile, it was a parking lot the month before. Yet I have been contacted several times from people outside our industry thinking it is a REAL brick and mortar building and they want to tour it!!! Paranormal investigators from London, New York, West Virginia, even Cris Angel wanted to film an espisode!!

People vote Knotts Scary Farm first. They were the inovators to be sure. But has the quality kept pace with the ownership changes in the park??? Universal has done a great job and Robbi Lepre is extrememly dedicated to Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream creating now only a great attraction but one the rest of the theme park haunts looks up to as an inovator! I've been to Knotts about 5 years ago, it wasn't that good that year. Maybe Busch is actually the better haunt now.

This is in no means any discredit to ANY of the haunts memtioned so far. There are haunts that have name regonition and haunts that live up to that regonition. I liked the fact that Larry had actually seen alot of the attractions that he listed as the Top 13. He had the opportunity because of a convention to actually go through my attraction. If he hadn't I sure woulod not have made the Top 13. But he did go through and was impressed enough to have us make the list.

I'm just afraid that there are some really great attractions out there that should get the regonition, but won't because they aren't in the "limelight". If I had a better suggestion I would post it, but I don't. Any suggestions?

[twohlgemuth]

I agree with you Rich, I have already been "Bitch Slapped", so to speak for this very issue of being listed.

To make a list of Top Attractions is fun, but it should not be taken so dam serious to loose friends over it.

We might as well say the best haunt is the one with the biggest marketing budget. But then that would not be fair to the place that may be the scariest dam thing you ever seen, but no one knows about it.

How about a list based on the haunted attractions that has been in operation the longest. That would surely be a sign of at least a good business operation. If you suck at making it profitable, then you don't get to continue doing business. Simple formula, but true. I nominate my haunt for 23 years in a row same location, same owner and counting. How bout that?

[Jolly Pumpkin]

I've been to many of the haunts that I've nominated and many of them aren't in the mainstream. The Baxter Avenue Morgue for instance isn't a haunt that is nationally recognized and has never really gotten the credit it has deserved. The Haunted School House in Akron, OH has been around nearly 40 years and hasn't been on the list yet. I believe that it was going to be on the list one year, but they never submitted their information. The same with The Haunted Laboratory which has been around nearly 30 and those are on my top haunts list. The Haunted House in Dent, OH has been around nearly 30 years and has gotten little to no recognition by the haunt industry. The Haunted Hotel in Louisville, KY has been legendary in Kentucky for nearly 20 years yet when I bring it up, it seems like the only ones who know about it are people from Louisville, KY. It took USS Nightmare nearly 20 years to get on the top haunts list and recognized. The Haunted Hoochie had been around nearly 15 years and after 3 years of being Dead Acres it was finally in the mainstream. There are tons of haunts that have been around for years and years, but aren't recognized nationally till years down the road

Now The Haunted Hoochie was legendary, but many had never head of it until it was in HauntWorld Magazine. 90% of the people I talk to have never been to The Haunted Hoochie when it was open. Everyone has their opinions of what are the greatest haunts. I mean I've visited at least half of last year's top haunts list. I think a lot of great haunts are left out on the list, but that's what happens. It's based on votes more than anything and I think that if you left it up to one individual it would be extremely biased. Another reason for the list is shine light on haunts that don't get the credit they deserve. I could go into why I nominated each of my haunts, but that would get very boring. They all exceed in one area or the other. There are a lot haunts that I wanted to choose, but they've been on the list and I've chose them before.

[GhoulKraft]

Toledo's longest running haunt...for a reason.

You can't talk about Ohio haunts unless you recognize the king first. Terror Town in Toledo, Oh is one of the biggest and best haunted attractions from Cincinatti to Columbus to Cleveland!
The Terror Town crew is a very special select group of individuals committed to the premier show of the midwest. The attraction grows bigger every year and includes some truly unique and ONE-OF-A-KIND props and events.
The owner also doesn't skimp on the big monsters either. The big animatronics are placed through out the haunt to coincide with the theme of the season. Terror Town is constantly on the edge of design and haunt conception. Never getting distracted by "industry trends".
All in all, this is the best show around!

[PumpkinHead]

I finally posted some pictures of my Home Haunt , Rustwhick Manor.

Again, last years theme was ASYLUM. We change the theme every year and build a freestading haunt from scratch starting mid october. All for just ONE NIGHT. ( and we don't even charge !!! ) ..

Here are the pics:
www.hauntgraphics.com/haunt.html

Thanks,
-PH

[psychomelon]

I know most of our opinions are a little biased, I know mine is, but I wanted to thank everyone that voted for heartstoppers as a great home haunt. We have spent countless hours and a heck of a lot of our own money to put in a great amount of detail to the haunt, so it means a lot when others acknowledge the work. I would also like to give a very special thank you to Karl of Pirates of Emerson for giving us a shot with The Haunting Fields.

And if its not to late to make it count, I'll add my 2 cents.

1. terror on the fox, and rocky point

3. heartstoppers haunted house, dc cemetery, and rebel yell.

4. Eastern State Penitentiary

6. headless horseman at www.headlesshorseman.com and eureka screams at www.eurekascreams.com (the tinkle tally rules!)

8. scream extreme

9. knotts scary farm, and universal studios

10. ravens grin inn

thats all that i can think of, hope it helps.

[drfrightner]

Any more comments or idea's post them now... we're going to close this out this Friday! Last chance. Everything said will be considered. Take care. Larry

[drfrightner]

Oh and by the way... its VERY hard for me to visit these attractions via the web when you don't post a URL!

Some of the attractions you've listed have been featured before and may not be featured again. We're trying to make the list over 50% or atleast 50% new, different than last year.

So last chance... post URL's to websites and vote away.

Then I'll have the fun job of visiting all these sites! LOL

Larry

[steve]

1) Best Overall Haunted Attraction (Top 13) Nominate up to 13 attractions.

1 Netherworld (Georgia)
2 Dream Reapers (Illinois)
3 Realm of Terror (Illinois)
4 Darkness ( Missouri )
5 Terror on the Fox (wisconsin)
6 Ravens Grin (Illinois)
7 Raycliff Manor
8 House of Shock
9 Dead Acres
10 Verdun Manor

2) Best Haunted Hayride (Top 3) Nominate up to 5 attractions
(havent visited any in years)

3) Best Home Haunt (Top 5) Nominate up to 5 attractions

1. DC Cemetry
2. Terror Syndicate

6) Best Haunted Attraction Website (Top 5) Must supply link to website.

1 Terror on the Fox (www.Terroronthefox.com
2 The Realm of Terror (www.realmofterror.com)
3 thrillvania (www.thrillvania.com)
4 Scarefest (larry i think you know this one... )
5 netherworld (http://www.fearworld.com/)

7) Best Tour Driven Haunted Attractions (Top 3) Why?

1 ravens grin


9) Best Amusement Park Haunted Events (Top 5)

1 knotts
2 universal


10) Best Year Around Haunted Houses (Top 5)

1 ravensgrin
2 Grimm Manor

[RoguesHollow]

I'm honored so many like the Thrillvania Website as one of the best! Thanks! I want to nominate a haunted house commercial located on YouTube.com The commercial was for The Nest Haunted House in Arizona. The company that did it did an amazing job. Check it out:

The Nest Haunted house Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d355Vu9kWNU

[undertaker]

Don't know if i already contributed to this but whatever.

1. Erebus- Been to it very unique Haunt.
http://www.hauntedpontiac.com/

2. Realm of Darkness- Very detailed.
http://www.therealmofdarknesshaunt.com/

3. The Darkness- Never been to it but looks awesome from the photos i've seen.

4. Netherworld- Same as The Darkness

[blaise]

USS Nightmare

I'd like to nominate the USS Nightmare.

I grew up in an area that didn't have many (if any) haunts, but moving to the Cincinnati area has really opened me up to the experience. Ever since the move, I've visited many haunts and become a major fan of the experience. Of all those, the USS Nightmare has been one to really stick out in my memory. Each year it keeps getting better and better!

blaise

[ClusterOne]

Thanks to everyone who nominated Heartstoppers Haunted House for one of the top home haunts. Since Larry asked for the url's to the nominations, I thought I would take a moment to share ours. Check it out!

www.scaredyou.com

Thanks again,

-Joel-

[drfrightner]

Chris,

Who made that NEST commercial...that was awesome!

Larry