The ScareAtorium hosts a night of scares during the MHC Friday Night Bus Tour

[Spikerip]

The Midwest Haunters Convention is making plans for a Friday night of Screams. The evening starts out with an open house tour of the ScareFactory. Explore this massive production facility and see giant monsters, cool effects, fabrication demos and as many as three massive haunted attractions under construction for the 2014 season. This will be a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s largest manufacturer of animatronics for the haunt industry, filled with surprises and terrifyingly cool products that you won’t want to miss!

Next up, our busses roll out to see the ScareAtorium! The ScareAtorium is the ULTIMATE FEAR EXPERIENCE in one of Ohio’s best and largest haunted attractions. The 40,000 square foot venue, located in Columbus, features two new attractions; the “Northland Asylum” and “Rip’s 3D Funhouse”. A combination of special effects techniques are used to thrill guests, ranging from highly detailed sets and the latest props to acting techniques and elaborate characters! The haunt will be dark and staffed with some of the best performers in the country. You’ll finish your self-guided tour with a peek at their costume and makeup rooms along with snacks and beverages before hoping back on the bus. The ScareAtorium is one of the highest rated haunted attractions in Ohio.

Following the ScareAtorium, busses will return to the convention center in time for the Friday Haunt Tour After Party produced by the 13th Floor Haunted House and The House of Torment!
We’re looking forward to sharing our love of the haunt industry with our fellow haunters at the ScareAtorium,

Kelly & Neena Collins

[drfrightner]

Kelly,

I'd love to see haunts on these tours post updates of what they are doing different, some photos, give us a weekly update on the tour... I think it helps people understand the importance of what you are trying to do!

Keep us updated.

Larry

[Spikerip]

For those of you who don’t know about the ScareAtorium; listed below is a brief description of our attraction. We moved last August into our third location in Columbus, Ohio. We’re the anchor position in a shopping center with a multi-year lease.

When we were looking at the new building; we found out the shopping center was built over what used to be an insane asylum (from 1899 to 1956). It was called Northland Asylum. So we decided to change our theme from Frightmore Manor to replicate the original Northland Asylum. We purchased several pieces of medical equipment that were used in the original asylum and they’re used in scenes in the attraction.

We constructed the asylum to duplicate the design from their original building with about 40 scenes. Since we started construction; we have had 13 unexplained paranormal type incidents occur. Some of our construction crews were freaked out over these manifestations. Usually they occur when there are only a couple people in the building, but one night there were about a dozen of us leaving the building when something happened.

We’ve nicknamed our paranormal buddy “Ghosty”. No one has seen him, but we’ve witnessed items being moved/tossed around the building and we’ve heard footsteps/running when there is no one there. So we just clean up the messes and try to ignore the sounds, but several of our actors refuse to traverse parts of the building alone.

Our second attraction is Rip’s Funhouse in 3D. We’re fortunate to have the assistance of Stuart Smith of Stuartism Designs. He’s painted some of the scenes and he trained our artists to add more 3D designs throughout the funhouse. Haunt reviewers have rated the funhouse as the best 3D haunt they have ever seen. It’s 25 scenes of optical illusions mixed with horrific evil clowns just waiting for the opportunity to attack.

Larry, I don’t want to give too much away, but I will post pictures in a few weeks. Thought I would wait until after the TW Haunt show before taking up time here to promote our event. Start making plans now to participate in our Friday, June 6 bus tour. Buses will start departing the Hyatt around 6:00 pm.

Kelly Collins
The ScareAtorium, Columbus

[drfrightner]

Kelly,

Actually for the last 6 years we have created these threads showcasing the whole entire process of renovation and posted those photos right here. Every day or every week we have updated people with what we are doing almost like a daily blog or something. It hasn't negatively impacted the tour by say giving to much way in fact its done the opposite.

I'm using my own personal facebook page for my haunts to do the same thing... showcase the renovation process. I want our customers to know both St Louis ones and the haunted house community when we do these tours we are NOT SCREWING AROUND!

People say stuff like oh I went to that thing last year... talking about the haunt community. Well I guess some haunters don't do much renovation from year to year so they wrongly assume we are doing the same. NO WAY JOSE... LOL!

I will not ever open my haunt to the haunt community without an all out balls to the wall renovation... I know you guys from MHC in the past have done the same thing. I know you sold MHC to focus more on your haunt to spend more time on it... so document it and show people what they'll be missing if they don't go! I want to see it... I love it!

I have a huge passion for before and after photos... be it your haunt, a car renovation a kitchen renovation whatever. Look around at nearly every TV show its all about the before and the after!

Larry