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So the news broke today that Interactive Ticketing sold out to ETIX a much larger company.  Why?  Our belief is that people are starting to realize there is money to be made working with the haunted attraction industry.  Here is the problem haunted house customers don't want to pay large fees to buy tickets online, haunts aren't U2 concerts where you get ripped off in fees.  Additionally we feel that Interactive Ticketing sees the writing on the wall that they will be losing a large percentage of haunt business over the next few years.  Why?  Some haunters will create their own online services, who knows if Amazon comes along with a service, or Square and well services like Hauntpay and Fear Ticket is coming in with lower fees.  Long term if your company  relies heavy on haunt business your business might be in trouble.   Personally I don't see how ETIX can survive in the space where they are looking to collect bigger fees for their services when most of the haunt industry tickets are going closer to FREE than HIGHER fees. 

Interactive Ticketing Acquired by Et

Some ticketing services sell you a totally bogus sales pitch... hey we're free we'll only charge your customers for ticketing fees.  WRONG SALES PITCH haunters... in todays Hauntworld attendance is going down not up.  So you must make more money from a lower fan base and charging and keeping ticketing fees is a HUGE revenue source.  Do NOT sign up for a company with that sales pitch.  You want to set your own ticket prices, and ticketing fees and keep all of your money.  

Over the next couple years I believe you'll see even more ticketing companies EXIT the haunt space as haunters DEMAND more percentage, lower ticketing fees and more 'do it yourself' haunters create ways to eliminate or offer ticketing services to other haunts.  www.FearTicket.com is now offering ticketing to haunters for 35 cents per ticket and allows customers to charge any ticketing fee and pocket the revenue.  Fear Ticket will soon offer a box office solution.  Fear Ticket is a system made for haunts, by haunts, and is faster, better, and cheaper.  See Interactive Ticketing's release below: 

Interactive Ticketing Acquired by Etix

Posted by Larry 3.30 AM Read Comments ()

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Many haunted houses across the country are open for Holiday Horror or even happy Christmas light shows..  Haunted Houses across the country are turning their haunt into a Krampus style haunt for the holidays.  Other haunted houses are more specifically Screamparks with large hayrides are going with holiday light shows. 

Take the World famous Headless Horseman in New York they produce an amazing event called 'Frost Fest' Learn more at http://frostyfest.com 



While other haunted houses like The Darkness in St Louis is doing a SCARY Christmas event with Krampus, Evil Elves and more.  Learn more at www.Scarefest.com 

Find a haunted or Haunt turned Happy Holiday Christmas event near you at Hauntworld.  Subscribe to Hauntworld Magazine as our next issue will be about nothing but transforming your attraction into a Winter Wonderland errr Winter Horrorland.  One or the other!  www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com 

Even Disney got into the action by taking its scariest ride Towers of Terror and using the magic of video mapping, now its a HAPPY CHRISTMAS HOTEL! See video below.  Wow everyone from turning Christmas Vacation into a Krampus Movie to haunts is tapping into extending Halloween.  Looks like Jack the Pumpkin King got his way!  Halloween is now truely year around. 



Happy Holidays from Hauntworld.com 

Posted by Larry 2.23 AM Read Comments ()

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Halloween is big business.  According to Hauntworld.com, the industry’s leading website, the commerce of Halloween in the U.S. should exceed $10 billion during the 2017 season.  That’s a lot of candy, costumes, decorations and tickets to haunted attractions. The Hauntworld.com website directs consumers to find and review Halloween attractions located around the globe. One of the largest growth areas in the Halloween trade is the explosion in the number and quality of commercial haunted house attractions. More than $1 billion of the $10 billion spending on Halloween is attributed to ticket purchases at themed haunted sites. Visiting a haunted attraction is now the single most popular way to celebrate the holiday.  

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1. Netherworld - Atlanta, Georgia - www.fearworld.com: HAUNTWORLD.com is excited to announce its #1 pick for 2017 -  Netherworld Haunted House! For decades, this intense and innovative haunted attraction has remained one of the most popular and famous Halloween events in the nation, renowned for its over the top production value and amazing actors. Netherworld was one of the first haunts to create unique themes and populate the attraction with original monsters and special effects that can be found nowhere else.  Guests are immersed in the Halloween experience from the moment they arrive as massive creatures, sliders and other roaming characters pull them into the frightful fun!  The haunts are all out sensory overload as flying stunt actors, hundreds of special effects, massive puppets and breathtaking sets leave patrons screaming in terror and filled with a sense of awe at the spectacle they have experienced. Now is your last chance to see the Legendary Netherworld Haunted House in its current location before it moves to a massive new facility in the shadow of Stone Mountain, the most popular tourist destination in the state of Georgia.
 
This season features Primal Scream, an all out war as nature seeks savage vengeance against both mankind and the Netherworld for the evils both have unleashed on the planet!  Then in the dark basement, Mr. Grendel's Funhouse of Horrors in 3D rolls into town...it's a twisted clown fueled nightmare as ancient fiends disguised as clowns seek human flesh!  Don't miss this final high octane blast of horror, the last chapter of NETHERWORLD in Norcross!  Get tickets now at www.Fearworld.com Also new for Netherworld in 2017 is the introduction of their new Escape Games located at Netherworld's future Stone Mountain location, they are open and booking now.  With game themes like Sasquatch, Nosferatu and Haunted, you can safely expect the same high level of detail and fun that Netherworld has been serving up at their haunted houses for over 20 years.  Visit the website at www.ESCAPETHENETHERWORLD.com to learn more.

 

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2. The 13th Gate - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - www.13thgate.com: The 13th Gate is one of the most extremely realistic haunts in the country. The artists behind the massive dark attraction are experts at blurring the lines between horror and reality, and guests frequently wonder between screams whether what they are experiencing is real or not. The Attraction’s level of detail, set design, and effects combined with their impressive actors and incredible makeup effects can only be compared to a Hollywood Horror movie. The attraction features a real snake-infested Louisiana Swamp, nightly voodoo shows, claustrophobic cellars, hidden subterranean passages and even a prehistoric ice cave all seamlessly woven together and nothing short of masterful. The haunted house is constantly changing and growing from year to year so guests never know what to expect around the next terrifying corner. If that wasn’t enough, adjacent to the 13th Gate is their secondary attraction, Necropolis Haunted Cemetery. This 40,000 sq. ft. outdoor New Orleans style cemetery has over 400 zombie-infested crypts and mausoleums that guests must explore. Upon entering the attraction, visitors are sent 13 steps down an open grave into dark underground catacombs where they must find an alternate escape up and out into the graveyard where the terror continues! 13th Gate Haunted House is one of the Scariest, most elaborate haunted houses in the country.

The 13th Gate is one of the Scariest, Most Elaborate Haunted Attractions in the Country! www.13thGate.com

Also located next door is 13th Gate Escape, Louisiana’s Ultimate Escape games. Featuring some of the most detailed escape games in the country, 13th Gate Escape is open year round, 7 days a week. www.13thGateEscape.com
 

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3. The Dent Schoolhouse - Cincinnati, Ohio - www.frightsite.com: The Dent Schoolhouse is one of the tightest themed haunted houses in the nation.  Taking place in an actual haunted schoolhouse from the 1800's, the schoolhouse follows the legend of its murderous janitor.  Detailed to the max, each scene is right out the 1950's and looks just like a horror movie.  The attraction has been featured on BuzzFeed, E!, Travel Channel, HGTV, Skin Wars and many others.  The Dent Schoolhouse is full of state of the art animatronics that make each scene better than the next!  For 2017 the scenic crew made over 4,000 skulls to make a massive catacomb that ends with a 14 foot tall monster.  The attraction's theme also is taking place during a vintage Halloween.  Carved out human faces, 150 + carved light pumpkins, and an old trick-or-treat stage show greets guests before they get into the attraction.  Plus, over 20 clowns pack into the school’s gymnasium to give you a “fun” festival that you will never forget. 

 

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4. Erebus - Pontiac, Michigan - www.hauntedpontiac.com: Erebus is the result of Dr. Colber who worked for the government to build a time machine.  After leaving the government, he worked on the time machine on his own.  Successful at sending people back into time, with the only one glitch the time period looked at the people like a virus and wiped them out.  Determined to over come this glitch he sent in group after group of his own personnel. Unsuccessful, he ended up broke and lacking the proper personnel to run his machine. Dr. Colber came up with a brilliant idea to disguise his time machine as a haunted house and have the general public help fund his project and use the people going through as human guinea pigs.
Erebus Facts:

• Over 1/2 mile walk inside the building as things grab you, bite you, land on top of you, and then we will bury you alive.

• On average over 500 people chicken out and 75 people wet themselves (confirmed wettings by managers) per year.

• Beaumont Doctors did a study here on fear and concluded that going through Erebus was like a aerobic work out for your heart.

• Looking to have some fun without fear!  Check out Erebus Escape - Your Premium Escape Room Destination!

Located just 6 blocks north of Erebus Haunted Attraction in Downtown Pontiac, MI.  erebusescape.com #funwithoutfear

 

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5. Headless Horseman’s Hayrides and Haunted Houses - Ulster Park, New York - www.headlesshorseman.com:  Stampeding into its 25th season - Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses is a force to be feared!  “A New York Nightmare!”

New for 2017:

The Resurrection is an evil 65-acre event located in the historic haunted Hudson Valley, includes a one mile hayride filled with 25 years of dead and living villians, monsters, and creatures returning to terrorize you, and a 4 acre corn maze.  Haunted Houses include: The Lunar Motel – We Await Your Arrival; The Dark Chapel, a 32-foot tall entrance to the Horseman’s Tomb – Say your Prayers; Dr. Dark’s Side Show; in addition to five other attractions: Glutton’s Diner and Slaughterhouse, Dark Harvest Cornmaze, Nightshade Nursery & Greenhouse, The Feeding, and Two Raven’s Manor, as well as a magic illusion show nightly.  Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses continually evolves with unique monsters, amazing illusions, stunning special FX, original costumes, makeup, frightening animations, and artistic detail created by our sister company American Made Monster Studios.  Only the strong will survive the intense encounters with the infamous Headless Horseman.

The attraction also includes line actors, four themed gift shops: Magic Moon Gift Shop, Scare Ware, Fear Gear, Phantom Photo, and five food concessions: Evil Eatery, Witch Hazels, Croaked Crow, The Coffee Cauldron, and Deadly Donuts. We employ over 350 actors and staff trained to provide a memorable and enjoyable evening for the whole family.

We pride our self on professionalism and detail that sets us apart from the rest.

In addition, the creators of Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses are proud to present "Headless Horseman Escape Rooms", a real-life escape experience - a first for the Historic Hudson Valley.

Visit us at: headlesshorseman.com and headlesshorsemanescaperooms.com

 

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6. Haunted Overload - Lee, New Hampshire - www.hauntedoverload.com: Haunted Overload has that name for a reason. Over-the-top gigantic, original set designs propel this haunt into a class of its own. Described as The Ultimate Halloween Experience, Haunted Overload seeks to give its loyal fans an all-out assault on their senses. Immersing them in a traditional Halloween themed environment like no other. Hundreds of hand carved Jack-O-Lanterns light the way through massive looming faces and creatures—and that's just the queue! Patrons will encounter terror around every twist in the wooded trail. Intense sound, professional actors, mind-blowing costumes, creative lighting and dense fog all come together in the New England forest to make it an unforgettable experience. Haunted Overload can be found every year on various best haunts lists both nationally and internationally and won the grand prize on The Great Halloween Fright Fight on ABC. At the end of the 2014 season, they hosted guests from the entire haunt industry on the Legendary Haunt Tour. It has been featured on the Weather Channel, NH Chronicle, Haunters The Movie, and even an upcoming coffee table book titled HAUNT. Every year the dedicated Haunted Overload crew works tirelessly to improve the experience and takes each added scene to unimagined new heights—literally as well as figuratively. Scenes like the Victorian-themed Abaddon Hall and giant Sinister Circus stun patrons with their detail. Many surprises await fans for Haunted Overload's 10th year of fear anniversary this season. Haunted Overload is partnered with the Cocheco Valley Humane Society and gives a percentage of its proceeds to help local animals. It’s located at DeMeritt Hill Farm, a traditional stop for apple picking, blueberries, pumpkins and home-made goodies from the farm store. The farm also offers seasonal holiday hayrides and classes.


 

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8. Bennett's Curse - Baltimore, Maryland - www.bennettscurse.com: The legendary Bennett's Curse is back in 2017 with our most terrifying show to date! We are proud to introduce Bennett's Curse ULTIMATE FEAR EXPERIENCE! With an even greater focus on fear, you will NOT find a SCARIER haunted house anywhere around. From asylum patients to classic monsters and everything in between the ULTIMATE FEAR EXPERIENCE will offer everything you've come to expect from Maryland/DC's #1 Halloween Attraction, and a whole lot more!! We've taken our best scares and best scenes along with our scariest monsters while adding many amazing new surprises all combining to unleash pure terror on all those brave enough to visit. Visit us at our all new temporary location at 7875A Eastpoint Mall in Baltimore County, MD  next to Shoppers World and take advantage of our new dynamic pricing for an amazing value to enter one of America's best Haunts!


 

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9. The Darkness - St. Louis, Missouri - www.scarefest.com: The Darkness haunted house is considered one of if not the single best haunted attraction in America by the industry itself.  The Darkness is a true factory of nightmares! The Darkness features several attractions in one location including Zombie Laser Tag, Silo-X Zombie Haunted Experience, 3 Minute Horror themed Escape Room, Outdoor Scream Zones, St Louis Escape Rooms, Monster Museums and so much more.  The Darkness is located downtown St Louis spanning over 50,000 SCREAMING FEET of SHEER TERROR!  The Darkness holds the record for the most animated fx in the entire industry including multi motion animation, digital video fx, and scary animations.  The Darkness also features over 100 zombies, monsters, demons and creatures that go bump in the night.  The Darkness has been featured on multiple reality shows, television haunt specials ranging from Shipping Wars, Myth Busters, Modern Marvels to featured articles in USA Today.  Your worst fears lurk inside The Darkness haunted house.

 

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10. Field Of Screams - Mountville, Pennsylvania - www.fieldofscreams.com:  Field of Screams is one of the scariest haunted scream parks in America located Lancaster County PA.  Terrorizing over one million victims to date, Field of Screams is celebrating 25 YEARS OF FEAR in 2017!  Field of Screams was voted #1 by USA TODAY, featured on the Travel Channel and the Howard Stern Show, and written about in Time Magazine and Newsweek.  Boasting 4 Impressive Attractions, Field of Screams is a show that must not be missed.  The Horrifying Haunted Hayride will be the most disturbing ride of your life through thick rows of corn.  The distorted Den of Darkness will leave you trembling in fear.  The Frightmare Asylum is packed full of demented doctors and nasty nurses just waiting to treat you.  And the wicked woods of The Nocturnal Wasteland will give you lasting nightmares.  Described by many as the Haunted Attraction with the Ultimate Atmosphere, enjoy your time in between the Haunts in our impressive Entertainment Area full of additional entertainment, games, food, photo booth, and souvenir shop.  PREPARE TO BE TERRIFIED.

 

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12. Nightmare on 13th - Salt Lake City, Utah - www.nightmareon13th.com: Nightmare on 13th has been scaring guests for 28 years. It has been regarded as one of the Top Haunted Attractions in the nation and is well known for constantly changing. The creators of the Nightmare on 13th work year around to create highly realistic sets and over the top special effects that their guests have come to expect. This year’s Nightmare is no exception, it takes you to the darker side of Halloween.

The new and improved Nightmare Courtyard will be your first stop.  Once inside, you will encounter the legendary story of Sleepy Hollow, tread carefully or you may just lose your head. Back by popular demand, Dark Harvest has returned for its revenge. And finally why do the sewers echo with laughter and smell of cotton candy? IT is here! All this and much more will prove to you why Nightmare on 13th is truly Utah’s Legendary Haunted Attraction.


 

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13. USS Nightmare - Newport, Kentucky - www.ussnightmare.com: Now in its 25th season, The USS Nightmare is Greater Cincinnati’s longest running haunted attraction and the only haunt located on the Ohio River on a former steam-powered dredging vessel. During its 25-year history, The USS Nightmare has been annually recognized both regionally and nationally as a top-rated haunted attraction—most recently rated #4 by The Scare Factor. The haunted dredge boat tour consists of more than 40 scenes spread out over 20,000 square feet with movie quality makeup, special effects, lighting and sound. During the 30+ minute tour, faint-of-heart guests can opt-out by locating one of the 6 possible escape routes.

The story of The USS Nightmare begins many years ago when the former dredging vessel, the William S. Mitchell, mysteriously broke free from its moorings wreaking havoc for miles down the river. Although no one was thought to be aboard at the time, the boat's eventual demise revealed a much different story.

The USS Nightmare is the resurrection of the William S. Mitchell. The boat is in the exact condition it was left in the aftermath of the Mitchell Massacre. To this very day, anyone who enters is tormented by the sinister past of this former dredging vessel – including the cast and crew of our haunted dredge boat tour.

 

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Halloween doesn’t end there… now here is our list of the next best haunts 14 thru 50.  Did a haunted house in your city make our list?  PLEASE SHARE THIS PAGE!

14. Basement of the Dead - Naperville, Illinois : www.basementofthedead.com
15. Cutting Edge - Dallas, Texas : www.cuttingedgehauntedhouse.com
16. Spookywoods - Archdale, North Carolina : www.spookywoods.com
17. Bayville Screampark - Bayville, New York : www.bayvillescreampark.com
18. Statesville Haunted Prison - Lockport, Illinois : www.statesvillehauntedprison.com
19. Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : www.easternstate.org/halloween
20. Creepyworld - Fenton, Missouri : www.creepyworld.com
21. Sleepy Hollow Hayride & The House in the Hollow - Newtown, Pennsylvania : www.sleepyhollowhayride.com
22. Dead End Hayride - Wyoming, Minnesota : www.thedeadendhayride.com
23. Rise Haunted House - Hammond, Louisiana : www.risehauntedhouse.com
24. Jason's Woods - Lancaster, Pennsylvania : www.jasonswoods.com
25. Pure Terror - Monroe, New York : www.pureterror.com
26. Horrorfest - Yardley, Pennsylvania : www.shadybrookfarm.com/horrorfest
27. Dark Manor - Versailles, Connecticut (Baltic, CT) : www.thedarkmanor.com
28. Blood Manor - New York, New York : www.bloodmanor.com
29. Haunted Field of Screams - Thornton, Colorado : www.hauntedfieldofscreams.com
30. Spooky Ranch - Columbia Station, Ohio : www.spookyranch.com
31. Gateway's Haunted Playhouse - Bellport, New York : www.gatewayshauntedplayhouse.com
32. Shallow Grave - Winter Haven, Florida : www.theshallowgrave.com
33. Night Terrors at Wiard's Orchards - Ypsilanti, Michigan : www.hauntedhousemichigan.com
34. Laurel House of Horror - Laurel, Maryland : www.laurelhaunt.com
35. Woods of Terror - Greensboror, North Carolina : www.woodsofterror.com
36. My Morbid Mind - Lacey, Washington : www.mymorbidmind.com
37. The Asylum Haunted House presents DEVIANT - Weston, West Virgina : www.theasylumwv.com
38. Trail of Fear Haunted Scream Park - Lawton, Oklahoma : www.trailoffear.com
39. Bates Motel - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : www.thebatesmotel.com
40. Fear Overload - San Francisco, California : www.fearoverload.com
41. Brighton Asylum - Passaic, New Jersey : www.brightonasylum.com
42. Blood Prison at The Ohio State Reformatory - Mansfield, Ohio : www.bloodprison.com
43. Verdun Manor - Dallas, Texas : www.verdunmanor.com
44. Haunted Scarehouse - Wharton, New Jersey : www.hauntedscarehouse.com
45. Field of Terror - East Windsor, New Jersey : www.fieldofterror.com
46. City of the Dead - Denver, Colorado : www.cityofthedeadhaunt.com
47. Fright Town - Portland, Oregon : www.frighttown.com
48. Gates of Misery - Atlanta, Georgia : www.gatesofmisery.com
49. The Haunted Chicken House - Helfin, Alabama : www.hauntedchickenhouse.com
50. Indiana Fear Farm - Jamestown, Indiana : www.indianafearfarm.com
51. Burial Chamber - Neenah, Wisconsin : www.burialchamber.com


 

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    Escape Rooms have stormed on the scene of America becoming a very popular spin off of Haunted Houses.  What are escape rooms?  Find yourself trapped in a room as you work with your team to solve puzzles, find clues and escape before time expires.  Many escape rooms have opened but most are not on the level of our list of the 10 best in America.  What makes one escape room better than the rest?  If you create a theme for an escape room does the room itself follow thru with theming and detail?  Most escape room are basic but some are beyond your imagination with amazing detail, theming, special fx and more.  Here is our list of the best escape rooms in America 2017.


1. 13th Gate Escape - Baton Rouge Louisiana - www.13thgateescape.com: Three different rooms including Death Row, Tomb of Anubis and a The Collector.  These are some of the most detailed, elaborate escape rooms in the United States.


2. St. Louis Escape - St. Louis, Missouri - www.stlouisescape.com: St. Louis Escape features three rooms including Subway Escape, Mummy Escape and Cellar Escape.  All of their rooms are simply amazing, each attraction features animations, special fx and detail so amazing you experience the theme fully.


3. The Enigma Project - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - www.escapepittsburgh.com: The Enigma Project at Hundred Acres Manor is Pittsburgh's first real-life horror escape room game where you and up to 8 others will race against the clock and escape from a locked room in 45 minutes or less!


4. Mind Spark Adventure & Escape Games - Austin, Texas - www.mindsparkadventure.com: A progressive next generation adventure game located in Austin, TX.  Featuring 4 different games, Zombie, Terminal, Houdini, and an all new virtual reality escape game!


5. Escape the Netherworld - Atlanta, Georgia - www.escapethenetherworld.com: The team behind one of the best haunted houses in America bring you Escape the Netherworld with three incredible escape rooms including Escape Haunted, Escape Nosferatu and Escape Sasquatch.


6. Rise Escape Games – Hammond, Louisiana - www.riseescaperooms.com: At Rise Escape Rooms each Room is uniquely designed to challenge your wits, bravery, and puts your teamwork to the ultimate trial. One of the escape rooms features a real moving plane that you must land to live. 


7. Escape on 13th - Salt Lake City, Utah - www.escapeon13th.com: Escape on 13th features three thrilling escape rooms including Curse of Anubis, Rogue Agent, and Walk the Plank a pirate themed escape room.


8. Erebus Escape - Pontiac, Michigan - www.erebusescape.com: Erebus Escape features Throwns, Lockdown, Extinction, and Body of Evidence escape rooms all four in one location.  All of these escape rooms are high tech!


9. The Basement Escape Rooms - Aurora, Illinois - www.thebasementescaperooms.com: Features two different escape rooms which take the concept to the next level Traumatized and Quarantined.  These rooms feature live actors, shooting zombies and much more.


10. Headless Horseman Escape - Ulster Park, New York - www.headlesshorseman.com: The creators of Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses, Ulster Park, New York are proud to present a new concept of interactive, immersive entertainment.  A real life escape experience!  A first for the Historic Hudson Valley.  Featuring four escape rooms: Poison Plum Island Escape, Houdini's Workshop Escape, Blood Inn Escape, and The Collector.


11. The Basement - Los Angeles, California - www.thebasementla.com: This escape game has won universal acclaims as the single-most immersive kidnap experience short of being in a real life SAW. Not for the squeamish.


12. 5 Wits - Syracuse, New York - www.5-wits.com: While not a typical escape game, 5Wits is the most immersive, family friendly experience involving intriguing interaction in a high production set with fun puzzle-solving tasks. Feels like a theme park unto itself!


13. The Escape Game Nashville - Nashville, Tennessee - www.nashvilleescapegame.com: Solve million dollar heists, decode secret service missions, and navigate through prison passageways.


 

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  You might be wondering how does this list differ from our list of America’s best Haunted Screamparks, but here we focus strictly on who has the best haunted hayride or haunted trail. Our best Screampark list was focused strictly on who has the best overall mega Halloween Screampark, but here we are focused on just one single beloved attraction… the best haunted hayride or the best outdoor haunted trail. Hayrides have been a Halloween tradition for decades. Although a haunted hayride is usually as scary as a haunted house, there’s simply no other experience than a wagon ride through the woods with your friends. In the older days, haunted hayrides were nothing more than just that an eerie ride through dark, desolate woods, and haunted trails where not much different. In days past, they were mainly a walk through the woods after dark. Today, these events are HIGH TECH with OVER THE TOP actors, sets, special FX and so much more. Some haunters have taken haunted trails so over-the-top, you believe you are in another World, inside a Hollywood movie, being stalked by real demons, killers and monsters. Haunted Hayrides, Haunted Woods & Haunted Trails offer an experience that an indoor haunted house cannot: running in the dark under a pale moonlight, with real crickets, wind blowing, a chill in the air, and the fear of the unknown! Today’s haunted hayrides and haunted trails really bring the SCREAMS in a major way, so this year find a good haunted hayride or trail and prepare for a true authentic Halloween experience like no other.


1. Headless Horseman’s Hayrides and Haunted Houses - Ulster Park, New York - www.headlesshorseman.com: Three different rooms including Death Row, Tomb of Anubis and a The Collector.  These are some of the most detailed, elaborate escape rooms in the United States.


2. Field of Screams - Lancaster, Pennsylvania - www.fieldofscreams.com: Experience terror like no other as you board and ride the Field of Screams Haunted Hayride where they take pride in developing unique horror character bios sure to make your hair stand on ends. This is one of the longest running haunted hayrides in America!


3. Haunted Overload at Demeritt Farm - Lee, New Hampshire - www.hauntedoverload.com: Haunted Overload started as a home haunt that outgrew the neighborhood! It now resides on a historic farm deep in the woods with massive sets, props and themes that have set a new standard for the entire industry.


4. Creepyworld - Fenton, Missouri - www.creepyworld.com:  Creepyworld features an all new haunted hayride which features giant monsters, special fx, and amazing set design.


5. The Dead End Hayride & Haunted Attractions at Pinehaven Farm - Wyoming, Minnesota - www.thedeadendhayride.com: Dead End offers all the scariest in haunted attractions: a haunted cornfield, a haunted trail and of course…The Dead End Haunted Hayride! Through the use of special effects, strobe lights, fog and even fire, Dead End is able to create a disorientating atmosphere perfect for the ultimate scare!


6. Wiard's Night Terrors Haunted Thrill Park – Detroit, Michigan - www.hauntedhousemichigan.com: Wiard’s is a massive screampark with six attractions in on location including The Asylum, Haunted Barn, Alien Clowns, Mine Shaft, Splattertown, and the granddaddy of them all The Hayride of the Lost. This even also features Scareyoke, and a bakery with homemade cider, caramel apples and much more.


7. The Bates Motel - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - www.thebatesmotel.com: St Louis Escape features three rooms including Subway Escape, Mummy Escape and Cellar Escape.  All of their rooms are simply amazing, each attraction features animations, special fx and detail so amazing you experience the theme fully.


8. Jason’s Woods - Lancaster, Pennsylvania - www.jasonswoods.com: Jasons Woods features several attractions, but their hayride is one of the longest haunted hayrides in America, and this year the all new Horrifying Haunted Hayride is simply mind blowing!


9. Spookywoods - Archdale, North Carolina - www.spookywoods.com: Spookywoods features several haunted houses, tram rides, escape rooms and even a massive pumpkin patch, corn maze and more.


10. Night Terrors Haunted Farm - Schoharie, New York - www.nightterrorshauntedfarm.com: Located in Schoharie, New York Night Terrors features several haunted houses including a zombie hunt with air soft guns but their main attraction is Harvest Hayride.


 

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    What is a Screampark? The term Screampark is something we want to educate the public about. It’s a haunted event that features several attractions all at one location. Typically, the staple attraction is a hayride, but not always. Screamparks are usually found on farms, within amusement parks, or on huge plots of land. Most Screamparks feature different types of attractions such as hayrides, haunted houses, corn mazes, haunted trails, blacklight 3D haunted houses, live shows and more.  So who has the best Screampark in America? We are judging this category by the mass amount of different attractions and the quality of them all. Some Screamparks do not live up to their marketing hype when their “multiple attractions” are mostly small and gimmicky. However, there are several who are beyond your wildest dreams immense and action-packed with horrific fun. Our list of BEST Screamparks not only provide hours of entertainment, but leave you gut wrenching and heart pounding.  The biggest operational difference between a screampark and a haunted house is most screamparks have to set up everything each year. In comparison, an indoor haunted house is usually a permanent location, so the sets, animations, and FX are typically better and more detailed. However a Screampark makes up the difference with sheer number of attractions, actors, and time spent at the event. So who has the best Screamparks in America and why?



1. Creepyworld Haunted Screampark - Fenton, Missouri - www.scarefest.com: Creepyworld is by far the best overall screampark for creative haunted houses and haunted attractions with the utmost in extreme actors. Creepyworld features 13 different haunted attractions in one location, plus an all animated Ghoul Band and one of America’s largest Carved Pumpkin Displays. Creepyworld is a massive production that includes Trick R Treat Haunted Hayride, Zombie haunts, haunted mansions, haunted hospitals, pig farms, corn mazes and so much more.


2. Headless Horseman’s Hayrides and Haunted Houses - Ulster Park, New York - www.headlesshorseman.com: Headless Horseman is our second best haunted Screampark 2013, because they have the best haunted hayride in America. Additionally, they are one of the only Screamparks in America with themed food shops, unique gift boutiques, live theatrical shows, and even the real Headless Horseman riding around on horseback. The detail and creativity in their haunted hayride is something you don’t see in 99% of other hayrides. It’s truly something to see!


3. Field of Screams - Lancaster, Pennsylvania - www.fieldofscreams.com: With four intense attractions and a fun-filled entertainment area, Field of Screams is unlike any other haunted attraction. Field of Screams provides Lancaster PA and all nearby east coast cities with the most horrifying experiences around.  Field of Screams features one of the longest hayrides deep into a haunted cornfield where darkness falls just a little deeper, featuring a massive 20-foot pumpkin demon. It’s the perfect place for nighmares to become reality!


4. Spookywoods - Archdale, North Carolina - www.spookywoods.com: Spookywoods is one of our favorite haunted attractions, with haunted mansions, a spooky tram ride, escape rooms and so much more.  The best feature is zip lines, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and a massive daytime family event.


5. Haunted Field of Screams - Thornton, Colorado - www.hauntedfieldofscreams.com: Are you scared of scarecrows, Haunted Field of Screams has one of the biggest corn mazes, a zombie paintball hayride, haunted houses and so much more.  This attractions takes well north of an hour to complete.


6. Spooky Ranch - Columbia Station, Ohio - www.spookyranch.com: This massive attraction includes zombie paintball in 3D, a massive haunted hayride, several haunted houses, 3D haunted houses and so much more.


7. Jason’s Woods - Lancaster, Pennsylvania - www.jasonswoods.com: People from all over the east coast flock to Jason’s Woods to experience several haunted house attractions like the all new Chamber of Horrors, Pirate’s Revenge, Lost in Jason’s Woods, or Carnival of Fear, but the most sought after attraction is their Horrifying Hayride where iconic horrific characters force you to revisit those childhood nightmares of the past.  And don’t forget to visit The Grand Jason’s Woods Theater where they creatively combine film with horror haunted attraction!


8. Night Terrors at Wiard's Orchards - Detroit, Michigan - www.hauntedhousemichigan.com: Night Terrors is a MASSIVE haunted screampark with six haunted houses in one location including The Asylum, Night Terrors Haunted Trail, Haunted Barn, Hayride of the Lost, Splattertown, the Lost Minded Shaft but also they have food, music, shows and much more.


9. Field of Terror - East Windsor, New Jersey - www.fieldofterror.com: Field of Terror is NJ’s Premier Haunted Attraction Farm. It’s everything a Screampark should be, but at this 100 acre farm, they do everything over-the-top! With a haunted corn field, haunted hayride, haunted barn, 3D haunted house plus food, DJ, dancing, concessions, bonfire and even fireworks (on designated nights), Field of Terror is certainly a BEST haunted Screampark by all accounts. Also, check their website regularly for Zombie Mud Run events too!


10. Pure Terror - Monroe, New York - www.pureterror.com:  Pure Terror features six different haunted houses including Terror under the Big Top, The Coven, Terror in The Darkness, Necropolis and much more.


 

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Which haunted houses in operation today have the best and scariest crew of actors, monsters, zombies and creatures that make you SCREAM? Hauntworld unveils the best places to find the scariest actors in America, so be warned if you dare enter these attractions and prepare to see the most realistic make up, monsters, acting and scream machines on EARTH!  What makes a haunted house great is their staff. It’s the actors who make unbelievable believable. The actors are the ones who make their victims’ skin crawl. They can make you run for your life, begging for mercy. They are the ones who make a haunted house the legend they have become!  Some actors are so extreme and over-the-top, they have the ability to instill such fear that results are blood curdling screams, panic attacks, and even wetting of the pants! If you are brave enough, we dare you to entertain the idea of attending every haunted house on this list. But if you do, prepare to donate your soul at the door, because these actors will certainly rip it from your body! The scariest haunted houses with the scariest actors in America…here is our list:


1. The 13th Gate - Baton Rouge Louisiana - www.13thgate.com: 13th Gate features some of the best makeup artists in America, plus icon characters, custom molded masks, and theatrical costumes. What makes them most unique is all the different style actors, because they have to fill 13 different themes within the attraction.


2. Bennett's Curse - Baltimore, Maryland - www.bennettscurse.com:  Bennett's Curse has custom silicon masks and costumes made for these extreme scream monsters. Bennett’s Curse monsters mostly fit the gothic themes of the overall event and they pull it off in scream fashion.


3. Erebus - Pontiac, Michigan - www.hauntedpontiac.com: Erebus has a limitless haunt where the actors and animations are allowed to touch their customers for the ultimate “hands on” approach to scaring, and this takes unique training on the part of the actor management staff. Their victims LOVE this extreme approach to haunting!   


4. Netherworld - Atlanta, Georgia - www.fearworld.com: Netherworld has the wildest actors in the industry with an over-the-top make up department, custom icon characters, sliders, actors running the parking lot, and 100’s more actors inside all to make you scream! Netherworld has the best actors in America.


5. Factory of Terror - Canton, Ohio - www.FOTOhio.com: Factory of Terror Holds a record as being the longest indoor haunted house in the Nation.  When you have this much space to cover you must hire some seriously scary actors.  Factory of Terror will leave you in a state of shock.


6. Statesville Haunted Prison - Lockport, Illinois - www.statesvillehauntedprison.com: This attraction is operated by the Zombie Army and they train their actors to cause panic attacks.  You know if you visit Stateville the focus is on the scary actors.


7. Headless Horseman’s Hayrides and Haunted Houses - Ulster Park, New York - www.headlesshorseman.com: Located outside New York City, Headless Horseman features the best costumes in America with their own year round costume department of make up FX artists who create unique costumes for the attraction year after year. Their best and most notorious haunt actor is of course the headless horseman who rides up and down the hayride haunting the town of Sleepy Hollow.


8. The Dent Schoolhouse - Cincinnati, Ohio - www.frightsite.com: When you visit the Dent Schoolhouse prepare to come across some amazing actors who all play the rolls of evil janitor, principal, teachers, coaches, cheerleaders and dead students. Every bad nightmare you still have of high school you must relive at Dent SchoolHouse.


9. Nightmare on 13th - Salt Lake City, Utah - www.nightmareon13th.com: This haunted house has been in operation for over 20 years making people crawl across the ground begging for mercy.  Nightmare on 13th knows how to make people scream due to their incredible crew of actors.


10. Nashville Nightmare - Madison, Tennessee - www.nashvillenightmare.com: The name says it all 'NIGHTMARE' and the actors of this horror show know how to make people scream!  Nashville Nightmare might be one of the biggest longest indoor haunts in the country and feature over 120 live actors who know what it takes to make your skin crawl. 


 

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  1. The Dent Schoolhouse - Cincinnati, Ohio - www.frightsite.com: What can be scarier than an old abandoned school?


2. Haunted Overload - Lee, New Hampshire - www.hauntedoverload.com: Deep in the woods lurks massive monsters, mansions and demons.  You will never go into the woods again.


3. Verdun Manor - Dallas, Texas - www.verdunmanor.com: Take a ride just outside Dallas to a deserted ranch and high atop a hill sits a giant old haunted mansion.  


4. Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - www.easternstate.org/halloween: Clearly one of the scariest places on earth one of the most infamous haunted prisons in America.


5. Blood Prison at The Ohio State Reformatory - Mansfield, Ohio - www.bloodprison.com: This place was made famous by the movie Shawshank Redemption and yes this abandoned prison will make you want to escape.


6. Erebus - Pontiac, Michigan - www.hauntedpontiac.com: In the middle of Detroit rises one of the longest, biggest scariest warehouses in America and you have to walk every single floor!


7. Factory of Terror - Canton, Ohio - www.FOTOhio.com: Why is this place scary?  Imagine entering the biggest dark warehouse in the country?  Now imagine what lurks inside and how long if you even can escape.


8. The Asylum Haunted House presents DEVIANT - Weston, West Virgina - www.theasylumwv.com: Okay this is worth the drive without a doubt!  What is scarier than a REAL asylum?  This place is one of the biggest, longest asylums in American history now you enter and who knows if you come out!

 
9. USS Nightmare - Newport, Kentucky - www.ussnightmare.com: What could be scarier than boarding an old turn of the century riverboat on the river?  


10. Queen Mary - Long Beach, California - www.www.queenmary.com/events/dark-harbor:  The biggest steam ship ever built now they say is the most haunted place on earth.  We visited the Queen Mary and its big and the haunted house event is even bigger.


 

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Well before I was editor of Hauntworld, I was always interested in the haunted houses, horror and science fiction. As a kid I watched everything from Bela Lugosi Dracula or Christopher Lee to Frankenstein or Mummy. My all-time favorite horror creature is Lon Chaney Jr. in his portrayal as The Wolfman. I would watch him battle Frankenstein over and over hoping for a different outcome each time!

Horror movies have changed a lot from the infancy when Universal made Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy or the cult classic Creature From The Black Lagoon. I believe slasher movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre made people afraid to enter an old house. Films like The Exorcist created fear of the devil and demonic possessions. Perhaps many of todays best horror movies can be traced back to Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Exorcist.

For many Americans, watching a good scary movie is a favorite pastime and great for a first date or a way to celebrate the Halloween season. We love horror movies and now I present our top 13 bone chilling, scream machine horror movies that will make your skin crawl and give you nightmares. Our list was partially created based on the impact they had on society at the time they where released.  For example Exorcist had people going to Church, Poltergiest had people checking under beds, Pyscho made people afraid of motels, and Dracula probably the original Monster movie made people believe in real monsters.  Share your top 10 or top 13 scariest horror movies on our facebook page.  CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE


1. The Conjuring : This movie made people afraid to live on a farm!

2. Insidious : Back to the roots of horror movies, no cgi fx, just screams on every frame.

3. The Exorcist : Everyone visited church after seeing this movie and feared the devil thereafter.

4. Poltergeist : This movie gave us the line ‘they’re here’  and clowns under the bed.

5. The Shining : One of the creepiest haunted hotel movies ever made!

6. Halloween : One of the movies that started the slasher boogie man movie craze!

7. Trick R Treat :  One of the most under rated cult classics and screams Halloween.

8. Sinister :  Watch a movie and your entire family will die a gruesome death.

9. The Ring : Watch a video and you die!  Creepy movie!

10. IT : Clowns have never been scarier!

11. Annabelle 2 : The first one wasn't scary, the second was terrifying!

12. The Conjuring 2 : The Nun is worth the price of admission... She still haunts my dreams.

13. It Follows : This movie is just scary and makes any teenager afraid of what follows in the dark.

 

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Posted by Larry 7.30 AM Read Comments ()

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13th Gate Releases new Video.  13th Gate is one of the best haunted houses in the nation with movie style sets, amazing monsters and much more.  Visit their haunted house this October www.13thgate.com 

13th Gate has been featured in movies, national television shows, and national photo shoots.  Check out their newest video. 

 
 

Posted by Larry 10.28 PM Read Comments ()

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