Episodes

This past weekend, Knott's Scary Farm (Buena Park, CA) opened for its 52nd season, running 26 select nights through November 1st. This year's lineup includes ten mazes, five scare zones, three shows, and more, with over 1,000 horrifying creatures lurking in the fog. Also this week: Halloween Trends 2025: What Guests Really Want; DoorDash Releases "Trick, Treat and Trends"; Six Flags Reports Attendance Gains Amid Seasonal Event Cancellations; Sesame Place Ends Annual Halloween & Holiday Events in...

Dark Nights at Hersheypark (Hershey, PA) opened this past weekend, running eight weekends through November 2nd. The event features five haunted houses, four scare zones, access to over 50 rides, seasonal foods & beverages, live entertainment, and more. Guests can enjoy family-friendly fun by day and frights at night - all included with a Hersheypark Halloween ticket. A new haunted house ( Kill 'N Fill Garage) and Scare Zone debuted this year. Also this week: Field of Screams PA Opens Gates for 3...

Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood Opened Last Weekend to a sold-out crowd, featuring 8 Houses, a New Dining Pass, "Chainsaw Man", and More. Meanwhile, Halloween Horror Nights Orlando Criticized for Premium Scream Night Disappointments, Oversold Passes, and Controversies Around Roaming Characters. Also this week: Six Flags Great America's Fright Fest Begins September 13th; Adventureland Debuts New House for Phantom Fall Fest; Fresno Fright Nights Comes to the Central Valley October 3rd; Maan Farm...

And as HHN leans on accessible IP like WWE, Fallout, and FNAF, builds in food-forward offerings, and pilots no-scare options, the question arises: is Universal future-proofing the brand—or diluting its horror core? Also this week: Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest Debuts New Haunted House; Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare Comes to Kings Island in 2026; Netflix House to Open in Philadelphia & Dallas; The Haunted Carwash Returns to SoCal with Three Locations; Coffin Creek Moves; Mr. Floats & The Car...

This week: Adventuredome's Fear Zone Organizer Accused of Sexual Battery; Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar at Disney Springs Gets Halloween Makeover; Two New Mazes Coming to Knott's Scary Farm; Howl-O-Scream Tampa Unveils M.A.R.S. Haunted House; Queen Mary's Dark Harbor Announces New & Updated Mazes; Field of Screams Maryland Will Not Open for the 2025 Season; Twin Cities Fear Fest Brings Elvira to Mall of America; Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall Celebrates 35th Anniversary; Hieizan Obakeyashiki Returns for a...

Last week was MASSIVE for Halloween Fans, beginning with the opening of Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, followed by Midsummer Scream in Long Beach. Haunted Attractions took advantage of the 50,000+ attendees at Midsummer Scream to announce their Halloween plans - and we've gathered EVERYTHING for you! Highlights: Universal Reveals Terrifier Haunted House Details; Five Nights at Freddy's Pizza Place Previews; Elvira moves in to LA Haunted Hayride; Delusion & Magic of the Jack-o'-Lanterns...

50,000 Halloween Fans will gather in Long Beach this weekend (Aug 15-17) for Midsummer Scream! Guests will experience 12+ mini-haunts, shop at 350+ vendors, and hear from local haunted attractions about this season. Also this week: Poltergeist Comes to Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood; Six Flags Reveals The Conjuring Premium Experience; Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest Expands; Universal Horror Unleashed Opens August 14th; Spirit Halloween Releases new Branded Merchandise. Read more here.

This week's headlines: SLASH to Create All-New Experiences for Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood; Want us to visit your haunt? Tell us by July 31st!; Lagoon Show and Nightmare Fuel Return to Halloween Horror Nights Orlando; New Villains for Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland - Disneyland's Halloween Foodie Guide 2025; Tivoli Gardens Celebrates 20 Years of Halloween Festivities; Fire at Fear Factory SLC; Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Unveils Haunting Lineup of 2025's Special Events; Mars Releases Summerw...

Halloween Horror Nights Orlando announced two "all-new street experiences - "Mel's Die-In Zombies," featuring zombie carhops, and "Club Horror," featuring undead DJs. While we've seen 'street' shows in prior years, they're not typically announced and this could mean a stronger entertainment for this year's event. Also: The Texas Haunters Convention is this weekend; Summerween Spurs Creativity and Spooky Vibes Before Fall Celebrations; Applications Now Open for the Haunted Attraction Association'...

A Stranger Things Haunted House will debut at Singapore's Halloween Horror Nights, joining the returning house, Singapore's Most Haunted: Build to Horror, two yet-to-be-announced houses, two scare zones, and three live shows. Also this week: "Terrifier" Comes to US Halloween Horror Nights; Howl-O-Scream San Diego Returns; "Fresno Fright Nights" Comes to San Joaquin Valley; Freakling Bros. Pauses 2025 Event; Woods of Terror Hosts Behind the Scenes Tour; IKEA's Halloween Collection Returns; "Scary...

With the last major holiday celebration of summer out of the way (no one really decorates for Labor Day), retailers are now fully embracing the "Summerween" season, stocking Halloween-themed products earlier than ever before. As reported in last month's newsletters, stores like Michaels, Target, and Lowe's took advantage of Friday, June 13th, to begin to release their spooky items. Now, even more stores are pushing the Halloween season forward into summer. Read more here.

This week: Universal Destinations & Experiences Announces Horror Unleashed Chicago; Halloween Horror Nights Orlando Announced 5 Original Haunts; La Llorona, La Muelona, and La Siguanaba Come to Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood; Haunts Return to the Las Vegas Adventuredome with "Fear Dome"; Screams Halloween Theme Park Announces Closure; "Graveyard Games" Now Casting Horror Superfans; Spirit Halloween is Hiring 50,000 Retail Associates; Re more here.

This week: Winchester Mystery House Unveils Festival Fright Nights; Hauntathon seeks Haunted Attractions for 2025 Season; Midwest Haunters Convention Draws Massive Crowds; Oogie Boogie Bash tickets go on sale June 26th; Friday the 13th's Jason comes to Halloween Horror Nights; Universal Japan gets new maze and collab with KATE makeup; Top 5 theme park trends you need to know; Terror Vault presents Hexed. Read more here.

This week: Industry Mourns Sudden Passing of Edward Terebus of Erebus Haunted Attraction; Fallout Comes to Halloween Horror Nighte; GUIDE to Halloween Horror Night Tickets; Ghost Boat Collaborates with Moment Factory; Haunt Shirts Announces Closure; Midwest Haunters Convention Returns June 5th - 7th, 2026. Read the stories here.

This week: How trends from InterPark Magazine and theme parks impact haunts; Monsterpalooza Comes to Pasadena This Weekend; Six Flags validates horror IP expansion & themed F&B; Spirit Halloween Cancels Flagship Store Grand Opening; Queen Mary's Dark Harbor To Open June 13th; Zombies Takeover Hello Kitty Land This Summer; Ghostly Manor Debuts at Paultons Park; ScareCON's 2025 SCAR Awards Winners Announced; The Mystic Museum's Total Grotesque Live (TGL). Read the stories here .

Haunted Attraction Industry News for the week of May 19th, 2025.

Recently, I joined Tyler Barnett on the FearWorm show to discuss how major theme park innovations could transform haunted attractions, and this is the full recording.

Today we're playing the FULL audio from a marketing masterclass I recently hosted for Haunter's Toolbox, answering YOUR QUESTIONS on marketing strategies for haunted attractions. This is the complete, unedited recording! If you're a haunt owner or operator looking to boost ticket sales and reach new audiences, you'll find tactics you can immediately implement. Examples from Hush, Woods of Terror, and Transworld included. Haunter's Toolbox hosts monthly sessions at haunterstoolbox.com, and you c...

Director Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs Evil) breaks down his new slasher film, "Clown in a Cornfield," in this exclusive interview. Discover how he balances horror and comedy, creates authentic Gen Z characters, and draws inspiration from classics like Jaws. This is essential listening for haunted attraction creators and horror fans alike, with insights on the modern horror renaissance and the enduring power of communal fear experiences.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Begins Aug 15, following Aug announcements for Horror Unleashed & HHN; Marketing Your Haunted Attraction; Six Flags America To Close - ScareCON comes to Birmingham May 20th - 21st; Midwest Haunters Convention's Exhibitor List; Eli Craig Talks Clown in a Cornfield and Modern Horror; FX’s Alien: Earth Brings Immersive Sci-Fi Horror to AREA15. Read more here. https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/halloween-starts-in-august-now-disney-says-so

This week: Can Universal turn Spring into Second Halloween with Fan Fest Nights?; Theme Parks Turn to Diversification Amid Uncertainty Epidemic; Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's Howl-O-Scream Mayhem Sale; Midwest Haunters Convention Friday Haunt Tour to...

East Coast Haunters Convention delighted attendees with haunt tours, programming, vendors, and more; Comcast's Stock Dips Despite EPIC Universe Opening; Wicked New England comes to Salem this Saturday; Creep It Real OC Tickets; The VHS Society...

This week: Tariffs Threaten to Raise Prices on Halloween Costumes & Decor; Creepy Creator Group Brings Easter Screams in Horror Parody Anthology; Complete Guide to the East Coast Haunters Convention; John Carpenter Comes to Midsummer Scream; Tokyo...

Halloween convention season is underway with a myriad of events that are partnering with haunts for programming and attractions; TransWorld's East Coast Haunters Convention takes place next week with pre-con haunt tours on April 24th & 25th and...