NEWS: Sony's The Last of Us Experience

0:07 Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip on the hn Show. We bring you the haunt news, information, and education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read more about these stories and so much more in our free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes, and as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it off to Darryl. Haunts across the country continue to announce their Valentine's Days off season events. We'll get to more on that in a little bit. Sony debuts the Last of Us proof of Concept attraction at CES. Sony Pictures, PlayStation and Naughty Dog presented a proof of concept the Last of Us Attraction at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

1:00 The experience combines Sony crystal led panels, engaging audio, haptics, scent and atmospherics with interactive PlayStation game content to immerse guests into the world of the hit video game series. Neil Druckman, studio head and head of creative at Naughty Dog, described the project as a global location based experience exhibit. Druckman has yet to announce any future plans or locations for the attraction. This is not the ip's first attraction iteration. In twenty twenty three, The Last of Us made its hont debut with houses at Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Holidays twenty twenty five dates have been announced after incorrect dates have been posted to the website. Last week, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, confirmed that Haunted Mansion Holiday is returning August twenty second, twenty twenty five through January seventh of twenty twenty six. Jack Skellington and his Nightmare Before Christmas US Friends will decorate the Haunted Mansion for the Halloween and Christmas seasons. The original version will operate this year starting on January eighteenth, after a nearly year long closure due to the outdoor q expansion in construction on the new Madame Leotas Somewhere Beyond store.

2:15 Follow the links in our show notes to watch our ride through of Haunted Mansion Holiday. Salem is adjusting safety plans for Halloween in the wake of the deadly New Year's truck attack in New Orleans. Salem, Massachusetts officials announced new potential safety measures for their annual Halloween festivities. They are accelerating plans to install new retractable ballards and mobile barricades to block off vehicles from selected streets, enacting stricter enforcement of road closures, and bringing in an outside set of eyes to review current safety protocols. Additional police presence during haunted happenings is also being considered. As crowds go as large as one hundred thousand people on some October days, the road closures and extra safety measures are likely to cause increased traffic congestion on open roads. Still, Mayor Dominic Pengalo said, it's an inconvenience that people are going to have to just live with because safety is a priority concern.

3:08 Plans are in the works for the former Haunted House of Wax in Niagara Falls, New York, to be turned into a food hall with five new dining options. The former Horror Wax Museum operated on the site since two thousand and two and closed just over a year ago. A two point five to five million dollar renovation would bring a Cinnabon, Anti ads pretzel place and caravill ice cream at street level, a subway at ground level, and the Mediterranean food restaurant at the mezzanine level. Work is projected to begin this March and is expected to be complete by the busy tourist season in June. The company proposing the renovation is seeking over three hundred and eighty thousand dollars in grants and tax credits to complete the project. A public hearing regarding these benefits will take place on January twenty nine. The Halloween and Party Expo takes place this week January thirteenth through fifteenth of twenty twenty five, at the Expo at World Center Market in Las Vegas.

4:00 Halloween and Party Expo is a one stop shopping destination for all your Haunt gift store needs from costumes, party goods, masks, accessories, make up, decorations, props, and more. This year's event features over one hundred and forty exhibitors, including California Costume Collections, Cinema Secrets, Goulish Productions, Halloween Costume Association, Lord Grimly Manor Morris Costumes, National Costumers Association, Trick or Treat Studios, Wolf Effects, Zagon and more. HPE is open to qualified industrial buyers only. Programming highlights include the Halloween and Costume Associations inaugural Spooky Awards January fourteenth at five pm. This event celebrates innovation and creativity in Halloween costumes, accessories, and decor, with finalists judge on artistry, marketability, and trend setting potential. The Spooky Swap Meet in Los Angeles, California has opened applications for vendors and trick or treat hosts. The event is April twenty fifth through twenty seventh at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles. Set admits the stunning vintage Victorian manners.

5:00 This highly curated marketplace Swap Meat will focus on gently used, vintage and original Halloween decor, furnishing, costumes, props, and other spooky items. Booths cost five hundred dollars for a ten by ten space, and participants must commit to vending all three event days. There are limited spaces available and priority is given to those who have used items to sell and best fit to swap meet Garage sale, flea market themes Househouse will be assigned to one of Heritage Square's historic manners to decorate in the spirit of Halloween, where guests will trigger treat through all event hours. Learn more at the event's official website. Curious to what it looks like, follow the links in our show notes to see our previous coverage Oscares swag bag donations. If you want to get some extra eyes in your Haunted attraction or product and are a vending at trans World, join the Haunted Attracts Association in making this year's OSCARES Awards spectacular by contributing to their swag bags. The HAA is seeking contributions of hauntingly cool items like stickers, buttons, chapsticks, et cetera, featuring your logos for additional branding and attention. Swag bags will be handed out to the first one hundred Oscares attendees.

6:06 Interested donors should contact oscar's co chair, Ashley long at along at Pyramid Global dot com with what item they would like to contribute and how many they would like to contribute. She'll be collecting these items at the HAA booth twenty twenty three in Transworld and should be dropped off no later than Friday, February twenty eighth. At five point thirty. Hunter's Toolbox is hosting a ninety minute live Q and a session with Leonard Pickel on Tuesday, January fourteenth from seven thirty to eight thirty PMCST. Leonard Pickel has over forty years of themed attraction design and operations experience, creating over three hundred original and innovative dark themed attractions from major venues worldwide. A pioneer in the haunt industry, Leonard has founded key organizations, launched national conventions, and been featured as an expert on major television networks. The Arizona Hunters will be hosting a packing tape ghost workshop on Saturday, January eighteenth, from ten am to one pm in Mesa, Arizona.

7:05 Packing tape ghosts are fun, lightweight, and easy to make. The twenty dollars registration fee provides participants with all the packing tape and clear plastic needed for the forms. Participants should bring a mannequin, dress, form, or friend as a base for your tape. Ghost Submissions are now being accepted for the twenty twenty four Home Haunter Awards Show. Video submissions via cloud server or YouTube link will be accepted through February third of twenty twenty five. Awards categories include the best motorized prop, Best pneumatic prop, Best static prop, Best walkthrough, Best display, best overall, best costume, best haunt cycled, Best modified store bought prop, and best use of digital display.

7:47 The entries are judged by Amin's of the Halloween Yard, haunt and Props Facebook group based on decore, props, setup, music, and anything else your creative mind can come up with. Any not for profit home haunter may enter. Home haunters cannot win in the same category in consecutive years, however, they can enter different categories. The awards official website shows a full list of rules and judging criteria. The Canadian Haunters Association Home Haunter Awards are coming as well. Submissions are now being accepted for the Canadian Haunters Association's twenty twenty four Home Haunter Awards. Contest these annual awards under the creativity, passion, hard work and investment of the Canadian Haunters Association's many members. The awards are open to Canadian, US and international home hunters. Entrants must be part of the Canadian Haunters Association Facebook group and submit a video link of their entry. Each submission will be evaluated by a select panel of judges who are subject matter experts in various fields of themed Halloween and haunt attraction and video creation and production. Winners will receive a custom trophy and an award certificate. Join the Canadian Haunters Association Facebook group to see the full list of rules and judging ideas.

8:58 As we mentioned at the top of the show, so Valentine's Day, haunted houses are popping up all over the country. You can find the full list on the Haunted Attraction Association website, as this list may have expanded since recording. In Alabama, you can check out Arks Mortis in killin Alabama, easta Boga Manor and East of Boga Hell, Billy Hollow in Vincent, Nightmare at three thousand and eight in Fultondale, or Sweet Dreams Haunted Attraction and Mobile. In Arkansas, you can check out the Folklore Haunted Attraction in Gravesville, Arkansas. In California, feel free to check out All Saints Lunatic Asylum in Apple Valley, California, two oh nine Haunts in London, and the Haunt at a Tescadero in at Tescadero in Florida.

9:42 Check out Sir Henry's Haunted Trail in Plant City, Florida, and the Wentz Brothers Festival of Fears in Fort Walton Beach. Georgia's Valentine's Haunted Houses include Folklore Haunted House in Ackworth, Georgia, Lake Joy, Trails of Terror in Kathleen, Paranoia Haunted House in Canton, and Screams Haunted Experience in Hoboken. Spooky Illinois includes the Factory of Fear in Molly In Illinois and the Massacre Haunted House in Montgomery. Indiana has got the Hysterium Haunted Asylum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Malice Manor and Clarksville and Necropolis Underground in Indianapolis and the Thirteenth Hour in Indianapolis. Iowa is bringing you the Hillside House of Hell in Glenwood, Iowa. And Kentucky's got the Haunted Hotel Ky in Louisville. Maryland has got Bennett's Curse in Baltimore, Maryland, Harrah's Nightmare in Westminster and Laurel's House of Horror in Laurel, Massachusetts brings you the Chamber of Terror in Salem. In Michigan, you can find a wake in Haunted Attraction in Leslie Michigan.

10:43 Minnesota has got the Nowhere Haunted House in Invergrove Heights, Minnesota. Missouri brings you Terror on Route sixty six in Sullivan and the Darkness in Saint Louis. New Jersey has got the Brighton Asylum in Passaic, New Jersey. North Carolina's haunted attractions include Holler and Haunts Hay Ride in Clinton, North Carolina, Pinhead's Graveyard in Canton, and The Hotel in a Hosky, North Carolina. Ohio's got Hell's Dungeon in Dayton, Ohio. And Pennsylvania has got the Field of Screams PA in Mountville, Pennsylvania, Haunted Hills Estate, Scream Park in Uniontown, Hidden Screams Haunted Attraction in Lewiston, Orween Haunted Warehouse and Mount Union, and the Penhurst Asylum in spring City. South Carolina brings you Deceased Farm in Lexington, and Tennessee has got Freight Works in Powell, Texas. Valentine's haunted houses include Delusion Scream Park in Brian, Texas, Doc Wilkes House of Horrors in Longview, Nightmare on Nineteenth Street in Lubbock, Utah has got Asylum forty nine in tu wel Utah, Virginia brings you Freight Mayor in Chesapeake, Virginia, Spooky Acre's Haunted House in Norfolk, Tarret, Potomac Manor, and King George and Terror Manor in Rono, And finally in Washington State, check out Frightvale in Oak Harbor, Washington.

12:02 Some upcoming events this January through March include this Week's Halloween and Party Expo January thirteenth through fifteenth in Las Vegas, Nevada, creep i e Con January thirty first through February first in Ontario, California, And trans World's Halloween and Attraction Show February twenty second through March second in Saint Louis, Missouri. And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode was produced by me Philip Bernandez, with reporting by Darryl Plunky, post production by David Swope. This haunt News Update is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and you can sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hantattrastionnetwork dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gantum Lighting and Controls.

12:43 Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is a Haunted Attraction Network production