America Haunts

Hauntworld Magazine Reports on Hauntcon 2009

2009-05-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

Hauntcon tradeshow was attended by about 400 people who crowded show floors and were able to spend quality time with the different vendors who attended. Vendors report brisk sales. Hauntworld Magazine had a booth and signed up several new subscribers and sold lots of Hauntworld DVD's. The Terror on the Fox haunt tour was attended by roughly 125 people and folks who went raved about the production. The Friday night tour of Morgan Manor and their two other haunted houses was attended by roughly 300 guests, dined on mexican food and then presented an auction. Saturday night was the big costume ball gala and everyone had a great time.

Sunday night there where more haunt tours and Hauntcon extended well into Monday with more seminars from the Wolfe brothers and Pale Eye Productions. All in all Hauntcon was a blast! Hauntcon producer Leonard Pickel announced that next years event will be held in Orlando, Florida. To learn more about Hauntcon 2010 visit their website at wwww.HauntCon.com

Hauntworld Magazine fully intends on exhibiting again at Hauntcon 2010 and we hope to see everyone in Orlando 2010!

Until next time!
Happy Hauntings

HAUNTED HOUSE HALLOWEEN TRADESHOW

2009-02-06T03:22:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Haunted House and Halloween Attraction tradeshow is less than 2 months away. Do you own a haunted house, want to open a haunted house, or own a Halloween Attraction for example a corn maze, hayrides, pumpkin patches then this will be the show for YOU!

Transworld's Haunt Show will showcase over 100 different vendors selling animations, props, special effects, lighting, fog equipment, make up, costumes, theming props, and much more at the 2009 tradeshow located in St. Louis, Missouri at America's Center. The show will span more than 100,000 square feet of the most creative stuff ever seen... if you are a small business owner, amusement park manager, or even a home haunter you can't miss this show.

Do you need more information about the show... watch he video listed below. We hope to see you there! Hauntworld.com will have a booth at the show!

Don't forget there will also be an awesome lineup of seminars, events and haunt tours. The haunt tours can be found at www.TheDarkness.com or www.ColumbiaHauntTour.com.

To learn more about the show visit www.HauntShow.com.

HAUNTED HOUSE TOURS SET FOR TRANSWORLD

2009-01-30T00:37:00.001-08:00

The Haunted House Associations presents a Triple Treat of Terror!

Haunted attraction owners rarely have the freedom to visit and study other haunts during the busy October season, but now Transworld attendees will have the rare opportunity to tour three outstanding haunted attractions nearly six months in advance of the 2009 haunting season!

The Haunted House Association is proudly sponsoring three historic and unprecedented tours of three very unique attractions during the convention, all of which are opening their doors to both the public and their fellow haunters. The attraction owners have devoted thousands of dollars and hours to create all-new experiences just for the March tours, and now offer Hauntworld magazine an exclusive preview.

The Darkness (www.thedarkness.com)

The Darkness has been regularly featured on national television newscasts, publications, and programs. Ranked as “one of the Top 13 haunts in the country” by Hauntworld magazine, and as one of “America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions,” by Travel Channel, this world famous haunted attraction will present an extensive behind-the scenes tour on Thursday March 26th complete with food, drinks, and full access to all aspects of the attraction. A second tour, held on Saturday March 28, will present the attraction at “full impact” with cast, crew, and all effects in operation.

The Darkness President, Larry Kirchner, is reportedly spending over $150,000 to create and install several new scenes and special effects in time for the upcoming tours.

So why do you think The Darkness received so much attention and acclaim?
Attention to detail! Our company also builds attractions for amusement parks across the world and we now have many tools that come in handy such as hard coating machines, sophisticated animations, different types of sculpting tools, and a lot of foam hard coated scenery. As the haunted house business has grown over the past few years, more and more professional amusement facilities and theme parks are entering the industry. The Darkness has been a source of inspiration, and that puts a lot of pressure on us to outdo ourselves each year.

When did you first start planning the new ideas for this upcoming tour?
We always plan the new Darkness during our operating season. We draw more inspiration for the following seasons while looking at the same old stuff night after night. You get sick of things and you say to yourself almost nightly “we need to do this or that or replace this or that.” The day after we closed we were already ripping stuff out. However we've never worked so hard to do so much in such a small window. It is a challenge.

We have had 10 high skilled workers from our company working everyday on the Darkness since December, and it will take every single second of four months to re-build The Darkness into one of the best haunts anyone has ever seen. The first step is to design everything, then you must destroy and remove old sets, then you take a long time to rebuild the structures ... and then carving foam, to hard coating, to painting and finally all the detail.

Over 50% of the attraction will have been totally re-themed with some very amazing sets. All I can tell you is this will be one of the best haunts anyone has ever seen!!!! EVER!!!!

Are you at all nervous about opening your doors to so many haunters?
No, because I know we will amaze them. The pressure is really on due to our companies and my own personal reputation within the industry. People will be expecting to see the best of the best, and maybe in some people’s minds more than we are capable of...so the pressure was really on to outdo ourselves from any year prior.

What do you personally look for when you’re visiting someone else’s haunt? DETAIL! ORIGINALALITY! I don't want to see the typical, I want to see something I've never seen before. I want to see someone thinking outside the box. The more creative and more original you are the more accolades you will receive.

Is there a benefit to taking both the Thursday and Saturday night tours?
I would say the people who do the behind the scenes tour will get the most benefits from touring the attraction because they can walk at their own pace and explore the attraction. It’s like a really good movie, and you must see it twice to catch everything, same thing here unless you do the lights on tour you won’t catch all the detail. But Saturday night’s live tour definitely shows the scares in action. Your ticket to Thursday night’s tour also includes admission on Saturday night.

What do you hope that haunters will take away from this tour?
INSPIRATION! I want all haunters to walk out INSPIRED to do great things. Let me tell you my goal is always to be the best haunted house in the WORLD! I know that is a hard goal to achieve but if you don't aspire to be the best then why are you doing what you do? When I visit another haunted house, one I feel is one of the best I've ever seen, I sometimes walk out actually feeling kind of depressed! I think “Wow, they did something that is so much cooler than what we do” ... but then I shake my head a couple of times, the blood starts flowing, and I can't wait to get back to our haunt to push the envelope.

Other haunts inspire me to get better at what I do and they push me to attempt to achieve those lofty goals even if you never actually achieve them. So I hope people will leave the attraction inspired to go back to their haunt and work like MAD!

Only limited tickets will be sold for both tours of The Darkness, and Thursday’s “Lights On” tour will likely sell-out. Visit www.thedarkness.com for more information, media, and to buy tickets.

The Columbia Haunt Tour (www.columbiahaunttour.com )

Friday night, March 27, features a double feature of fright, with tours of two attractions in Columbia, St. Louis: FearFest and Necropolis. For just one price, guests will experience two haunted attractions with two decidedly different approaches towards content and operation. Guests can choose to drive directly to the attractions, or to take advantage of bus service directly from Transworld.

Your journey through FearFest starts in a century-old farmhouse, and includes everything from swamps to slasher asylums -- while the actors at Necropolis do their best to terrify, and touch, anyone brave enough to take a trip through this former meat packing factory. We asked the owners to tell us a little more about their attractions and the upcoming tour:

Greg Allen, Owner of FearFest (www.fearfesthauntedhouse.com)

So why did you decide to open your doors to other haunters this March?
With the haunted house convention coming to St. Louis, the opportunity for other haunt owners to see some in this area sounded like a good idea, and we wanted to be apart of that. There is such a small window to see haunted houses from around the country and we thought it would be great to open ours for a tour. When we would go to Chicago for the convention we always looked forward to the haunted house tour. Dream Reapers was always great!

Are you at all intimidated by opening up your doors for so many other owners?
There is always an intimidation factor when the best of the best are coming to see your haunt, however we eagerly await their feedback. If people say they wouldn't be intimidated or worried they are lying.

How did you get started?
I used to do a charity event in St. Louis. I ran it for several years out of my house, and by the end I had about 600 people a night coming through my yard which was getting a little ridiculous so I had to close down. But soon afterward I moved to Columbia and found this great property, and we’re now in our 7th year. It has been a very successful venue for us, we've expanded every year.

Originally it was an old farm house that led out into just plywood walls with no roofing, and you were exposed to rain, sleet, and snow! Over the years we’ve expanded into multiple haunts, buildings, a corn maze, and a hayride. We sit on 46 acres of property.

I assume the corn maze and hayride won’t be open in March?
No, but both haunted houses will be fully staffed and fully operational. The first haunted house starts inside the 100 year-old farmhouse, and the attraction inside is a low-gore, high startle haunted house that’s more mysterious and atmospheric. But with “Slashmasters Asylum” you’ve got the blood, you've got the guts, and you've got the psychos in there. Once you step in there nothing is quite right.

What makes your attraction stand out?
I think one of the things unique about our haunt is that we use actors to scare more than animatronics. We do have some animatronics but our startles and scares come from our actors and the placement of them. We have some people working for us who are just nuts.

The other thing is that our barn is actually haunted. There were two kids murdered here by their father, and people hear and see things happening all the time. I’ll hear singing, I’ll hear footsteps, and sometimes when I pull onto the property I’ll hear someone say “Oh, Daddy’s home!”

Bill Schnell, owner of Necropolis ( www.enterthenecropolis.com )

Your theme and approach is almost completely opposite of FearFest isn’t it?
Personally, for my taste, I just don’t like doing the traditional kind of haunted house or haunted mansion. I enjoy attending them, that’s fine - but I want my haunted house to be more realistic, which means no vampires and no mummies or the traditional things you'd see in a haunted house.

Our back-story revolves around a serial killer, it's a pretty gruesome and realistic style of haunt and that's definitely the style that I like. It kind of goes with our target audience, we want to push the same over-the-top realism and themes that you see in current movies. It's stuff that some haunters don't want to deal with because it happens in the real world, but we like to do it in a way that's scary and entertaining.

Does that mean that you don't have very many animations or effects?
The realism really only goes as far as the core of the back-story, and all the crazy stuff he did. But from that, springs a little more creativity and illusion. The story goes into a more supernatural direction. He's been executed for his crimes and now he inhabits the building as an all-powerful evil spirit. Once you go into the building you're entering into his world and his spirit, and he can throw whatever he wants at you! That allows us to do a lot of different things within the haunted house.

So tell us about your building...
The first time we produced Necropolis we were actually located in a strip mall that didn’t really lend itself into the theme of our back-story. We knew we wanted to move after that first year so we started looking for new locations and now we’re in a building that was once part of a meat-packing complex. Part of our building was the store where customers would come in to actually purchase packages of meat, and then there were large factory floors where they did a lot of the processing with meat racks and everything ... and that's all still in there. It definitely helps the intensity.

Speaking of intensity, when and why did you make the decision to start touching customers?
I'd always thought about the supposed rule, that somehow everyone in America knows, which is that if you go through a haunted house no one is going to touch you. From the beginning I definitely wanted to do whatever it took to scare people, I didn't want to back off to allow us to market to families or have kids coming through. We wanted the intensity.

New actors aren't allowed to touch, they have to had worked for us for at least a year and also have received permission from us. They are trained as to what to do, when to do it, how to do it and when not to do it ... and there are very clear warnings outside.

I know that a lot of haunted houses want the actors to do a scare and then go away, and I'm totally the opposite way: I want it so that almost the whole way through the haunted house you are exposed to our actors. They do the scare, and then are interacting with you until the next room ... and while they're doing that, some of our actors will slip into a little bit of comedy or that's when you can start the creepy touching: brushing the back of the girl's hair, touching the back of her neck, or putting your hand on top of somebody's head ... just simple things like that which take it to a whole other level.

What do you think the reaction from other haunters will be?
I had a chance to experience House of Shock with some other haunters during a tour last year, many of whom were grabbed or touched by the actors, and it was interesting to listen to their reactions because we knew that it was something that we were planning to start doing at our attraction. There were haunters saying that they didn't like it, or that the haunt went too far, and some of them even said they were offended ... and I think it's awesome that House of Shock managed to freak out or even offend haunted house owners! We’re talking about the hardcore of the hardcore, and the owners managed to make them uncomfortable? That’s awesome! I loved it.

We're close to downtown, our theme is very industrial and the tone is more over-the-top ... and Greg is more traditional with trails and corn mazes and a country feel. It's definitely a contrast in styles, and I'd love to hear what the haunters have to say afterward.

Guests can choose to drive directly to the attractions and buy tickets directly at the gates, or take advantage of bus service directly from Transworld. Visit www.columbiahaunttour.com for tickets and more information

Scott Simmons is the Executive Producer and co-owner of The ScareHouse haunted attraction in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

DARKNESS HAUNT TOUR TICKETS ON SALE

2009-01-17T03:21:00.001-08:00

DARKNESS HAUNTED HOUSE TOUR TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!!

One of the nations PREMIER haunted houses is set to open during the March 2009 Transworld Haunted and Halloween Attraction Tradeshow (www.HauntShow.com). The Darkness as featured on National Geographic Channel, History Channels Modern Marvels, and multiple Travel Channel shows, is set to open on March 26th, 2009 for a behind the scenes lights on tour which includes dinner, drinks, with photography allowed. Tour starts at 7pm until 9pm.

Then two nights later on Saturday, March 28, 2009 The Darkness will open for a full blown LIVE SHOW with actors and a party sponsored by HHA (www.HauntedHouseAssociation.org). The party on Saturday will include drinks, snacks and an live auction of major props from some of the biggest vendors from Scarefactory to Gore Galor to everyone in between.

The Darkness has been TOTALLY renovated for this tour, designed and created by Halloween Productions, Inc. (www.HalloweenProductions.com). You will experience The Darkness in March the same way St. Louis will experience the Darkness in October 2009. This will be the single greatest haunted house tour ever produced to date! Make sure you purchase your tickets today and be part of haunting history.

Purchase tickets here:

Main Event-March 28:
https://v2.interactiveticketing.com/tickets/t232_the_darkness_haunted_house_2009_090116231c/form_buy_tickets.php

Light On Tour – March 26:
https://v2.interactiveticketing.com/tickets/t232_the_darkness_haunted_house_2009_090116231c/form_LightsOn.php

To Learn MORE about the Darkness visit www.TheDarkness.com and or learn more about the Transworld Haunted Attraction Show visit www.HauntShow.com.

Haunted House Association

2008-12-12T22:45:00.001-08:00

Finally the haunted house industry has come together to formulate the one and only association for the professional haunted house owner and operator. Over the past few years (HHA) has been funding a national public relations effort for the entire haunted house industry. Single handed the HHA has increased the national awareness of the industry and raised the amount of patrons who attend haunts. HHA will now roll out an entire program for the industry industry, and will introduce new bylaws, a board, and much more at the first even National Haunted House Tradeshow (www.HauntShow.com)

A new website will be replacing the old one and additionally new logos everything when the new association rolls out for the whole industry. Finally industry professionals will have a new voice for their industry. As we stated last year HHA promote national PR. Here is video of one of those efforts on Fox News Coast to Coast... Join the haunted house association today and support professionals!

Several of America Haunts Haunts to be Featured on National Television

2008-10-23T14:49:00.001-07:00

Several Haunted Houses Shows are set to air over the next few days...here is a partial list.

Travel Channel: America's Scariest Haunted Houses Part 3

Sunday October 26 at 10pm Central Time
Thursday October 30 at 6pm Central Time
Friday October 31 at 3pm Central time

Modern Marvels: Halloween Tech

Monday, October 27 07:00 PM Central Time
Tuesday, October 28 11:00 PM Central Time
Friday, October 31 07:00 PM Central
Saturday, November 01 11:00 PM Central Time

Travel Channel: America Haunts

Sunday October 26 8:00 PM
Monday October 27 12:00 Midnight
Wednesday, October 29 7:00 PM
Thursday, October 30 12:00 AM

National Geographic Channel: Halloween UnMasked

Friday October 31st (Halloween) 8am

FOOD TV: Pumpkin Challenge

Sunday October 26, 7pm

Also check Travel Channel all day and night on October 26th as they will air one haunted house or Halloween show after another all day and all night long. Another great show is Halloween Extreme also featured on Travel Channel and America's Scariest haunted attractions part one and two.

Set your TIVO!

HAUNTWORLD ANNOUNCES TOP HAUNTED HOUSES 2008

2008-09-12T02:30:00.000-07:00

Hauntworld’s 2008 Top 13 Haunted Attractions

1. 13th Gate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana – http://www.midnightproduction.com
2. The Darkness, St. Louis, Missouri - http://www.scarefest.com
3. Netherworld, Atlanta, Georgia - http://www.fearworld.com
4. Haunted Overload, New Hampshire – http://www.hauntedoverload.com
5. Scarehouse, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – http://www.scarehouse.com
6. House of Torment, Austin, Texas - http://www.houseoftorment.com
7. Bates Motel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.thebatesmotel.com
8. Headless Horseman, New York - http://www.headlesshorseman.com
9. Dead Acres, Columbus, Ohio - http://www.deadacres.com
10. Spookywoods, North Carolina - http://www.spookywoods.com
11. House of Shock, New Orleans, Louisiana - http://www.houseofshock.com
12. Erebus, Detroit, Michigan - http://www.hauntedpontiac.com
13. Cutting Edge, Dallas, Texas - http://www.cuttingedgehauntedhouse.com

Top 10 Amusement Park
Halloween Events
1. Universal Studios Horror Nights, Orlando, FL
http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com

2. Knott’s Scary Farm, Los Angeles, CA
http://www.halloweenhaunt.com

3. Kennywood Amusement Park
“Phantom Fright Nights’, Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.kennywood.com

4. Universal Studios Horror Nights, Hollywood, CA
http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com

5. Tampa Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL
http://www.howl-o-scream.com

6. Busch Gardens Williamsburg, PA
http://www.howl-o-scream.com

7. Kings Island Haunt, Cincinnati, OH
http://www.visitkingsisland.com

8. Cedar Point Haunt, Sandusky, OH
http://www.cedarpoint.com

9. Six Flags Fright Fest, NJ
http://www.frightfest.com

10. Old Tucson Studios Nightfall, Tucson, AZ
http://www.oldtucson.com

Top Haunted Amusement Attractions 2008

1. Universal Studios Hollywood, House of Horror
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com

2. Disney World Haunted Mansion, Orlando, FL
http://www.disney.com

3. Ghostwood Estates,Kennywood Amusement Park, Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.kennywood.com

4. Towers of Terror, MGM Studios, Orlando, FL
http://www.disney.com

5. Revenge of the Mummy Ride,
Universal Studios Hollywood, CA
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com

Best Charity

Haunted Attraction 2008
1. Terror on the Fox - 73%
Green Bay, Milwaukee
www.terroronthefox.com

2. Trail of Terror - 23% - Wallingford, CT.
www.trailofterror.com

Best Haunted Hayride 2008

1. Headless Horseman - 65%
www.headlesshorseman.com

2. Bates Motel, Philadelphia, PA. - 32%
www.thebatesmotel.com

Best Home Haunted House 2008

1. Graveside Manor - 30%
www.gravesidemanor.com

2. Rot Haunted House - 25%
www.rothauntedhouse.com

3. DC Cemetery
www.dc-cemetery.com

Rate, Review, and Find Haunted Houses Nationwide at http://www.HauntWorld.com
or http://www.HauntedHouseOnline.com

CREEPYWORLD SET TO OPEN

2008-09-12T02:28:00.001-07:00

CREEPYWORLD is set to open for the 2008 season bigger and better than EVER BEFORE!

From the creators of the WORLD FAMOUS Darkness brings you the all-new Creepyworld. Larry Kirchner owner of Creepyworld says "For years we made The Darkness our focus, all of our creative energy went into making The Darkness the best haunted house in the nation'. Kirchner continues by saying, "But two years ago when we finally came up with the idea of Creepyworld, we made a financial and creative commitment to make Creepyworld the biggest and best outdoor Halloween and Haunted Attraction in America'.

Now in 2008 Creepyworld has taken a HUGE step in that very direction to being one of the biggest and best Halloween Haunted Attraction in the nation. Tens of thousands of dollars, and months and months of design, construction and planning has gone into taking Creepyworld to the next level. Every aspect of Creepyworld has been improved adding many high tech effects such as pyro and multi motion animations. But the biggest improvement is the attention to detail, no stone was left unturned this year.

Creepyworld is NOW FIVE HAUNTED HOUSES IN ONE LOCATION FOR ONE PRICE. Start your journey through St. Louis' biggest event into the all new and redesigned 'Ravens Mansion' with all sorts of new high tech screams, inside a highly detailed haunted mansion. Then enter an all new attraction for 2008 'Grisly's Graveyard' and travel past animated werewolves, crypts, enter forbidden tombs, and through an eerie swamp.

Then get lost in the all-new Cornfield where you will finally discover Arnold Hornbuckels farm house where you might be the next meal! Be chased through endless rows of corn through St. Louis' only corn maze. Next board St. Louis' ONLY haunted hayride at Tombstone. The town of Tombstone has doubled in size, now explore falling buildings, the Tombstone Hotel, House of Redemption, travel through a turn of the century western graveyard and be amazed at pyro effects and massive monsters that leap over the hayride.

Finally its the ALL NEW SILO-X the scariest haunted house in St. Louis. You will be stalked to multiple chainsaws, blood thirsty mutated monsters through endless tunnels and radiated ruins. Silo-X has a new section a mutated jail filled with experiments gone wrong.

Creepyworld now FIVE haunted houses in ONE location for ONE price will be open weekends in September and every night in October start the 3rd through November 2nd.

Come to Creepyworld and experience the longest and scariest attraction in the Midwest. Creepyworld takes over 1 hour to complete!

Learn more about Creepyworld by visiting http://www.ScareFest.com

Creepyworld is a member of America Haunts Group

DARKNESS HAUNTED HOUSE SET TO OPEN

2008-09-12T02:19:00.001-07:00

The Darkness haunted house located in St. Louis, Missouri is one of the nations best haunted houses is set to open for the 2008 Halloween season. Recently the hit show 'Modern Marvels' came to St. Louis to film segments for an upcoming show titled 'Halloween Tech'. Travel Channel is also producing a show entitled 'America's Scariest Haunted Attractions' and both Creepyworld and the new Darkness will be featured. Last season National Geographic Channel featured the Darkness on a show called "Halloween Exposed".

The Darkness was also recently ranked the SECOND BEST Haunted House in the WORLD by www.HauntWorld.com known as the best website on the web to find, review, rate haunted attractions.

Recently Davud Glover toured the Darkness from talk 97 and said it was better than Disney World. So HOW cool is the new Darkness haunted house 2008? Well let me tell you COOLER THAN ANYTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN IN YOUR LIFE... over $200,000.00 was invested into upgrades for the attraction and new things were created that you can see no where else in the entire nation.

The new Darkness features HIGH END costumes, to upgrade the realism of the actors inside the attraction. Secondly several new scenes where built at cost of THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of dollars built by the same people who built the Spiderman Ride or the multi million dollar Ghostwood Estate in Kennywood Amusement Park.

So what is new you might ask? Try entering a massive swamp house, that MOVES, TILTS, RAISES and LOWERS it is a TRUE MODERN MARVEL and well will be featured on the show 'Modern Marvels' in October on the History Channel. We also build a MASSIVE graveyard that is so realistic that Hollywood could pull up tomorrow and start filming a movie. Inside the Graveyard you will come face to face with werewolves and real ghost and spirits.

Our favorite new scene and effect inside the new Darkness is a MASSIVE SKELETON T-REX room where you will be attacked by this gigantic beast... you will smell his breath, you will feel the bite from its jaws.

Upstairs you can also experience a true mirror maze which will keep you lost for what seems like an eternity. The Darkness is just a TRUE MODERN MARVEL, that is known WORLD WIDE, and visited by scare seekers from all over the WORLD each Halloween season. St. Louis you are blessed to have this WORLD CLASS attraction just sitting a few miles from your house in Downtown St. Louis next to Soulard Market.

The Darkness opens September 12 and stays open weekends in September and nightly in October 3rd through November 2, 2008. Visit their website at http://www.scarefest.com

TRANSWORLD ANNOUNCES NEW HAUNT ONLY SHOW

2008-07-02T03:34:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release - July 1, 2008

TransWorld Exhibits, Inc. Moves 14th National Haunt & Attractions Show
to the America’s Center in St. Louis
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Venue Selected in Response to Growth of Haunt Industry

(Northfield, IL) – In an exciting move, TransWorld Exhibits, Inc. announced its decision to move the 14th National Haunt & Attractions Show (HauntShow) to St. Louis, Missouri, at the America’s Center, March 27 – 29, 2009.

Previously held in conjunction with TransWorld’s International Halloween, Costume & Party Show (HCPShow), the HauntShow will stand on its own in St. Louis, Missouri, giving the buyers and vendors of the Haunt community convenient access to the industry’s #1 trade show in a business environment created just for them.

“After extensive market research and input from vendors and buyers alike, we decided to spin-off the 14th National Haunt & Attractions Show and have it stand alone in a Midwest location that is central to the greatest number of participants in this industry,” said Joe Thaler, chairman and chief executive officer of TransWorld Exhibits, Inc., owner of the show. “The Haunt industry continues to grow with advances in special effects, animatronics, sound & lighting, and props. More and more, these products are used in venues on a year-round basis whether it is in a theme park, theatrical production or a haunted house. This growth within the industry demands a stand-alone trade show dedicated solely to the Haunt industry,” Thaler continued. “St. Louis is the perfect gateway to a marketplace where the Haunt community can come together.”

The complete schedule of activities for the 14th National Haunt & Attractions Show in St. Louis will be announced in the coming weeks. Highlights of the show will include:

• New product introductions from the industry’s leading companies
• Extensive seminar programming
• Networking events and competitions
• Special events and tours, and much more

The TransWorld International Halloween, Costume & Party Show will continue to host a Haunt Pavilion as Haunt products are also fundamental to the celebration of the Halloween season and the buyer of Halloween and
seasonal merchandise. The HCPShow will take place March 6 – 9, 2009 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Special exhibit packages are available for exhibitors that wish to participate in both the St. Louis and Las Vegas events.

For more than 60 years, TransWorld Exhibits has been a leading producer of independent trade shows. The business, which had its roots in the housewares and consumer electronics industry, has over the years expanded its offerings to include general merchandise, Halloween merchandise, giftware, seasonal items, luxury merchandise, jewelry, fashion and accessories. The firm runs trade shows in Chicago, Las Vegas, and St. Louis.

For more information on attending or exhibiting, please call 800-323-5462 or 847-446-8434 for international calls. Information is also available at www.hauntshow.com and www.hcpshow.com.

HAUNTWORLD MAGAZINE FEATURES TWO AMERICA HAUNTS ATTRACTIONS

2008-01-31T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hauntworld Magazine the haunted house industries number one source of information is featuring two attractions on the cover from America Haunts. The first attraction features is the 13th Gate, and the second is 7 Floors of Hell. The magazine is set to release mid-February and be on hand at the Transworld National Halloween and Haunted House show.

You can subscribe to the magazine by visiting www.hauntedhousesupplies.com.

2008-01-08T23:46:00.000-08:00

Kersey Valley, Inc. the company behind Spookywoods haunted attraction in NC has announced the creation of a new company, SpookywoodsFX.

The goal of this new vendor is utilizing the talented artists that are behind the creation of the monsters at Spookywoods haunted attraction in the off season. Tony Wohlgemuth, Kersey Valley, Inc. President, explained the project as a way to employee their artists year round and bring new and exciting products to the haunt industry that has been lacking high end costumes for years. Haunt owners have been spending thousands of dollars on animated props with no attention to the most interactive scare you have in your haunt, the actor. Imagine your actor slipping into a Film Quality Costume from head to toe with no makeup needed in a matter of minutes, that is what we are creating. I’m not talking about a set of hands and a mask, but a complete corpse that is film quality. Joh Harp, Designer at SpookywoodsFX, stated that they have been working since November on the design and sculpting the clay into the various pieces for these suits. Our goal is to bring 20 suits to Transworld for sale off the show floor, so make room in your suit case for at least one. There will be various styles to choose from, but the haunt owner can also customize the look themselves to fit their theme.

SpookywoodsFX.com provided HauntWorld with a sneak peak of the clay sculpt of just the hands and reminded us that this is just clay, imagine what it will look like once airbrushed and textures added. The new website is set to be revealed next month with videos of the full body suits just in time for Transworld buyers to get excited about this new product.

2007-09-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

HAUNTWORLD MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES TOP 13 HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS NATIONWIDE

List Highlights New Standards of Fear and Fun at Leading Haunts

St. Louis, MO – September 5, 2007 – To kick off the 2007 Haunt Season, Hauntworld Magazine, the haunt industry’s leading trade publication, today announced its list of the Top 13 Professional Haunted Attractions in the country. These attractions are being recognized for their attention to detail, high-quality special effects, and overall scare factor.

Ranging from haunted hotels and prisons to spooky hayrides, the list represents the best haunted attractions the nation has to offer, as selected by the editors at Hauntworld Magazine. In an industry that has reached the multi-billion dollar mark, these haunts are leading the way in scream-inducing innovations.

“The haunts we’ve included are as expertly produced as any major motion picture today,” said Editor-in-Chief of Hauntworld Magazine, Larry Kirchner. “They have behind-the-scenes teams of master Hollywood special effects technicians, make-up artists, set designers, and trained actors. We’re an industry that exists to make people scream and laugh at the same time – and these haunts do just that, and more.”

2007 Top 13 Professional Haunted Attractions
1. Netherworld Haunted House, Atlanta, GA – www.Fearworld.com
2. 13th Gate, Baton Rouge, LA – www.midnightproduction.com/the13thgate.htm
3. The Bates Motel, Philadelphia, PA – www.thebatesmotel.com
4. Headless Horseman, Ulster Park, NY – www.headlesshorseman.com
5. The Darkness / CreepyWorld, St. Louis, MO – www.scarefest.com
6. Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls, Philadelphia, PA – www.easternstate.org/halloween
7. Erebus Four Story Haunted Attraction, Detroit, MI – www.hauntedpontiac.com
8. 7 Floors of Hell, Cleveland, OH – www.7floorsofhell.com
9. SpookyWoods, Greensboro, NC – www.spookywoods.com
10. Universal Studios House of Horrors, Hollywood CA – www.universalstudioshollywood.com
11. Shipwreck Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA – www.queenmaryshipwreck.com
12. Dreamreapers, Chicago, IL – www.dreamreapers.com
13. Haunted Hotel, San Diego, CA – www.hauntedhotel.com

For more information on this year’s Top 13 Haunted Attractions as well as other top industry lists, please visit www.hauntworld.com.

Best Haunted Tourist Location

1) Salem, Ma. www.salem.org
Some of the cool places to visit in Salem
http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/
http://terroronthewharf.com/

Best Year around Haunted House in America
1) Universal Studios House of Horror, Hollywood, Ca.
www.universalstudioshollywood.com/
2) Disney’s Haunted Mansion, Orlando, Ca.
http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/liveaction/hauntedmansion/main.html
3) Ripleys Haunted Adventure, Gatlinburg, Tn.
http://ripleyshauntedadventure.com/

Best Home Haunted House
1) Castle Blood, Pittsburgh, Pa. www.castleblood.com
2) Haunted Overload, www.hauntedoverload.com
3) Terror Syndicate http://www.terrorsyndicate.com/tsp_haunts.html
4) Rot Haunted House www.rothauntedhouse.com

Most Unusual Haunt’s in America
1) Ravens Grin Inn www.hauntedravensgrin.com/
2) Boney Island http://www.boneyisland.com/
3) Balloon Manor http://www.balloonmanor.com

Coolest Haunted Videos on You Tube
1) Bates Haunt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIez-vboMaM
2) Turbidite Manor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDLlg2JzejM

Scariest Haunted House Commericials on You Tube
1) Disney Halloween http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3F70OIAMxc
2) The Nest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d355Vu9kWNU
3) NETHERWORLD Haunted House http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaXYgSgOlio
4) 13th Gate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns3seL2_K8s

Scariest Haunted House Websites
1) www.Hauntworld.com
2) Haunted Hotel, San Diego, Ca. www.hauntedhotel.com
3) Atrox Factory, Birmingham , AL www.atroxfactory.com
4) House of Horror, Buffalo NY http://www.houseofhorrorsbuffalo.com/

Best Amusement Park Halloween Events
1) Universal Studios Horror Nights Orlando/Hollywood http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/
2) Knott’s Scary Farm http://www.halloweenhaunt.com/haunt07.shtml
3) Tampa Busch Gardens HallowScream http://www.howl-o-scream.com/tampa/

About Hauntworld Magazine:
Hauntworld Magazine (www.hauntworld.com) is the premier haunted attraction magazine in the industry. Coupled with its online component, hauntworld.com, Hauntworld provides insider access into the world of haunted houses and attractions. Readers can find information regarding the top haunts around the country and internationally, Halloween vendors, manufacturers, events, tips and forums. Originally created to serve haunted attraction industry members through its unique editorial content and discussion boards, Hauntworld now helps nearly four million people find the best haunts each Halloween season. The magazine/website and its editors have been featured in publications such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Time and on the National Geographic Channel, among other media outlets.

Contact: Kristina Ferrari/Anastasia Wylie
Dukas Public Relations
(212) 704-7385 ext. 106/ext. 113
kristina@dukaspr.com; anastasia@dukaspr.com

SPOOKYWOODS FEATURED ON COVER OF HAUNTWORLD MAGAZINE

2007-05-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Fellow America Haunts attraction Spookywoods will be featured on the cover of the national publication Hauntworld Magazine. You can learn more about Hauntworld Magazine by visit www.HauntWorld.com. You can learn more about Spookywoods at www.SpookyWoods.com

THE 7 FLOORS OF HELL AUCTION IN CLEVELAND

2007-05-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

The 7 Floors of Hell haunted house auction is coming up soon in Cleveland, Ohio at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 9th, starting at 11am. The auction includes over 80 animations, costumes, facades, spooky props and so much more. You can also buy a full blown turn key haunted house. This will be the biggest haunted house auction of the year. If you need animations, if you need props this is the auction you can't miss. For more details visit their website at http://www.nortonauctioneers.com/upcoming.htm

AMERICA HAUNTS PARTNERS WITH HAUNTWORLD.COM

2007-05-18T19:57:00.001-07:00

AMERICA HAUNTS, AMERICA'S PREMIER attractions has partnered with Hauntworld.com, the webs leading haunted house website to help advance its mission of protecting and promoting the haunted house industry. Hauntworld.com has been named the #1 haunted house website on the web by About.com, Yahoo.com and has been featured in stories in USA TODAY, National Geographic Channel, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many more. Hauntworld.com draws over FIVE MILLION unique visitors per year looking for haunted houses, haunted hayrides, and Halloween attractions. Hauntworld is committed to helping America Haunts meet its goals for 2007 and beyond.

For more information about Hauntworld.com visit their website at www.HauntWorld.com or their haunted house directory at www.HauntedHouseOnline.com.

AMERICA HAUNTS FORMS

2007-05-18T19:49:00.001-07:00

America Haunts has formed between several major haunted attractions from around America. America Haunts mission and goals are simple; to find common interests in which to promote, advance and protect the haunted house industry. America Haunts will create content, information, launch national sponsorship and national publicity campaigns to help advance the haunt industry. America Haunts will work closely with ALL haunts from across America and share our knowledge and information to serve our industry. America Haunts started out with five attractions and now have 17 official members from such cities as Boston, New York, Long Island, Atlanta, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Detroit, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Cleveland, Baton Rouge, Detroit and many more. America Haunts plans to add more members to our group if those haunts can meet our mission of promoting and protecting the haunted house industry.

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2007-05-18T07:47:00.001-07:00

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