Each Halloween season, haunted house attractions spring up across the country, ready to thrill and terrify millions of visitors. While many are short-lived pop-ups, others are long-running institutions operated by the same families for generations. These family-owned haunted houses preserve spooky traditions while evolving with the times to deliver screams year after year.
The Origins of Family Haunts
Many family-owned haunted houses trace their origins to the 1970s. Trailblazers like the Hales family opened their first haunted house in a family barn in Pennsylvania in 1973. Along with other early pioneers, they experimented with and established many of the effects, scenes, and scare tactics still used by haunts today.
These founding families were instrumental in the evolution and popularity of the haunted house industry:
Decade | Estimated Number of Haunted Houses in US |
1970s | Less than 100 |
1980s | 500-800 |
1990s | 1,500-2,000 |
2000s | 2,500-3,500 |
2010s | 4,000+ |
(Source: America Haunts)
Today, there are over 4,000 haunted attractions in the United States, with an increasing number being established, and longstanding family businesses passed down through generations. About 25% of haunted houses have been in operation for over 20 years.
Behind-the-Scenes of Terror
Family-owned haunts are truly a labor of love that requires immense creativity, dedication, and a touch of madness. Building a successful haunted attraction involves much more than throwing up some decorations.
Pro Tip: Crafting an immersive, transformative environment is key. Every detail matters. Sights, sounds, smells, textures work together to create a visceral experience. The best haunts tell a story that the customer travels through.
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Families spend all year planning, building, and preparing. Sets and animatronics are built in on-site workshops. Actors are meticulously cast, costumed, and trained. Timing, pacing, and customer flow is mapped out. New scares, scenes, and storylines are devised annually. It’s a huge undertaking requiring mechanical, technical, theatrical, and business know-how.
Role | Responsibilities |
Owners/Managers | Finances, advertising, HR, scheduling |
Set Designers/Builders | Planning/constructing scenes, props, animatronics |
Tech Crew | Lighting, sound, fog, special FX |
Make-up Artists/Costumers | Creating characters, applying prosthetics |
Acting Director | Training performers, blocking, pacing |
Actors | Scaring customers in character |
Security/Crowd Control | Managing lines, rules, safety |
Pro Tip: Even traditional family haunts have had to embrace technology. Computerized lighting/sound systems, digitally controlled animatronics, and online ticketing are now the norm.
It’s a true family affair with parents, children, cousins, aunts, and uncles often working side-by-side. Kids grow up learning the family trade. Older generations pass down their wisdom but also stay open to youthful ideas.
Keeping the Screams Coming
To stay relevant, family haunts must deliver nostalgic favorites while innovating new frights. Customer expectations keep rising. Haunts have to keep up with slick special effects in movies and video games.
The industry has trended toward more elaborate, immersive environments with higher production values and more interactive experiences. But at the same time, many patrons still crave the comforting classics.
Pro Tip: Finding the right balance is key. Honor the haunt’s legacy and signature scares while sprinkling in fresh surprises each season. Give them the thrills they expect and the ones they don’t.
Example: The Haunted Trail – Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
- Operated by the Coniglios for 22 years
- Spans 1 mile trail in Balboa Park transformed with sets
- Mixes traditional scares with innovative sets/scenes
- Adds new features yearly – 3D clown attraction, laser swamp, hillbilly caverns
- Uses online ticketing and social media marketing
- Employs 115 monsters and staff
- Attracts 16,000-20,000 visitors per season
- Ticket price: $25
While haunting is big business (estimated $500 million a year), for family operators, it’s more about tradition than money. Scaring is in their blood. Each generation is driven to preserve their haunt’s legacy while making their own mark. It’s about the indelible memories made, the screams of laughter and terror, the goosebumps felt. That satisfaction of a scare well done gets passed on like a cherished heirloom.
Conclusion
Family-owned haunted houses are the lifeblood of the haunt industry. For many, visiting one is an annual rite of passage, a reliable source of homegrown horror. These haunts connect us to local lore and each other, providing a fun way for a community to celebrate fear. While the shocks change with the times, the spirit remains. And that’s a tradition worth screaming about.
YouTube Video Ideas
- Behind-the-Scenes Tours
- Show the process of designing and building haunted house sets
- Showcase the technology and special effects used
- Interview family members about their roles and experiences
- Makeup and Costume Tutorials
- Demonstrate how to apply scary makeup and prosthetics
- Give tips on creating unique and terrifying costumes
- Collaborate with popular Halloween makeup artists
- Scare Cam Reactions
- Compile the best scares and reactions from each season
- Create teaser clips to build anticipation for upcoming events
- Encourage fans to submit their own reaction videos
Social Media Activities
- Facebook
- Post daily countdown updates leading up to opening night
- Share spooky images and teasers from inside the haunt
- Run ticket giveaway contests and promotions
- Encourage fans to post their photos and reviews
- Instagram
- Showcase the detail and artistry of sets, props, and costumes
- Feature behind-the-scenes photos and videos of the haunt in action
- Partner with local influencers to do sponsored posts and takeovers
- Use haunt-specific hashtags to build community and increase discoverability
- Twitter
- Tweet real-time updates and special offers during events
- Interact with fans before, during, and after visit
- Share spooky articles, memes, and industry news
- Participate in relevant hashtags like #HauntedHouses and #HalloweenCountdown
- TikTok
- Create short, engaging videos showcasing scares, sets, and characters
- Highlight unique and interactive elements of your haunted houses
- Hop on popular Halloween trends and challenges
- Encourage visitors to share their experiences and reactions
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