Haunted House Association - Information About the Haunted House Industry
Haunted Fast Facts
Thank you for visiting the Haunted House Attraction Association serving the haunted house industry and its members. Listed below you will find fast facts about the haunted house industry that you may need for featured articles about our industry. If you have additional questions please contact our media representative Larry Kirchner, 314 504 3970 or at darkrides@sbcglobal.net.
Number of Haunted Attractions in America: We estimate there are over 1,200 haunted attractions charging admission fees to their events. We additionally estimate that there are over 300 amusement facilities producing some sort of Halloween or Haunted House event such as an amusement park or family fun center. Lastly there are over 3,000 charity attractions that open for one day on Halloween or one or two weekends in October produced by a local charity group. You can locate most of the attractions in America at www.HauntedHouseOnline.com or at www.Hauntworld.com.
Attendance Figures: The typical haunted attraction averages around 8,000 paid guests. This figure grossly depends on the market and the size of the attraction. About 80% of the professional attractions in America attendance are less than 10,000 paid guests or more than 7,500 paid guests. Less than 3% of haunted attractions have attendance figures over 35,000 paid guests. Some attractions mega haunted events attract over 40,000 to 60,000 guests but those numbers are around 1 or 2% of all attractions in America. About 10% of all attractions in America average between 12,000 and 20,000 paid guests. A major amusement park such as Universal Studios and or Knott’s Scary Farm attracts over 300,000 paid guests in October alone. On a busy night the mega attractions can push through over 4,000 guests in one night while a mega amusement park like Universal might do over 35,000.
Average Costs: Back in the early 90’s the average ticket price for a haunted house ranged between $4 and $6.00 dollars. By the mid 90’s to late 90’s the average ticket price had soared to around $13.00. Most attractions choosing $13.00 because of its themed number. Today some haunted houses charge as much as $25.00 while most average around $15.00 per event. Major amusement park haunts charge as much as $65.00 for entry into their events. Over 80% of haunted attractions in America charge less than $15.00 per person, while only 3% charge more than $20.00 per ticket. Roughly 60% of haunted attractions charge less than $13.00 per person.
Major Media: The Haunted Attraction industry has been featured prominently on the national media scene. Back in the mid 90’s Tiny Tim married on the Tonight Show at a major haunt in Boston called Spookyworld. Over the past few years the haunted house industry has become as good as or better than most Hollywood horror movies and due to this fact the media attention has increased. Within the past few years many major media outlets have featured MAJOR stories about the haunted house industry such as USA Today, Wall Street Journal, AOL.com, Time Magazine, Washington Post, Associated Press, NFL Films, and many more. Last year YAHOO.com listed sites such as www.HauntWorld.com best places to find haunted houses. The story was produced due to the overwhelming popularity of searching for them on Yahoo’s search engine. The Travel Channel produced a major television show about haunted attractions which aired several times in 200 6. The National Geographic Channel produced a documentary for 2007 entitled “Celebrating Halloween” which featured The Darkness, St. Louis, Missouri. Additionally in 2006 America’s TWO biggest morrning shows did major pieces on the haunted attraction industry; Good Morning America ran a 5 minute piece on the industry as did the Today Show.
This past year even ‘GIRLS NEXT DOOR’ got into the act by following around one of the girls through the annual tradeshow for the haunted and Halloween industry located in Chicago: Transworld Halloween, Party and Haunted Attraction Show. This show aired in May of 2007.
Haunted Houses are now the most popular way to celebrate Halloween in America and the media has followed. Below you can watch the Youtube segment for Good Mourning America’s segment on the haunted house industry. Additionally you’ll find a link to the USA Today story on the industry.
The haunted attraction industry generates between 300 and 500 million dollars in ticket sales. This figure would include most major theme parks that operate a haunted event. The haunted attraction industry would generate roughly 300 million dollars in revenue and the amusement park industry another 150 to 200 million dollars. The industry of haunting supports hundreds of other businesses across America from VENDORS that supply haunted house effects, props, costumes, masks, animations and more. Additionally haunted houses spend tens of millions of dollars on building supplies, advertisement, insurance and much more. We estimate that the haunted house industry solely drive the popularity of Halloween and Halloween retail through the spending of roughly 85 million dollars on advertisement of events.
Frightening Facts About Halloween:
Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in the United States.
Approximately one hundred countries celebrate Halloween.
Over seven billion dollars is spent yearly on candy, costumes and activities in the United States alone.
Approximately 90% of all households with hildren will participate in a Halloween activity. The most common demographics for this season are teens and young adults 18-34.
Research shows that people enjoy being scared while in a safe environment such as attending a movie, on a thrill ride or at a haunted house, and they are willing to pay for the experience.
Haunted House Safety: Haunted Houses and attractions are EXTREMELY safe due to tough safety and fire codes they must all now live by. Most haunted houses inside a building are required to have a sprinkler system, early warning smoke or heat detectors which will alert the fire department, emergency lights, fire proofing of all materials inside the attractions, industrial electric applications, easy access doors throughout the attraction, panic hardware exit doors, multiple fire extinguishers, panic systems, and much more. Most haunts now must also be ADA compliant and have no trap doors or items on the floor that could cause trips and falls. Our association takes safety as a serious concern and creates and publishes many safety articles. Transworld Haunted House show produces seminars for safety and Hauntworld Magazine produced an entire magazine devoted to safety in a haunted house. The industry as a whole takes safety serious and works together to solve common problems. Liste d on this site are a handful of safety articles in our safety section. Please be our guest and read them.
Charity: Over 80% of all haunted attractions across America are operated by a charity or help to benefit a charity of some kind. The haunted house industry helps to raise tens of millions of dollars for charities nationwide. Many fire departments or church groups, produce haunted attractions nationwide. Haunts have worked with major charities like Boys and Girls Club, Children’s Miracle Network, to everything in between.
Corporate America: Corporate America has embraced the haunted house industry with sponsorships in the tens of millions of dollars. Most major haunted events have major sponsorship deals with Pepsi, energy drink companies, fast food industry, cellular phone companies, Halloween retail outlets, to even The Truth (against smoking). A major haunted attraction could attract $10,000 to $100,000.00 in sponsorships from major corporations who want to display their brand, product or service to the haunted attraction demographic of 18-34. Haunted Houses have become a very inexpensive way for corporate America to reach the 18-34 demographic, due to the popularity of our industry. Sponsorships for haunted events are on the rise climbing an estimated 8% per year. The high increase is due to the sponsor World recently discovering the haunted industry within the past five years. Some major attractions have even formed national groups to attract even bigger sponsors like www.AmericaHaunts.com.
Haunted Industry: The haunted house industry much like other industries has their own tradeshows, experts, consultants, suppliers, magazines, associations, education seminars, gatherings and events. Haunted attraction owners spend annually over 50 million dollars with specific haunted house vendors for supplies like fog machines, to scary animatronic monsters, lighting equipment or masks and costumes to assist them in scaring America. There are some major vendors in the industry who have even supplied haunted houses to the Playboy Mansion, or Universal Studios to Six Flags to even Madison Square Garden. The biggest growth for the vendors to the haunted industry is now overseas, where haunted houses are opening at a record pace. People just love to be scared it’s not just an American thing anymore. Haunted Houses is an American product that is now being exported WORLD WIDE! We estimate that over 25 million dollars worth of haunted house equipment, services and supplies where shipped to other countries mostly in Asia and Europe. Some haunted house vendors have now started supplying Hollywood movies such as ExMortis.com who did all of the effects for Rob Zombies movies: Halloween, Devils Rejects, and House of a 1000 Corpses. Ghost Ride Productions recently sold props to Warner Brothers for a Batman movie, to Universal Studios films. Patrick Magee (Magee FX) did all the special effects on a Lions Gate film entitled ‘Dark Ride’. The list goes on…
Listed below are some of the major vendors in our industry.
Note: Much of the data provided above was supplied to the Haunted House Attraction Association by Hauntworld.com. Hauntworld.com is the largest website on the net for providing haunted house information.
Winning at the Haunted Attraction Game requires knowing the Rules
By Cydney Neil/Owner-Producer/Rocky Point Haunted House
Even though business is somewhat of a game, it is not a guessing game. There are rules to winning the game of successful business and the clearer we understand those rules and the more closely we follow them, the more chance we have to succeed. These are the Rules of the Game of Haunting, as I see them and have learned about them over the sixteen years of being in this business. If you follow them closely, you can’t help but win!
Objects
To create a successful haunted attraction that fulfills your personal, professional, creative, and financial needs.To contribute quality, themed entertainment to your community.To create a positive work environment and experience for those who work for you and with you.
Requirements for Winning
This is not a game of chance or luck.Winning in the haunted attraction business game requires skills in many different areas, from design to construction to public relations and accounting.It requires a love of Halloween and everything scary.Winning also requires dedication, perseverance, stamina, patience, a positive attitude, and the ability to lead a team towards a common goal.
Preparation
Every participantmust understand that they are individuals who will play by the same rules, but with their own game plan and strategy.Producing and operating haunted attractions is a business, and needs to be handled as such.But it’s a creative business, and we are creative people, each with our own unique imaginations and ideas about how we want to entertain people, or at times, have them entertain us!
How to Play
Once you have made the decision to get in the haunted attraction game, your success will depend on your ability to follow through with a number of specific steps.
1.Make a Plan and Set Your Goals
•Be clear about what you want to accomplish and the actions you will take to reach your goals.
•Understand your motivation and give yourself a time limit.
•Review your progress and reassess your goals as often as necessary.
2.Find a Location
Important factors to consider:
•Is it centrally located with a large population nearby?
•Is it accessible from highways, freeways, or main roads?
•Is it a safe area where parents would feel comfortable about dropping off their children?
•Is it zoned for commercial use and specifically for use as a temporary amusement event?
•Does it have plenty of well-lit parking?
•Does it have room for expansion?
•Is it suitable for a haunted attraction?
•Is it available and affordable?
3.Obtain All Necessary Permits and Clearances from Local Officials
•Research all fire, building, and other local requirements and identify all officials who will need to give you clearance.
•Schedule an appointment with each official individually to walk through your building and go over your plans.
•Ask for their advice and make lists of what they ask you to do.
•If possible, do all the things they ask. If a particular request seems too difficult or too costly, try to negotiate an alternative.
•Involve them every step of the way.
4.Decide on a Theme or Overall Idea
•Decide on one overall theme or break up your attraction into several areas, each with its own theme.
•Make your theme catchy, creative, and memorable.
•Use your theme as a marketing tool and to attract repeat customers.
5.Design a Layout
•Put all your ideas on paper.
•Walk your building to see where your ideas will fit in your space. Example: We have an area with large heating and air conditioning units and very tall ceilings. This makes the perfect spot for Frankenstein’s laboratory.
•Get a blueprint of your building, or make one, with exact measurements and square footage.
•If possible, design using a grid system based on 4x8 plywood panels.
•Lay out your entire attraction, room by room, allowing for scare spots, emergency exits, and actor and security access.
•Go over your design with the building and fire inspectors.
6.Create a Budget
•Get a complete list of expense categories. The best places to get this information are from other haunters or a qualified consultant.
•Research, don’t guess, the estimated costs of all necessary products and services.
•Set realistic goals for expected income based on figures from other similar events in area or from previous year’s figures.
•Adjust your budget as necessary to create a profitable outcome.
•Break annual budget figures down into monthly expenses and income.
7.Assess and, if Necessary, Raise Sufficient Capital
•Use your own money if possible. This lowers your exposure to risk and leaves you with control.
•If you don’t have sufficient capital, decide which is the best option for you: taking out a loan from a bank, family member, or friend, or taking on a partner or partners. There are risks, disadvantages, and advantages to each option. Weigh them carefully before deciding.
8. Hire a Crew
•Make a list of every person you will need to help build and run your attraction.
•Create specific job descriptions for each position.
•List the qualities and skills you would like the person to have and feel are most important in the individual positions.
•Look for people who have the same passion you do and who want to be involved long-term.
•Hire the most qualified people you can afford.
•Treat your crew with respect. Show appreciation for their efforts. Pay them on time and give them a bonus if you have a successful year as a result of their contributions.
9. Recruit Cast Members
•Based on your design, determine exactly how many cast members you need to run your show. Identify the minimum number necessary to operate, and what their positions are, and the maximum number of cast you want and can afford to have.
•Create a professional poster to post in schools, costume shops, and any other place you may find suitable cast members.
•If possible, hang a banner with a phone number on your building asking for cast members.
•Set an age limit of 16 and older to eliminate problems that younger cast members can create.
•Allow younger kids to work only with a parent in the same room (we have recruited many a parent this way. They come with their kids and get hooked themselves!).
•Know from your budget what you can afford to pay cast members or if you will work on a volunteer basis
•Develop a program with daily, weekly, and annual incentives as well as strict rules and consequences for breaking those rules. Consistently follow through on both.
•Hold auditions and cast main parts whenever possible. Always have an understudy or second for main parts.
•Hold regular actor training and orientation sessions with a professional actor or director as the coach if possible.
•Establish a professional, clean, organized, and comfortable cast area with specific areas where the cast can check in, take breaks, and hold meetings. The homeier you make this the better.
•Install a water facility for unlimited use and have soda pop or other beverages available for limited consumption.
•Do everything you can to make the cast experience fun, positive, and worthwhile. Show them respect and appreciation. They are a big part of whether your show is successful or not.
10. Advertise and Attract Publicity
•Based on your advertising budget, as early as possible, schedule all media advertising and promos.
•If you are not an expert in this area, it is best to have someone assist you who is.
•Get as much of this sponsored as possible.
•Decide on your theme and design all advertising around that theme.
•Target your customer market only.
•Pre-plan weekly publicity ideas, with publicity beginning at least one month before you open.
•Get as much positive publicity as early as possible, but continue it through your closing night.
11. Manage Your Show Efficiently
•Assess the needs of every department at the end of the night.
•Have everything repaired, running, and ready to go every day before the show opens.
•Know who is going to do what, when, and how.
•Pre-schedule cast so you know the day before if you have a full cast.
•Prepare for any and all possible emergencies.
•Be on headset with all main employees and be in the show or available for them as needed.
•Have a quiet, professional area where you can deal with customer issues as they come up.
12. Maintain Safety, Security, and Insurance
•Safety is critical for a long-term, successful attraction! Make sure you have all your permits and licenses and keep up with all safety issues throughout the run of your show. Deal with any and all safety issues immediately.
•Hire a professional security team with specific posts and duties. Have a head security person who handles all security issues as they come up and keeps you informed or gets you involved in all major security issues.
•Design your ticket booth away from the front door if possible and station a security guard by it at all times.
•When you take money out of the ticket booth, make sure you are accompanied by a security guard to your office or safe area. Keep cash in a locked safe in a locked room. When transporting large amounts of cash, have armed security guard accompany you whenever possible.
•You must have sufficient liability insurance to obtain permits and licenses. In addition to liability insurance, I recommend adding a policy for theft of property and cash, fire, or other damages, and a medical policy for minor injuries of customers. You can also add a loss of income policy in case your show is shut down early. These do not cost much and will pay off if you ever have to use them.
13. Take Control of Finances
•Pay close attention to your established budget and make an effort to work within it.
•Assess your financial position on a daily basis.
•Create weekly budget progress reports to compare budgeted vs. actual spending and income.
•Keep track of all expenses and record them daily or weekly.
•Create profit/loss reports at end of season and comparison reports.
•Pay all bills and accounts payable before taking out your profits.
14. Wrap up, Follow up and Prepare for Next Year’s Start up
•Celebrate your season with your cast and crew, regardless of its financial success.
•Follow up with thank you notes and/or gift baskets for all who contributed. Make these creative, following your original theme if possible.
•Secure all props and materials. Clean and sort all costumes before storing them. Keep costumes that need repairs separate so they can be repaired before the next season.
•Take some time off to relax and catch up on sleep.
•Start preparing for the next season as early as possible. Make your plan, decide on your theme, establish your budget, and secure your sponsorships before you begin the season
Hauntworld is the biggest website on the web to help you find haunted houses, haunted house by state, city or by zip code. Hauntworld.com also features hudreds of haunted hayrides, Halloween attractions, corn mazes, ghost tours, haunted tours and much more. Hauntworld.com also includes trick or treat safety tips, free pumpkin carving patterns, haunted news, horror movie reviews, featured articles on haunted attractions and links to vendors, other haunt related websites and so much more. Guests can also create accounts on Hauntworld.com and rate, review their favorite local haunted houses. Create an account today and start rating and reviewing haunted houses. Hauntworld is publishs a magazine called Hauntworld Magazine and you can subscribe at www.Hauntedhousemagazine.com. Hauntworld is also a proud supporter of HHA (www.hauntedhouseassociation.org). Hauntworld also supports several haunted house tradeshows and you can find a complete list of upcoming trades on our haunted house tradeshow page. Hauntworld.com is the most advanced haunted house website on the planet featured on www.Google.com, www.Yahoo.com, www.USAtoday.com, www.Myspace.com and has been featured on Travel Channel, National Geographic Channel and many more.
