For Haunters

Arizona Top Haunt: 13th Floor Haunted House

How About A Room On The 7th Floor?

The Fright Night Manor in Anchorage, AK

FrightFind’s top haunt for Arizona for the second year in a row, the 13th Floor Haunted House is a real pro operation. Spread over multiple floors of a single horror-filled building in downtown Phoenix, you get access to two terrifying attractions for your ticket: “The Deadhouse” and “The Frenzy.” The former is occupied by zombies that are actually manifestations of childhood nightmares, while the latter is described as a “visceral manifestation of humanity’s most crippling fears.” And they nail it. Designed by award-winning haunted house designers, this is the real deal. Be prepared to be scared.

FrightFind It: 13th Floor Haunted House in Phoenix, AZ

More Top Haunts in Arizona

The Crypt Haunted Attractions

Top Haunted Houses in Arizona - The Crypt Haunted AttractionsYour adrenaline infused experience.

Sanctum of Horror

Top Haunted Houses in Arizona - Sanctum of HorrorSanctum of Horror is a place of fear, a breeding ground of evil.

See all our Haunted Houses in Arizona >>

2016 Guide to the Scariest Haunted Attractions in Every State

The ghouls have spoken. The undead have risen. The clowns have done that weird thing that is freaking everyone out, whilst gaining national attention. FrightFind’s annual guide of haunts is here. We’re not here to rank or tell you whose chest is hairier, but to bring you at least one haunted house to visit in every state. With thousands of haunted attractions across the nation, some states are laden with frights, while some states are lucky to have even one. This year, we lost a few friends, but they’ll be back or, so they say. Behold FrightFind’s guide to the top haunts in every state!

To see the most recent Top Haunted Houses in America click here.

Alabama Top Haunt: Nightmare at 3008

Where Nightmares Become Reality

 The Nightmare at 3008 in Fultondale, AL

Located in Fultondale, Nightmare at 3008’s tag line is “Where Nightmares Become Reality.” Yep, that’s about right. And there are many ways they bring your nightmares to life. You can tour the Abandoned Still Yard, a haunted junkyard that includes a quarter-mile trail filled with horrific misfits eager to make it the worst walk of your life. After you wet your pants outside, walk (or crawl) inside to the Terror Within where the dark and twisting hallways threaten to swallow you whole. All screams aside, Nightmare at 3008 is also a scare that cares. Each year this haunt raises money for charity, and the cause for 2016 is childhood cancer research. The folks running this attraction have a lot of heart – even if they’re trying to stop those of their guests. FrightFind salutes them for giving to such a worthy cause.

FrightFind It: Nightmare at 3008 in Fultondale, AL
Runner Up: Insanitarium in Pinson, AL

More Top Haunted Houses in Alabama

Alaska Top Haunt: Fright Night Manor

Anchorage’s Oldest Haunted House

The Fright Night Manor in Anchorage, AK

Founded in 1985, Fright Night Manor is one of the oldest and longest-running haunts in Anchorage. Located in the Northway Mall, the 10,000-square-foot haunted house features lots of jump scares, ghoulish props, and especially good use of 3D effects most of which are on creepy rather than gory side. It’s accurately billed as a family-friendly haunt, but be advised that it’s scary enough to not be suitable for younger kids. It’s also wheelchair accessible.

FrightFind It: Fright Night Manor in Anchorage, AK

See all our Haunted Houses & Places in Alaska

Want a recap of our 2015 guide to the top haunted houses in America?

Arizona Top Haunt: 13th Floor Haunted House

How About A Room On The 7th Floor?

The Fright Night Manor in Anchorage, AK

FrightFind’s top haunt for Arizona for the second year in a row, the 13th Floor Haunted House is a real pro operation. Spread over multiple floors of a single horror-filled building in downtown Phoenix, you get access to two terrifying attractions for your ticket: “The Deadhouse” and “The Frenzy.” The former is occupied by zombies that are actually manifestations of childhood nightmares, while the latter is described as a “visceral manifestation of humanity’s most crippling fears.” And they nail it. Designed by award-winning haunted house designers, this is the real deal. Be prepared to be scared.

FrightFind It: 13th Floor Haunted House in Phoenix, AZ

Runner Up: Sanctum of Horror in Mesa, AZ

More Top Haunted Houses in Arizona

Arkansas Top Haunt: Fear Factory 501

Where Fear Is Made

The Fear Factory 501 in Jacksonville, AR
A two-time FrightFind winner, Fear Factory 501 is located in Jacksonville but worth the drive if you’re anywhere in the region. Of course, you might regret going at all if creepy clowns make your skin crawl because this place is known for them. Overall, there are some great actors prowling the attraction and some over-the-top gory features that both terrify and impress in their attention to detail. The attraction will have a special “Kid Friendly Night” on October 23, but otherwise probably too scary for younger children.

FrightFind It: Fear Factory 501 in Jacksonville, AR

Runner Up: Carpenter’s Mortuary in Gentry, Arkansas

More Top Haunted Houses in Arkansas

California Top Haunt: 17th Door

Mature Audiences Only

The 17th Door in Tustin, CA

Located in Tustin in Orange County, the 17th Floor is for mature audiences only and definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart. Billed as “34 minutes of psychological terror,” the haunt leads you through 21 horrific rooms built around the story of an unhinged and haunted college student trying to come to grips with a suicide attempt, a stint in a mental institution, and a traumatic pregnancy. It’s a mind-bending endurance test for visitors that hits all the senses. Totally twisted.

FrightFind It: 17th Door in Tustin, CA
Runner Up: Fear Overload in San Leandro, CA

More Top Haunted Houses in California

Colorado Top Haunt: City of the Dead

Voted Best Denver Haunted House

The City of the Dead in Henderson, CO

Located not far from Denver in Henderson, Colorado, City of the Dead is three seriously freaky haunted houses in one: City of the Dead, Curse of Darkness, and The Carnival of Carnage. Voted “Best Denver Haunted House” eight times, it’s also a nationally known attraction, and for good reasons. With a huge cast of actors roaming the building and the grounds, you’ll be assaulted the minute you get out of your car. This professional-level haunt really delivers the goods. Get ready to scream for your life.

FrightFind It: City of the Dead in Henderson, CO
Runner Up: 13th Floor in Denver, CO

More Top Haunted Houses in Colorado

Connecticut Top Haunt: Creeperum

Do You Have The Guts? They Want To Know.

Creeperum in Hamden, CT

Creepy is right. Located in Hamden and advertised as an “emporium of the bizarre,” Creeperum delivers a sensory overload of chills and horror. This warehouse attraction features a maze of corridors and rooms filled with optical illusions and a cast of horrific creatures from the lab of demented inventor and occultist Nikola H.P. Crowley. And he’s one twisted doctor indeed. Not recommended for kids under 10. And that’s probably pushing it.

FrightFind It: Creeperum in Hamden, CT
Runner Up: Fright Haven in Stratford, CT

More Top Haunted Houses in Connecticut

Delaware Top Haunt: Frightland

20 Years of Screams

Frightland in Middletown, DE

Now in its 20th year, Frightland is made up of several different attractions including The Attic, Zombie Prison, Idalia Manor, Ghost Town, and others. There’s also a two-mile haunted hayride and a full amusement park with rides making this a great choice for those who like variety and want hours of scary fun. Located in Middletown, Frightland has been named a “Scariest Haunted Attraction” by the Huffington Post and the Travel Channel. The attraction also donates part of their profits to support the Leukemia Foundation of Delaware, so you’re putting your screams to good use.

FrightFind It: Frightland in Middletown, DE
Runner Up: Screams at the Beach in Georgetown, DE

More Top Haunted Houses in Delaware

Florida Top Haunt: Enigma Haunt

Death Is Always An OptionThe Enigma Haunt in Boca Raton, FL

Located in Boca Raton, Enigma Haunt has three new indoor attractions for 2016: Pandemic, Into Oblivion, and Realms of Terror. Each is a full-blown madhouse of twisted imagination with impressive realism and attention to grisly detail. Spread over two floors and 19,000-square-feet, it takes more than an hour to tour the entire facility and endure all three attractions. But much longer to recover. But as they at Enigma Haunt, “death is always an option.”

FrightFind It: Enigma Haunt in Boca Raton, FL
Runner Up: The Scream Park in Green Cove Springs, FL

More Top Haunted Houses in Florida

Georgia Top Haunt: Netherworld Haunted House

Featuring Hollywood Makeup Artist Roy Wooley

Netherworld Haunted House in Norcross, GA

A FrightFind winner for the second straight year, it’s tough to beat Netherworld Haunted House in Norcross, GA. The costumes and special effects are Hollywood worthy as are the more than 100 actors roaming this sprawling walk-through attraction. It’s rated one of America’s top haunted houses by multiple sources and simply a must-see for true enthusiasts. Do yourself a favor and get there.

FrightFind It: Netherworld Haunted House in Norcross, GA
Runner Up: Fear the Woods in Stockbridge, GA

More Top Haunted Houses in Georgia

Hawaii Top Haunt: Haunted Plantation

Top Haunt 2 Years Running

The Haunted Plantation in Waipahu, HI

A FrightFind winner for the second year in a row, the Haunted Plantation in Waipahu on the island of O’ahu is reported to be on the site of an actual haunted village. Billed as Hawaii’s scariest haunt, it’s been the subject of paranormal shows on The Travel Channel and SYFY and on the short list of must-sees for horror fans. The walk-through attraction boasts a gruesome setting populated by more than 60 actors in professional level makeup who will torment you the moment you’re on site. Be aware: according to the haunt’s own website, the attraction “is not for children under 13 years of age, pregnant women, or people with heart or breathing problems.” It’s also a “physically demanding environment.” Enough said.

FrightFind It: Haunted Plantation in Waipahu, HI
Runner Up: Nightmares Live in Wahiawa, HI

More Top Haunted Houses in Hawaii

Idaho Top Haunt: Haunted Mansions of Albion

No Clowning Around

The Haunted Mansions of Albion in Albion, ID

A two-time FrightFind winner, the Haunted Mansions of Albion in Albion, ID, is one of the biggest haunted attractions in the Pacific Northwest. The theme is a “school of chaos” that includes a “House of Clowns” and the “Zombie Academy.” The setting also has a colorfully creepy backstory. Originally opened as a school in 1893, it went through several incarnations until it closed for good in 1969. Since then there have been rumors of rampant paranormal activity on site that has clearly infected the place. If clowns freak you out, this place is for you. Or not.

FrightFind It: Haunted Mansions of Albion in Albion, ID
Runner Up: Dr. Slaughter’s House of Terror in Idaho Falls, ID

More Top Haunted Houses in Idaho

Illinois Top Haunt: Statesville Haunted Prison

“Vulgar, Disturbing, and Aggressive.” Sweet!

The Statesville Haunted Prison in Lockport, IL

A 2015 FrightFind winner, the Statesville Haunted Prison offers a self-guided tour of 23 gruesome cells filled with unimaginable horrors, gore, and carnage. The haunt is wildly intense and claustrophobic at times and you will scream your head off. It’s also “vulgar, disturbing, and aggressive” according to its own website – a description we’d agree with. Be advised that children under 10 are not admitted, and those under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

FrightFind It: Statesville Haunted Prison in Lockport, IL
Runner Up: Nightmares Basement of the Dead in Aurora, IL

More Top Haunted Houses in Illinois

Indiana Top Haunt: Indy Scream Park

Six Attractions and Thousands of Screams

The Indy Scream Park in Anderson, IN

Last year’s runner up, the Indy Scream Park in Anderson has been voted one of America’s best haunts by both local and national sources and its reputation is deserved. Prepare to spend some time here – and to leave exhausted and emotionally shattered. The park has six attractions for one price. The newest for 2016 is Pandemic along with a redesigned Zombieland Apocalypse. The others include Rage 3D, Brickmore Asylum, and Backwoods. There’s also a Monster Midway when you need to take a breather and grab some food and drink and play a few games to calm your nerves. This is a seriously pro operation where a terrifying time is guaranteed.

FrightFind It: Indy Scream Park in Anderson, IN
Runner Up: Fear Fair in Seymour, IN

More Top Haunted Houses in Indiana

Iowa Top Haunt: The Heart of Darkness Haunted Complex

They Don’t Skip A Beat

The Heart of Darkness Haunted Complex in Waterloo, IA

Located in Waterloo, the Heart of Darkness offers plenty of variety. You get 10 haunted attractions to choose from – or the truly demented can tour them all. Among the choices are the Killer Circus in Full 3D, the Haunted Bus, the Zombie Survival House, and the Coffin Catacombs. It’s Iowa’s largest haunted attraction and also includes a Monster Midway with live entertainment, food, and plenty of other distractions and fun. The Heart of Darkness definitely makes it worth your while.

FrightFind It: The Heart of Darkness Haunted Complex in Waterloo, IA
Runner Up: Thrasher’s House of Terror in Mount Pleasant, IA

More Top Haunted Houses in Iowa

Kansas Top Haunt: Field of Screams

There’s No Place Like Home

Field of Screams in Maize, KS

Last year’s runner up, Field of Screams in Maize is where “the fields are sick.” It’s also where the infamous “vigilante murders” took place at the Spurlock family farm, the main part of the attraction. Along the way is Jebediah’s Field, a 20-minute escape room in Jeb’s shack, and Clown Town 3D with its mazes and top-notch effects. Build it, and they will scream.

FrightFind It: Field of Screams in Maize, KS
Runner Up: Shattered Souls Haunted House in Independence, KS

More Top Haunted Houses in Kansas

Kentucky Top Haunt: The Devil’s Attic

The Devil Went Down to Kentucky

The Devil's Attic in Louisville, KY

Located in Louisville, the Devil’s Attic plays homage to scenes from many classic horror films. Populated by a cast of evil souls trapped by the Devil himself, this walk-through attraction is known for its attention to detail and interactive approach, and is why the haunt has won dozens of major industry awards. The Devil’s Attic will scare the hell out of you.

FrightFind It: The Devil’s Attic in Louisville, KY
Runner Up: Mayhem Mansion in Morning View, KY

More Top Haunted Houses in Kentucky

Louisiana Top Haunt: The 13th Gate

Enter At Your Own Risk

The 13th Gate in Baton Rouge, LA

Widely recognized as one of the most realistic and graphic haunted attractions in the U.S., the 13th Gate in Baton Rouge is incredible – and terrifying – in its detail. The 13th Gate attraction takes visitors through 13 realms, each grislier than the one before. The haunt also has Necropolis 13, a tour through a haunted New Orleans-style cemetery, and the 13th Gate escape room game.

FrightFind It: The 13th Gate in Baton Rouge, LA
Runner Up: The House of Shock in New Orleans, LA

More Top Haunted Houses in Louisiana

Maine Top Haunt: Fright at the Fort

They Are Coming!

Fright at the Fort in Bucksport, ME

Located at historic Fort Knox, this haunted location has been featured on Ghost Hunters and is well known among paranormal enthusiasts. Voted the “best Halloween experience in Maine” from Down East magazine, the attraction has creeps and thrills for the whole family.

FrightFind It:  Fright at the Fort in Bucksport, ME
Runner Up: Destination Haunt in Lebanon, ME

More Top Haunted Houses in Maine

Maryland Top Haunt: Ocean City Screams

Two Stories Of Horror

Ocean City Scream in Maine

Located only 100 feet from the boardwalk, this 2 story haunt  is waiting for any brave souls to come aboard. Can you make your way through this “ship” before being ripped to shreds like most of the previous crew members? You will love the gorgeous sets and animation as well as the pro actors. Don’t miss the grand opening of this amazing haunt.

FrightFind: Ocean City Screams in Ocean City, MD
Runner Up: Field of Screams in Olney City, MD

More Top Haunted Houses in Maryland

Massachusetts Top Haunt: Barrett’s Haunted Mansion

25 Years And Still Killing IT

Barrett's Haunted Mansion

For two years running, Barrett’s Haunted Mansion takes first place for top haunt in Massachusetts, although this is the 25th year that Barrett’s has been in operation! Set within a post apocalyptic world, the Compound with its gangs of cannibalistic cretins will leave you yelling and screaming for help. On select nights, the lights go out and the rules go out the window for “Darkness Unleashed,” a thrilling, no holds barred event that is so intense you’ll barely survive the madness! They offer a special “Bite and Fright” on Sunday and Thursday which includes a meal at the neighboring Alehouse. This haunt is not recommended for children under 13.

FrightFind It: Barrett’s Haunted Mansion in Abington, MA
Runner Up: Hysteria at Connors Farm in Danvers, MA

More Top Haunted Houses in Massachusetts

Michigan Top Haunt: Exit 13 Haunted House

Don’t Miss Your Exit

Exit 13 Haunted House in Flint, MI

Exit 13 takes you on a highway of horror with its indoor maze featuring live actors who use physical tactics to keep you fully freaked out! When you set foot inside this haunt, you’ll be touched, pushed, and jostled by a cast of characters created to creep you out! On your way to the bloodiest of boulevards, you may find yourself separated from your friends, alone in a dark room, wondering if you’re the last person left on this hellish highway. “Think you have what it takes to survive? We dare you to get off at Exit 13, your destination for terror.”

FrightFind It: Exit 13 Haunted House in Flint, MI
Runner Up: Haunt North Woods in Ishpeming, MI

More Top Haunted Houses in Michigan

Minnesota Top Haunt: Scream Town

8 Attractions In  1

Scream Town in Chaska, MN

Situated just outside of town, Scream Town is surrounded by a 200 year old forest. This massive haunted house and corn maze features 8 separate attractions in one!  Visitors who enter the Redneck Resort will wish they had never crossed paths with Bubba and his hillbilly cousins! The Ludicrous Labyrinth has so many terrifying turns and defeating dead ends, you may start to believe you belong in the Circus Asylum! Ticket prices start at the low price of $25 per person and go up to $59 for VIP and Fastpass options.

FrightFind It: Scream Town in Chaska, MN
Runner Up: The Dead End Hayride in Wyoming, MN

More Top Haunted Houses in Minnesota

Mississippi Top Haunt: Bailey Haunted Firehouse

8th Year of Hellraising

Bailey Haunted Firehouse in Meridian, MS

Enter the haunted forest and you will encounter gaggles of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins! Continue into the Haunted Firehouse and you may find yourself face to face with Jason Voorhees and his chainsaw or a maniacal Mike Myers! For the second year in a row, Bailey Haunted Firehouse wins best haunt in Mississippi! The Firehouse has been scaring the pants off adults and kids alike. Jamie said, “I literally left running! It was well worth it! My heart is still pounding…” The best part? Bailey Haunted Firehouse is a charity event and the cost of admission is only $10!

FrightFind It: Bailey Haunted Firehouse in Meridian, MS
Runner Up: Hurricane Haunted House and Forest in Thaxton, MS

More Top Haunted Houses in Mississippi

Missouri Top Haunt: The Beast

Careful, He’s A Biter!

The Beast in Kansas City, MO

Where else will you have the chance to get up close and personal with a live alligator but at The Beast Haunted House in Kansas City Missouri?  The Beast was one of the first haunts to take on an “open-format” design that allows guests to experience the hair-raising happening without the constraints of a typical scene-by-scene haunted story. Live actors, as well as animatronic characters take turns scaring the daylights out of thrill-seekers in what one patron calls, “The most fun and unique haunted houses I have ever been to.”

FrightFind It: The Beast in Kansas City, MO
Runner Up: Phobius Haunted House in Wright City, MO

More Top Haunted Houses in Missouri

Montana Top Haunt: Field of Screams

Western Montana’s Number One Attraction

Field of Screams in Victor, MT

A repeat winner from last year, this outdoor haunt boasts being Western Montana’s number one attraction—and for good reason. If you dare enter, you’ll first have to navigate through a dense, tall, cornfield filled with…well, who knows what. As you push through shrinking tunnels, graveyards, and playgrounds, you’ll meet some less-than-friendly clowns, ghouls, and maybe—unless you’re lucky—a chainsaw-wielding madman. For weaker stomachs, this haunted attraction sells Depends underwear. No kidding.

FrightFind It: Field of Screams in Victor, MT

More Top Haunted Houses in Montana

Nebraska Top Haunt: Scary Acres

20 Acres Of Scares

Scary Acres in Omaha, NE

Though located in Omaha, Nebraska—the cornhusker state—this enormous park is far from corny. The twenty acre plot of land hosts three bone-chilling attractions—Master’s Castle, Haunted Woods, and House on the Hill—all for the price of one. With insane surgeons, mutant clowns, zombies, and plenty of gore, this place might just put you in the fetal position. The layout of each attraction varies from year to year, so even return customers don’t know what to expect. Just expect to be scared.

FrightFind It: Scary Acres in Omaha, NE
Runner Up: Haunted Hollow in La Vista, NE

More Top Haunted Houses in Nebraska

Nevada Top Haunt: Asylum/Hotel Fear Haunted House

Become A Part Of The Feature Film

The Asylum/Hotel Fear Haunted House in Las Vegas, NV

This Las Vegas haunt wins again! Even though the Asylum/Hotel Fear Haunted Houses’ rooms are assembled out of repurposed shipping containers and semi truck trailers, don’t expect to be any less convinced by this haunted house’s horrifying narratives. In fact, walking from container to container, even the smallest of hotel “guests” are likely to feel claustrophobic, especially when the zombies and psychos start to move in on you. It’s largely thanks to this unsettling funhouse effect that the site was picked as the setting of the 2015 slasher film, “Rust.” In fact, there’s even a rumor that some characters from the movie may have permanently set up shop there…

FrightFind It: Asylum/Hotel Fear Haunted House in Las Vegas, NV
Runner Up: Freakling Brothers’ Trilogy of Terror in Las Vegas, NV

More Top Haunted Houses in Nevada

New Hampshire Top Haunt: Haunted Overload

Once the Sun Goes Down…

Haunted Overload in Lee, NH

This New England treasure was a runner-up last year. Haunted Overload is one of the few entries on our list with strictly family-friendly options on certain days of the week and at certain times of the day. Children and the fainthearted can enjoy the impressive set decorations and the shrieking actors during Day Haunt or Fright Nite Lite. However, once the sun goes down on the other days of the week, the ghouls come out. And boy, they don’t hold back. To see truly breathtaking set decoration artistry and maybe even pee your pants a bit, go in for the full Haunted Overload experience.

FrightFind It: Haunted Overload in Lee, NH
Runner Up: Fright Kingdom in Nashua, NH

More Top Haunted Houses in New Hampshire

New Jersey Top Haunt: Nightmare at Gravity Hill

Paintball And Paranoia

Nightmare at Gravity Hill in Jackson, NJ

Legend says that cars sometimes roll uphill and defy gravity around this 5 acre farm, though I wouldn’t stick around to see what causes it. This attraction appeals to most types. You can either walk through the haunted woods, shoot some zombies with paintballs, or both. While this still isn’t a huge operation compared to some of the others on our list, a lot of heart goes into making this attraction deeply enjoyable. Then again, some of those hearts seem to have been ripped back out.

FrightFind It: Nightmare at Gravity Hill in Jackson, NJ
Runner Up: Brighton Asylum in Passaic, NJ

More Top Haunted Houses in New Jersey

New Mexico Top Haunt: Realm of Darkness

A Monstrous Punch

Realm of Darkness in Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque’s Realm of Darkness packs a monstrous punch. In 2010, the management decided they wanted to start a haunted house that would serve the community and it terrified. It has since employed high school groups like athletic teams and extracurricular clubs as volunteer actors, who in turn receive a huge portion of the proceeds to benefit their organizations. The combined passions of the haunt owners and the students manifests into one of the most horrifying attractions in the Southwest. With impressive theatrical set designs, nightmarish creatures that change daily, and an inventive layout—all for a good cause—this haunted house is a must visit.

FrightFind It: Realm of Darkness in Albuquerque, NM
Runner Up: McCalls Haunted Farm in Moriarty, NM

More Top Haunted Houses in New Mexico

New York Top Haunt: NY Haunted Hayride

Not Your Parents Hayride!

The Haunted Hayride in New York, NY
One of the most popular and critically acclaimed haunted attractions in the country, it strikes fear in the hearts of some of the most tenacious people in the world—New Yorkers. With its massive budget, thanks in large part to Mark Cuban of Shark Tank, this hayride has it all: ghosts, demons, Deliverance-esque hillbillies, cultists, you name it. Once you make it to the end, grab a (very dim) lantern and try out the brand new House of Shadows, a complicated pitch black maze filled with disfigured creatures of the night. Lastly, unwind a little it in Purgatory, where you can pick up a couple concessions and relax—that is, unless you get picked to participate in one of the reenactments of famous horror movie scenes. Even if you don’t have polished acting chops, you’ll luckily have already gained plenty of experience screaming your head off.

FrightFind It: NY Haunted Hayride in New York, NY
Runner Up: Darkside Haunted House in Calverton, NY

More Top Haunted Houses in New York

North Carolina Top Haunt: Kersey Valley Spooky Woods

Lucky Number 13 (for the price of one)

Kersey Valley Spooky Woods in Archdale, NC

Very deserving of a second win, Kersey Valley Spookywoods of Archdale, North Carolina is one of the most successful haunted houses in America. The haunted park has remained in operation for over thirty years and its legacy is hard to beat. Not only does one ticket buy you in to THIRTEEN discrete, horrifying attractions, but you can even opt to ride a zip line over the valley for a witch’s-eye view of the mayhem. A must visit.

FrightFind It: Kersey Valley Spooky Woods in Archdale, NC
Runner Up: Pinhead’s Graveyard in Canton, NC

More Top Haunted Houses in North Carolina 

North Dakota Top Haunt: Acres of Terror

If They Build It, You will Scream

Acres of Terror in Leonard, ND

Located in Leonard, North Dakota, this haunted attraction has a whole lot of personality. You’ll scream, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream some more. Walk through the woods, the corn field, and old Leonard High School to meet some incredibly developed, zany, oh-so-spooky characters. Then, immediately turn tail and run far away from them.

FrightFind It: Acres of Terror in Leonard, ND
Runner Up: The Crypt at Jacobs Manor in Leonard, ND

More Top Haunted Houses in North Dakota

Ohio Top Haunt: Dent Schoolhouse

Don’t Forget Your Hall Pass

Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, OH

A past winner with Fright Find as well as many other major publications, Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, Ohio is widely considered one of the scariest haunted houses in the country. The Dent crew has some of the highest standards of acting, makeup, set design, and storytelling in the business. In fact, the legend that surrounds the 1800’s schoolhouse alone is enough to get your heart pounding—think missing (murdered) children and a homicidal Freddy Krueger-esque janitor. Hit this attraction and you’ll long for the days when your worst school-related nightmares were about forgetting to study for an exam. Top marks if you don’t tap out early.

FrightFind It: Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, OH

Runner Up: Paranormal Penitentiary in Mansfield, OH

More Top Haunted Houses in Ohio

Oklahoma Top Haunt: The 13th Ward

The Doctor Will See You Now

The 13th Ward in Arrow, OK

Near Tulsa, The 13th Ward is a Broken Arrow gem. Themed as a medical rehabilitation facility for the country’s most violent and dangerous criminals, this haunted house pushes the trope’s boundaries and horrifies its patrons in unexpected ways. The House even donates a portion of its proceeds to the River Wallace Luck Benefit fund and The American Cancer Society. Pure terror has never felt so good!

FrightFind It: The 13th Ward in Arrow, OK

Runner Up: The Hex House in Tulsa, OK

More Top Haunted Houses in Oklahoma

Oregon Top Haunt: House of Shadows

They Really Know How To GRAB Your Attention

House of Shadows in Gresham, OR

Located in Gresham—just 15 miles out from Portland—this haunted house is very R-rated. All seven attractions, a few of which we can’t even name, are full-contact and based on some awesomely taboo themes. This haunt is physically charged and recommended for the most seasoned of haunt-goers. Expect to be really, really freaked out—especially if you don’t like small spaces.

FrightFind It: House of Shadows in Gresham, OR
Runner Up: Fright Town in Portland, OR

More Top Haunted Houses in Oregon

Pennsylvania Top Haunt: Pennhurst Asylum

Dark Underground Tunnels? Yes Please!

The Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City, PA

Also a previous winner, this extremely controversial haunted attraction’s dark history—along with management’s high standards of actors, makeup, CGI effects, animatronics, and attention to detail—makes for a profoundly horrifying experience. A combo pass will take you through Pennhurst Asylum, Dungeon of Lost Souls, and the Tunnel Terror, which runs underneath the grounds of the former state school, formerly known as Pennhurst Home for the Feeble Minded and Epileptic. That’s right, the attraction was once an actual mental health facility, and not a nice one. Since it was shut down in 1987 for overcrowding and horribly inhumane treatment of “patients,” many believe the grounds are haunted by very angry ghosts. In fact, the especially brave can even pay to embark on a self-guided ghost hunt in the Mayflower Building—which has been featured on both Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters—armed with nothing but a flashlight. But don’t worry, they usually check the batteries.

FrightFind It: Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City, PA
Runner Up: Field of Screams in Mountville, PA

More Top Haunted Houses in Pennsylvania

Rhode Island Top Haunt: Field of Screams

Try And Compose Yourself, Then Aim For The Decomposing

Field of Screams in West Greenwich, RI

Why change a good thing? Also featured on last year’s list, Field of Screams offers three classic haunt experiences for the price of one. With a dungeon crawl, a haunted hayride, and the clown themed Cirque de Souls, you’re guaranteed to tap into one of your deep-seeded fears. They also have one of the coolest zombie paintball courses we’ve seen. Board a 30 foot, 5 ton military truck with mounted paintball guns and ward off the undead horde before you and your peers get overrun. George A. Romero, eat your heart out….
….(so to speak).

FrightFind It: Field of Screams in West Greenwich, RI
Runner Up: Haunted Labyrinth in Cranston, RI

More Top Haunted Houses in Rhode Island

South Carolina Top Haunt: Nightmare Dungeon

Zombies, Ghosts, and Psychopaths. Oh My!

The Nightmare Dungeon in Greenville, SC

Winning again this year, we have Greenville’s own Nightmare Dungeon. Thought to be legitimately haunted, the 110 year old two-story farmhouse hosts four discrete spine-tingling attractions. The place is loaded with inventive characters, each of whom seems to want nothing more than to gobble you up, sometimes immediately, sometimes with refrigeration in mind. Be prepared, these folks are truly dedicated to the art of scaring.

FrightFind It: Nightmare Dungeon in Greenville, SC
Runner Up: Deceased Farm in Lexington, SC

More Top Haunted Houses in South Carolina

South Dakota Top Haunt: Terror in the Dark

South Dakota’s Largest Haunted House

Terror in the Dark in Rapid City, SD

If you are freaked out by the true tales of creepy clowns wreaking havoc on cities and towns across the country, then prepare to be petrified by South Dakota’s largest haunted house: Terror in the Dark, with live actors dressed as demented clowns. Scary as it may be to many, the attraction is considered “safe” and “fun” according to their Facebook page, though young children will not be permitted. Proceeds benefit various charities and youth groups. The attraction features a 12,000 square foot haunted house, including a maze and an exclusive VIP zone.

FrightFind It: Terror in the Dark in Rapid City, SD
Runner Up: Fear Asylum in Brookings, SD

More Top Haunted Houses in South Dakota

Tennessee Top Haunt: The 13th Realm

You Will Get Your Monies Worth, If You Can Last

The 13th Realm in Atwood, TN

Featuring live actors and a very serious warning, the 13th Realm takes the top spot for Tennessee. The haunt takes 30 to 45 minutes to traverse and is mostly outdoors, but features live cast members within tight tunnels and narrows corridors, “intense audio, lighting… moving floors, special effects… and an overall physically demanding environment…”  While children are allowed, no refunds are issued to those who are forced to flee. The attraction includes a Minions Lair, which is a great place to hang out and still get some scares.

FrightFind It: The 13th Realm in Atwood, TN
Runner Up: Ruby Falls Haunted Caverns in Chattanooga, TN

More Top Haunted Houses in Tennessee

Texas Top Haunt: Cutting Edge

The Longest Adrenaline Rush Money Can Buy

Cutting Edge in Fort Worth, TX

One of the largest haunted houses in the United States, Cutting Edge is located within a 235,000 square foot multi-level warehouse. The attraction features a haunted maze with live actors and in the fine print boasts that patrons will “receive ELECTRICAL SHOCKS.” Guests will get covered in bubbles and foam from head to toe, so be prepared to be cold and wet when you leave. Cutting Edge is “the longest adrenaline rush money can buy,” according to the Denton Record Chronicle. Definitely lives up to the hype.

FrightFind It: Cutting Edge in Fort Worth, TX
Runner Up: Phobia in Houston, TX

More Top Haunted Houses in Texas

Utah Top Haunt: Nightmare on 13th

Going Strong Since 1990

 Nightmare on 13th in Salt Lake City, UT

Nightmare on 13th was once featured as one of The Travel Channel’s scariest attractions in the United States. It has been in operation since 1990 and continues to terrorize throngs of patrons with new nightmarish themes year after year. They spare no expense in creating the most realistic reenactments from your favorite Halloween classics. Its 36,000 square feet feature the  grotesque half-humans of The Hills Have Eyes, who compete with the Freddie himself in this scream-inducing house of all too familiar horrors.

FrightFind It: Nightmare on 13th in Salt Lake City, UT
Runner Up: Haunted Forest in American Fork, UT

More Top Haunted Houses in Utah

Vermont Top Haunt: TerroRealm

Come On In, If You Dare

TerroRealm in Danby, VT

For the second year in a row, TerroRealm has been named the Top Haunted House in all of Vermont, and are also Vermont’s largest haunted happening. Frightened visitors will enter the Dementia Asylum, from which they may never return… TerroRealm moved locations this year, but don’t worry they moved the graves with them. There are rumors of a supposed staff member who locked every inhabitant of the facility inside – doctors, nurses, and patients alike – and a deranged doctor who performed bizarre medical experiments on them. “Although the old asylum is now abandoned, those who dare go near the old asylum hear screams of torture and madness emanating from within the darkened halls.” Enter if you dare.

FrightFind It: TerroRealm in Danby, VT
Runner Up: Dead North in Danville, VT

More Top Haunted Houses in Vermont

Virginia Top Haunt: Madhaunter’s Madhouse

Make Yourself Comfortable, You May Never Leave

MadHaunter's Madhouse in Lorton, VA

Madhaunter’s Madhouse has been terrorizing tourists since 2013, but this year’s new location is within the walls of the Old Lorton Workhouse Prison. While the prison is no longer housing inmates, the institution is be open to the public until Halloween, and Madhouse visitors can traverse the maze of homicidal history in under 30 minutes. The website claims that the attraction will bring “nightmares for those brave enough to enter,” and warns that inmates – I mean, visitors – may be showered with various liquids throughout the malefic maze. This venue is not suitable for children under 10 years old.

FrightFind It: MadHaunter’s Madhouse in Lorton, VA
Runner Up: Darkwood Manor in Luray, VA

More Top Haunted Houses in Virginia

Washington Top Haunt: Fright Factory

Washington’s Largest Manufacturer Of Screams

The Fright Factory in Buckley, WA

Seattleites, put down your espresso and head south to the dark hills of Buckley, Washington. The Fright Factory haunted house has everything from clowns and ghouls to pitch black mazes that may drive you insane. Not for the faint of heart and not recommended for young kids, but recommended for those ready to look into the abyss. At only $12, the Fright Factory is a killer deal. Bring some canned food for donation and save a buck. Don’t and you’re pressing your luck.

FrightFind It: Fright Factory in Buckley, WA
Runner Up: Georgetown Morgue in Seattle, WA

More Top Haunted Houses in Washington

West Virginia Top Haunt: The Asylum Haunted House Presents MALICE

The Doctor Will See You Now

The Asylum Haunted House Presents MALICE in Weston, WV

For the second year running, The Asylum Haunted House has claimed the top haunt for West Virginia. “In the halls of what once was the area’s most reputable hospital, a demented doctor has brought his patients’ nightmares to life,” their website claims. The Asylum Haunted House “MALICE” is located at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, previously known as Weston State Hospital. In the 1800’s the hospital housed some of the state’s most delusional and deranged patients. These damaged souls continue to serve the doctor who entrapped them, clawing and scratching at throngs of thrill-seekers as they make their way through the hospital’s blood-stained halls. “Can you survive a journey into the Asylum, where the veil between life and death has been lifted?”

FrightFind It: The Asylum Haunted House Presents MALICE in Weston, WV
Runner Up: Fright Nights in Daniels, WV

More Top Haunted Houses in West Virginia

Wisconsin Top Haunt: Wisconsin Fear Grounds

Want To Go Camping?

Wisconsin Fear Grounds in Waukesha, WI

Last year’s runner up is this year’s penultimate paranormal attraction for the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Fear Grounds features THREE haunted houses in one! “Twisted” promises to torment you until you lose your sanity; “Unstable” occupies both indoor and outdoor space, giving the illusion that there is nowhere to hide; and “Zaszu” offers a challenge to escape in under 5 minutes before having your soul consumed by evil! Wisconsin Fear Grounds offers yet another unrivaled experience with Night Terrors: 13 hours of fear! – a unique opportunity to camp overnight, to those who can handle the horrors that lurk in the dark.

FrightFind It: Wisconsin Fear Grounds in Waukesha, WI
Runner Up: Burial Chamber Haunted Complex in Neenah, WI

More Top Haunted Houses in Wisconsin

Wyoming Top Haunt: Nightmare on 17th St

Sweet Dreams Are Not Made Of TheseNightmare on 17th St in Cheyenne, WY

For the second year in a row, Nightmare on 17th Street takes the top haunt for Wyoming. Spawned in 1989 by members of an international, non-sectarian fraternal order, the Knights of Pythias, the attraction terrifies 2,500 to 3,000 victims every year. Featuring 15 scenes so shocking, you’ll have to leave pregnant women and young children at home. And on one exceedingly creepy night, guests are welcome to wander the haunted halls in complete darkness.

FrightFind It: Nightmare on 17th St in Cheyenne, WY

See all our Haunted Houses & Places in Wyoming

Want a recap of our 2015 guide to the top haunted houses in America?

South Dakota Top Haunt: Terror in the Dark

South Dakota’s Largest Haunted House

Terror in the Dark in Rapid City, SD

If you are freaked out by the true tales of creepy clowns wreaking havoc on cities and towns across the country, then prepare to be petrified by South Dakota’s largest haunted house: Terror in the Dark, with live actors dressed as demented clowns. Scary as it may be to many, the attraction is considered “safe” and “fun” according to their Facebook page, though young children will not be permitted. Proceeds benefit various charities and youth groups. The attraction features a 12,000 square foot haunted house, including a maze and an exclusive VIP zone.

FrightFind It: Terror in the Dark in Rapid City, SD

More Top Haunts in South Dakota

Fear Asylum

Top Haunted Houses in South Dakota - Fear AsylumJust added for 2016, a new Escape Room experience. Can you find your way out?

Sioux Falls Haunted House

Top Haunted Houses in South Dakota - Sioux Falls Haunted HouseBring canned good and get in to both attractions for only $13.

See all our Haunted Houses in South Dakota >>

Tennessee Top Haunt: The 13th Realm

You Will Get Your Monies Worth, If You Can Last

The 13th Realm in Atwood, TN

Featuring live actors and a very serious warning, the 13th Realm takes the top spot for Tennessee. The haunt takes 30 to 45 minutes to traverse and is mostly outdoors, but features live cast members within tight tunnels and narrows corridors, “intense audio, lighting… moving floors, special effects… and an overall physically demanding environment…”  While children are allowed, no refunds are issued to those who are forced to flee. The attraction includes a Minions Lair, which they claim is a great place to hang out and still get some scares.

FrightFind It: The 13th Realm in Atwood, TN

More Top Haunts in Tennessee

Dead Man’s Farm

Top Haunted Houses in Tennessee - Dead Man's FarmHaunted house on a REAL haunted farm.

Dead Land Haunted Woods

Top Haunted Houses in Tennessee - Dead Land Haunted WoodsFour attractions for your haunting enjoyment. Choose wisely.

Millers Thrillers

Top Haunted Houses in Tennessee - Millers ThrillersClown Town 3D Maze and a Zombie Paintball Hayride!

Nashville Nightmare

Top Haunted Houses in Tennessee - Nashville NightmareOver 50,000 square feet of pure terror.

Ruby Falls Haunted Caverns

Top Haunted Houses in Tennessee - Ruby Falls Haunted CavernsThis is no joke. As if going 26 stories underground isn’t scary enough!

See all our Haunted Houses in Tennessee >>

Texas Top Haunt:Cutting Edge

The Longest Adrenaline Rush Money Can Buy

Cutting Edge in Fort Worth, TX

One of the largest haunted houses in the United States, Cutting Edge is located within a 235,000 square foot multi-level warehouse. The attraction features a haunted maze with live actors and in the fine print boasts that patrons will “receive ELECTRICAL SHOCKS.” Guests will get covered in bubbles and foam from head to toe, so be prepared to be cold and wet when you leave. Cutting Edge is “the longest adrenaline rush money can buy,” according to the Denton Record Chronicle. It better be, for the cost of admission starts at $32.99 per person.

FrightFind It: Cutting Edge in Fort Worth, TX

More Top Haunts in Texas

13Th Floor San Antonio

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - 13Th Floor San AntonioThe longest and largest Haunted Attraction in San Antonio!

Amarillo Scaregrounds

Top Haunted Houses in New Mexico - Amarillo ScaregroundsLazer Tag Zombie Apocalypse!

House of Torment

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - House of TormentThey are in a new location this year that just happens to be twice as big.

Moxley Manor

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - Moxley Manor“#1 Freaky Attraction to visit before Halloween” – Dallas Observer

Slaughterhouse

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - Slaughterhouse16 Years of Pure Terror

The Haunted Hotel

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - The Haunted HotelThese guys are on their 34th year. You have to go!

The Parker House

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - The Parker HouseDon’t trick-r-treat at this house. Who knows what you will get!

Thrillvania Haunted House Park

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - Thrillvania Haunted House Park3 Amazing Haunted Houses – 50 Haunted Acres!

Phobia

Top Haunted Houses in Texas - PhobiaThree attractions for the price of one.

See all our Haunted Houses in Texas >>

Utah Top Haunt: Nightmare on 13th

Going Strong Since 1990

 Nightmare on 13th in Salt Lake City, UT

Nightmare on 13th was once featured as one of The Travel Channel’s scariest attractions in the United States. It has been in operation since 1990 and continues to terrorize throngs of patrons with new nightmarish themes year after year. They spare no expense in creating the most realistic reenactments from your favorite Halloween classics. Its 36,000 square feet feature the  grotesque half-humans of The Hills Have Eyes, who compete with the Freddie himself in this scream-inducing house of all too familiar horrors.

FrightFind It: Nightmare on 13th in Salt Lake City, UT

More Top Haunts in Utah

Asylum 49

Top Haunted Houses in Utah - Asylum 49This is a hardcore haunt. You will be touched, grabbed, and separated from your group. Not for wimps.

Castle of Chaos

Top Haunted Houses in Utah - Castle of ChaosVoted “One of America’s Best Haunted Houses” by USA Today and Us

Fear Factory-Salt Lake City

Top Haunted Houses in Utah - Fear Factory-Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City’s only “haunted” haunted house.

Haunted Hollow

Top Haunted Houses in Utah - Haunted HollowUtah’s Longest Haunted Attraction

Haunted Forest

Top Haunted Houses in Utah - Haunted ForestOver 25 years of scaring the pants off of Utah.

Strangling Brothers

Top Haunted Houses in Utah - Strangling BrothersCircus themed with plenty of clowns. Need we say more?

See all our Haunted Houses in Utah >>

Virginia Top Haunt:Mad Haunter’s Madhouse

Make Yourself Comfortable, You May Never Leave

MadHaunter's Madhouse in Lorton, VA

Madhaunters Madhouse has been terrorizing tourists since 2013, but this year’s new location is within the walls of the Old Lorton Workhouse Prison. While the prison is no longer housing inmates, the institution is be open to the public until Halloween, and Madhouse visitors can traverse the maze of homicidal history in under 30 minutes. The website claims that the attraction will bring “nightmares for those brave enough to enter,” and warns that inmates – I mean, visitors – may be showered with various liquids throughout the malefic maze. This venue is not suitable for children under 10 years old.

FrightFind It: MadHaunter’s Madhouse in Lorton, VA

More Top Haunts in Virginia

43 Nightmares

Top Haunted Houses in Virginia - 43 Nightmares
Do not enter if you suffer from Asthma, Heart Conditions, Seizures, or are a big baby.

Darkwood Manor

Top Haunted Houses in Virginia - Darkwood ManorVirginia’s Number One Theatrical and Interactive Haunted House

Gallows Dead Oak Hollow

Top Haunted Houses in Virginia - Gallows Dead Oak HollowWill you live to tell the tale of Dead Oak Hollow?

Haunted Nightmares Haunted House

Top Haunted Houses in Virginia - Haunted Nightmares Haunted HouseFeel like being buried alive? Haunted Nightmares can help you out.

Scream Forest

Top Haunted Houses in Virginia - Scream ForestHaunted trail and two haunted houses for the price of admission!

Shocktober

Top Haunted Houses in Virginia - Shocktober
They scare because they care.

Haunted, not hellish

If your idea of a haunted house is having to take a Valium to keep your heart from bursting through your chest, then this is NOT the haunted house for you.

Chad Heck created Heck’s Haunted House in 2014 as an alternative to the ultra frightening Halloween attractions that were not suitable for younger children. Why? Because Halloween is still about the kids. “It’s called a haunted house because it’s a kid friendly haunt,” Heck said. “It was made for the community kids who enjoy Halloween [to] have a safe environment to get candy and food and more.”

The House itself is a replica of the personified dwelling featured in the 2006 kids movie “Monster House.” They even kicked off the month-long event with a showing of the film. It played on October 1st and was included in the price of admission.

Heck's Monster House Kid Friendly Haunt

Located at 1637 Tremont Ave SW in Massillon, Ohio, Heck’s Haunted House features a trek through the Monster House, a concession stand with pizza, soda, and cider, as well as an Enchanted Forest, the theme of which is Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Cost is $2 and two non-perishable food items per person.

Giving Back

The best part about Heck’s Haunted House? The kid-friendly attraction doubles as a charity event supporting local veterans and their families. Food and cash donations go to the SAM center for VETS and The Stark County Hunger Task Force.

“It’s a charity event we do the whole month of October for families in need of food.” Heck said. “We average 500-1000 [guests] a night and raised 10,000 lbs of food last year.”

The SAM Center was founded in March 2015 and works with other community programs to provide support to veterans and their families. The mission of the SAM Center is “Honoring all those who are serving and have served, and their partners in life. It is the mission of the SAM Center to honor their sacrifice, and through the communities’ love, provide support and hope.” In addition to providing food items, the SAM Center provides gas cards, lodging kits, hand-made quilts, and even emotional support to these former service-members.

Construction of the Monster House

The Monster House is constructed and torn down each year. Construction of the House begins in late July and relies on monetary and material donations from Massillon community members. Heck and his family started a GoFundMe page which has raised over $1,400 to support this haunted happening.

Heck's Monster House Kid Friendly Haunt

Heck also relies on community support through volunteers. He posted on Heck’s Haunted House’s Facebook page, that they are “always in need of volunteers.” Community members have pitched in to help with construction and decoration, as well as by donating candy and other needed supplies. Even the local Girl Scouts have helped out.

Acclaim

In only 3 short years, Heck’s Haunted House has become known as one of the best haunts for kids in the United States. “This is an amazing, and fun place for people of all ages!” Melissa said. One person commented, “Our family went last year and really loved it. It’s for a wonderful cause and they do a great job on the ‘house.’” As the acclaim grows the haunt does too. Heck mentioned that he plans to move the haunt to a permanent building in the future, where he can spend less time setting up and tearing down each year and spend more time on new and fun things for the kids and community to experience.

Heck's Haunted House in Massillon Ohio

hecks-haunted-attraction-ohio

A Football Town

The town of Massillon, Ohio is well-known for its high school football team, the Massillon Tigers. Only one high school in the United States has won more games than the Tigers. The football program was launched in 1894, and in 1916 was honored with the title of Scholastic Champions of Ohio. In fact, so tenacious is the football culture in Massillon, the local booster club brings along an actual tiger cub named Obie to all of their home games!

Trick or Treat

Heck’s Haunted House runs from October 1st through the 31st from 7 pm to 11 pm, (7 pm to 9 pm on Sunday). They will be handing out candy nightly to the kids, so lucky Trick-or-Treaters can stock up early. Heck urges anyone who enjoys the frightful holiday to “Join us for a monsterly good time with all the kids.”

Heck's Haunted House - Kid Friendly Haunt

Address

  • : 1637 Tremont Ave SW, Massillon, Ohio, United States
  • Thank God It’s October

    October begins on a Saturday this year. That means we get 5 weekends of October! Many haunted attractions are opening this weekend and will have a good full month of Octoberific scares across the US.

    Here’s a few things going on across the states that might be up your alley.

    The whole town is damned in Bucoda, Washington

    Scary-Nights Bucoda, Wa

    The town of Bucoda was originally named Seatco, which means “evil spirit” or “devil.” You can see why they changed the name to Bucoda. The jail has quite the history of paranormal activity, but the real party in October is at the old haunted school gym which houses one of the best haunted attractions in southern Washington. Check out Scary-Nights in Bucoda, WA every weekend this October.

    Get your Booz & Brewz on in Fairfield, CA

    Want to enjoy Octoberfest and the scares of Halloween at the same time? Check out the Booz and Brewz festival in Fairfield, California on 10-8-16. Stop by our booth and cheers with us!

    Booz & Brewz - Halloween Event

    Down in LA? Check out Shriekfest.

    ShriekFest

    Nothing like a horror festival in October. The 16th Annual Shriekfest gets rolling in LA on October 6th. Check out the schedule here.

    Take the kids to Heck’s Haunted House in Massillon, OH

    Heck's Haunted House - Kid Friendly Haunt
    One of the top kid-friendly haunts in the US, Heck’s takes donations to help feed the hungry. Bring 2 non-perishable food items and just $2 to enter.

    FightFind sponsored TerroRealm haunt in Vermont

    TerroRealm - Vermont Haunted House

    John Dean moved the TerroRealm haunt to a new location this year and it’s stronger than ever. Not too many haunts in VT, but this one makes up for that. A sure-scream for all.

    You have an amazing haunt. You have an amazing website that’s all about your amazing haunt. So why aren’t you getting a flood of visitors to your haunted house?

    The answer may be as simple as people searching for you can’t find you. Granted, the fever pitch for all things scary and haunted is in October, but all year long there are plenty of tourists looking for a good spook. The key is to make sure your website or haunt is easy for them to find.

    With travels apps and smartphones being the main way visitors are searching for things to do, it’s becoming incredibly important to make sure you’re not only able to get found, but your haunt is showing up in the places potential visitors are visiting. How do you do that? By taking advantage of sites that help people find local attractions.

    Use Google My Business — Immediately!

    Get Listed On Google My Business

    Start off by getting listed in Google My Business. Why? First off, it’s free. All you have to do is visit the site or give them a call at 1-844-491-9665 to get started. But make sure your business information is accurate, and then double check it. Then contact Google to have them send you a letter to verify that the business is truly yours. That’s it!

    Secondly – it’s GOOGLE. According to NetMarketShare.com, Google’s global search engine market share is 71.11% on desktops and 95.06% on mobile and tablets. And this article on Inc.com reveals that half of the trillions of searches done on Google.com happen on smartphones, and location-related mobile is the fastest growing segment of mobile search. Plus, despite Bing’s rising popularity, Google still owns over 60% of searches in the US. Now that you’ve had your fill of search-marketing insider baseball, go get your haunted house listed in Google Business!

    Get Listed on Travel Sites

    Next, start looking at travel sites. We don’t recommend you spend too much time getting listed on every single travel site, but do look at TripAdvisor, Yelp, and FourSquare. These three sites are not only the most popular, they all have apps that have been downloaded millions of times on Android devices alone. When you consider just how prevalent mobile search is, not having your corn maze listed on these sites when Halloween rolls around means you’re missing a lot of eyeballs. If you have a haunt that’s open all year, that’s even more visitors you’re potentially missing out on.

    TripAdvisor.com has the most app downloads by far. After you sign up for an account, go to the Add Listing page to add your haunt for free. Have a haunted hotel and a little money to spend on advertising? Even better — you can go to their Business Listings page and make it easy for visitors to book a night — or two if they’re brave!

    Yelp.com is another great resource for listing your haunt. Though there are far fewer downloads of their app than with TravelAdvisor, you’ve likely seen Yelp stickers on the doors of your favorite restaurants or businesses — which is exactly why you should make sure your haunt is listed there. Again, if you don’t have an account, get one, then check biz.yelp.com to see if your haunt has been listed.

    If it hasn’t, fill out all the pertinent information, upload a few photos and make sure you find the most relevant category for your haunt. They’ll send you a verification code to make sure all the business is yours, and then you’re set. If someone has already listed your site, then it gets more complicated and you might have to contact their Support team. But if you can track down who set up the listing, you can ask that person to transfer the profile to your account.

    Have a haunted restaurant or pub? Definitely take advantage of Yelp’s free tool, Yelp Reservations.

    Speaking of eateries, an overlooked online site for haunts is FourSquare. While most people think of FourSquare as only for finding good eats, it can also help visitors find good haunts. Like TripAdvisor and Yelp, you’ll have to get an account and check if your haunted attraction is listed. If not, fill out the information, add a few photos and you’re done.

    Make Sure Your Info is Correct

    When you add your haunt to these three sites, make sure everything is correct and accurate including the name, address, phone number, and website URL. Since these are focused on local search, having all of these important local details matter.

    Where else should you get your haunted house featured? Try relevant websites about haunted houses and attractions. If people are looking for a haunt, chances are they’re already looking at websites about haunts — such as FrightFind.com where you can add your haunt for free, and it focuses on local attractions as well. When you add your haunt, make sure you add the correct information and add a few photos to entice scare-seekers. Have video proof of a ghost? FrightFind.com will let you add it when you add your scare!

    Trying to get visitors to your haunt can be almost as frightening as the attraction itself. So don’t let a lack of customers haunt your business. Focusing on local search will help you attract visitors year round, and keep your parking lot from looking like a graveyard.

    5 Simple Ways to Help Your Haunt Get Found Online

    You have an amazing old house, there’s a ghost that bumps around in the night and scares the hell out of your guests, and you have a website set up to attract people to your haunt. But for some reason, no one ever visits your website. Worse yet, when you try searching on Google, your haunt is nowhere to be found.

    What do you do?

    Without getting too deep into search engine optimization (SEO) or pay per click advertising, there are a few easy things you can do help your site get found. And while these don’t guarantee instant success, these five tips are easy to do, and will give you the most for your effort.

    1. Look at your web page’s title tags.

    One of the easiest improvements, but biggest rewards, to help your haunt’s website show up in search engines is by making sure you have a well-written title tag on each of your pages. The <title> tag is what Google is going to use as the blue link on its search results pages. It’s also one of the ways that search engines associate important search terms with your website. Having good title tags, that are relevant to your haunt, is still considered one of the biggest factors that search engines use to rank your website.

    frightfind-title-example

    This is where a Title Tag shows up. It also is *usually* the blue link when you do a search on Google.

    What makes a good page title? First, make sure it accurately describes what that page is about. If your page is about an old cemetery and you use a title such as “Free Weird Al Downloads!,” not only will you not get the traffic you’re looking for, you’ll likely get penalized for not having any content related to that page. So make sure the title is accurate. We see a lot of haunts with a title tag of “Home” because the web developer just didn’t know better.

    Also, make sure the title tag has a relevant keyword phrase in it. What’s a keyword phrase? Simply put, it’s the phrase you want your haunt to rank for. If you want the page to rank for “haunted cemetery,” be sure that phrase is in the title. Remember, you’re trying to associate your pages with words people are already searching for.

    Finally, make it interesting. While you could use “Old Cemetery” or, as some do, “Home,” neither are interesting and probably won’t get you any clicks. However, “Old Towne’s Most Haunted Cemetery” or “Old Towne’s Haunted Cemetery” or “Get Scared at Old Towne Haunted Cemetery” are going to be much more attractive to searchers.

    A few example title tag formulas for haunt owners:

    One proven formula to consider might be leading with “where” your haunt is (city and/or state) followed with a “what  it is” (haunted house, zombie hunt, corn maze) then the actual name of the haunt. We suggest the name at the end, because typically you will rank well for your name since nobody else around is relevant for your own haunt’s name. Examples below.

    Formula: “Where What – Haunt Name.”

    • Example title tag: “Vermont’s Largest Haunted Event – TerroRealm”
    • Example title tag: “13th Floor Haunted House in Chicago Illinois”

    Another thing you could do, is include your open dates in your title tag. You can cut right to the chase and tell someone that your haunt is open and ready to scare the #$@! out of them. Example below courtesy of Maris Farms.

    Haunted House Title Tags Example

    The only thing this Title Tag is missing is the “what.” Is it a haunted house, corn maze, pumpkin patch or all of the above? Because it is “all of the above” I’d suggest “Halloween at Maris Farms: Open Oct 1-31, 2016!

    2. Make sure your haunt’s address is clearly displayed on your site.

    Sid Haig at a Where's Waldo Rally

    Where’s Sid? Don’t make finding your haunt’s address this hard!

    This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t include their address on their web site. Worse yet, many addresses are often incorrect or out of date. It shouldn’t be as hard as finding Sid Haig at a Where’s Waldo Rally.

    Since you’re going to be competing for local searches, it’s important to make sure your address and phone number are on every page. This is especially important for mobile search. That way people visiting from out of town will be able to find your haunted attraction on their mobile device.

    Having your address on your site is a ranking factor in Google’s local algorithm. On top of that, being consistent across your website and other properties is another major local ranking factor. At the very least, have your address on every page of your site in the footer. On key pages (homepage, contact page, get directions/location page), put it right in front of a visitor.

    Make sure you have an easy to find contact page with your haunt’s hours, contact information, and other basic details. If someone does a search specific to your haunted house, Google and the other search engines may display it in their results.

    TIP: Don’t put the address in an image. Search engines don’t read images. Make it HTML text.

    3. Set up a blog.

    If you already have a blog, make sure you’re updating it regularly (at least once a week is suggested). If you don’t have a blog, now is the time to start one. Why? Because by adding more content to your site, you’re giving the search engines a reason to keep visiting it and finding all your amazing content. The more content you have, the more opportunities you have to attract visitors with other keyword phrases that are related to your haunt, but not on any of your pages.

    Blogging also gives you another avenue to tell the story of your haunt. Visitors want to read about your haunt’s history or read reviews of what people have seen there. This is a great marketing tool for you and it will build excitement and interest in your haunt. Do people stay at a haunted bed-and-breakfast for the delicious eggs Benedict? Probably not. Instead, they want to hear stories about recent sightings and guest experiences. This makes your haunt seem more active and interesting, and a blog is the best way to do that online.

    I know it takes a lot of time. But as a haunt you have a TON of easy material. Take a picture of a prop or an actor and throw together a quick post. Throw in-production haunt pictures as you prep for the season. Before/after pics of a scare actor getting ready. Haunters have it easy when it comes to content.

    4. Get listed in directories.

    In the old days of SEO, directories were an easy way to get links for your site. For those who don’t know, links were a get rich quick SEO tactic back in the day. That’s long gone.  While getting links pointing at your website is still important, directory listings are not the way to build links.

    Then why recommend this?

    Because you don’t do it for the links, you do it for the audience. Take FrightFind.com for example. People visit this site every day looking for haunted attractions, real haunted houses and other places for paranormal experiences or just a good scare. They’re looking for places near them, or places they’re visiting.

    This is the perfect audience for your haunt! They’ve already been qualified by their interest, so all you need to do is make sure the visitors to FrightFind and sites like it have your haunt on their site. Getting listed on FrightFind is free, but our state sponsorship program exposes your haunt to even more local signals and traffic. Find out more by adding your haunt here.

    TIP: FrightFind’s state sponsorship program is designed to get your haunt in front of more local searches. Limited to only 3 haunts per state, it’s a great way to gain more exposure. Yes, a shameless plug!

    5. Local business listings.

    Your haunt is a local business. Google, Bing, Facebook, Yelp, and several other local search networks cater completely to local businesses. Setting up your site in each of these takes a lot of time and energy, but for each one you do, you open your business up to a new audience and improve your chances of showing up when customers are searching for “haunts nearby” or “haunts in Chicago.”

    Haunted Search Results

    Example from Google Local Business Listings.

    TIP: Keeping your haunt, patch, or maze info up to date in these can be a major time suck. There are tools out there that help you manage all of your local listings in once console. We recommend Moz Local.

    Bonus! Advertise.

    Sure, opening your wallet may not be an SEO recommendation, but it’s an easy one to take advantage of because it’s a proven way to drive people to your website.

    And the targeting can be very effective. The biggest mistake we often see is haunts spending money to advertise to an audience 2 states away. That’s a major mistake and waste of money. The great thing about advertising on a service like Google’s Adwords or Facebook is that you can target an audience accurately by geography. You can also accurately measure how effectively your dollars are spent. It can be daunting, but we’d be happy to help if you have any questions.

    Happy Haunting!

    There are a lot of things you can – and should – do to help your website get found. But remember, just like it took a psychopath and an ax to make the Borden House haunted, it’ll take more than one tactic to get your haunt’s website found. Starting with these five tactics is a great place to begin.

    Need help or have a question? Contact us here.

    Contributed by Ken Webster of Sinful Audio

    Let’s be honest. For most haunts and escape rooms, the exhilaration of introducing new props, puzzles, animatronics and lighting effects has traditionally far outweighed the excitement of implementing new sound effects and audio reinforcement. It’s a well-established pattern that also includes film and stage productions. The reasons, which we won’t go into here, are various and often based on budget and what is perceived as the greatest value or “wow” factor in a production.

    So as I’m flying to Alaska to capture field audio and wild sound (makes us audio people sound like exciting individuals doesn’t it?) I have the opportunity to write to you and reveal a few aspects of audio, as well as some key insights into the human senses, that I hope has the effect of invigorating excitement for sound design and its role within your attraction.

    Scary Growl

    Making Magic Happen

    Most everyone who has seen a magic show knows, it’s all about illusion. The sleight of hand, the deception, the smoke and mirrors that ultimately lead us to believe that what we are seeing is indeed magic and the magician is imbued with gifts of the supernatural. The real trick here is to draw you in, to keep your focus, and to leave you guessing how it was done. Ultimately, magic becomes an escape from reality and a chance to indulge and stimulate our senses beyond our every day.

    You, the haunt or escape room owner, designer, enthusiast know this first hand. You are constantly thinking of new and creative ways to transport your customers to a world of make believe. You set out to deceive them, to distract them from reality. Your goal is to invoke feelings of excitement, fear and envelope them in mystery; ultimately to resolution and a feeling of accomplishment. You design your props to appear as real as possible and your theme to visually stimulate and enforce what you wish your customers to believe is real.

     Scream Haunt Audio Design

    Sound as a Piece of the Magical Puzzle

    A lot of people smarter than me (often referred to as cognitive psychologists, physicists, audiologists, anyone over the age of 5, and so on) have spent their lives investigating the impact of sound on our environment and how it affects us both physically and mentally. I like to break it down by thinking of a jigsaw puzzle.

    The Butcher

    When putting a puzzle together, you are engaging and exercising your brain, stimulating short and long term memory. The key to success is to be able to vividly imagine the picture you are trying to put together, while keeping track of minute detail as you select pieces that have no real context until they are placed together and made part of the whole image. Now think of the entire puzzle as your brain attempting to piece together all it can about the world. As we know, it takes multiple senses to engage us and help us understand the world around us. Sight, Sound, Taste and Touch all combine to give us a perception of what is around us at any given time AND to help us remember key details as we interact with them in life. Like a puzzle, each piece (or sense) contributes to the whole image. Without the ability to sense our surroundings, we are limited to how we complete the puzzle or, engage and retain memory of the vast world around us.

    Putting The Puzzle Together

    Now let’s apply this concept directly to our haunt and escape room endeavors. There are two primary things we are trying to do when we design and build our attraction.

    1. Provoke emotional responses
    2. Stimulate short and long term memory

    Saw Room

    It is obvious that as a haunt owner, you are doing everything you can to get an emotional response from your audience. The primary responses, of course, are fear and excitement. The brain is an easily manipulated thing, and through the use of life-like props and pneumatics, actors, sets and room design, you can create a believable theme that takes a person from the “real” world and immerses them in one of your own creation. Having something jump out at you around that corner, or an image of impending doom will frighten your guests as well as increase their adrenaline which generates the fight or flight response (hopefully more flight than fight here.). But to really enhance the reaction and the realism, it is necessary to stimulate all the senses possible. The two most common ways are through sight and sound. We will focus on touch here in a bit, but of the senses, the two I mentioned are the most easily designed and implemented.

    Invoking fear

    Sight and Sound go hand in hand and are often the most crucial to a cognitive response and long term memory. Sound has an added benefit of being Omni-directional, meaning, the sound you hear can be coming from in front of you, behind, above or below. Basically from any direction possible. And that, I must say, is probably the most manipulative sense of all. You may not be able to see that “thing” lurking above you, but you certainly can hear its raspy breathing. I have to imagine that before we had electricity or the control of fire, our ability to hear kept us alive as early humans crawling around in the dark. Interesting… not much electricity or light in those haunted houses now are there?

    My point? With our ability to use sound directionally, omni-directionally, in surround sound and to pan or move the sound however we wish, we have one of the most versatile ways of invoking emotional response in our customers. We can deceive, distract and enhance our props and give life and atmosphere to a room. We can fit the pieces together and make an image more lifelike and complete the puzzle by combining both sight and sound. But wait…. It gets better.

    By combining just those two senses, we have effectively increased the minds awareness, belief and memory of the experience. Why is this important? Well, we know that we are more capable of scaring the hell out of our guests at a haunt by leveraging what they see and hear. Now we have solidified the experience in their minds and embedded it in their memory. And a customer that remembers an experience is going to tell others. And they are likely to come back again. And again. Sounds good right?

    Chainsaw Massacre Audio

    We Have Feelings Too

    Ok, if you are still with me, let’s take this a step further. Remember how I said that the more senses you can engage, like a puzzle, the more likely a customer will react and remember the moment? We know that using sound effectively will definitely do the job, but what about another sense such as touch or feeling?

    It Cries

    Unless you are running a haunt or escape room that has an incredible amount of liability insurance and security, your actors are probably not going to be touching the patrons nor be willing to be touched themselves. Customers may casually touch a prop or object as they move through a haunt, or manipulate objects as they solve a puzzle in an escape room, but this isn’t the same as actively engaging and touching them. So is it possible? Let’s take the fact that the largest organ the human body has is its skin, with millions of pressure sensing nerve endings waiting to be stimulated (easy now, this is science). How can we take advantage of this? If sight and sound can induce our intended response and create lasting memories, just imagine if we added touch and feeling!

    How can you stimulate all these senses at once?

    Transducer for Haunt Audio Effects

    Transducer for Haunt Audio Effects

    So imagine if you will your haunt with a room that has lighting. A flash of light, followed by the roll of thunder to engage sight and sound. Now what about that feeling? For anyone who has been caught in a thunderstorm, you know first-hand that the ground will shake when in close proximity to a lighting strike. How did you feel? Exhilarated? Scared? All of the above? Well that’s three senses that just made you feel that way. And there is no reason we can’t simulate this in our haunt or escape room. The most effective way is to use what is called a transducer. A transducer is effectively a piston within a casing that is driven by lower frequencies and creates a strong vibrating action. These are often placed in specialized movie theatres, home theatres and used for flight simulations and other situations that lend themselves to an immersive experience.

    Now imagine that same room, but now you have connected a couple of these transducers to a floor, desk or wall. The lighting strikes, the thunder rolls and your customers are shaking not just from the vibration of the floor they are standing on, but from absolute fear! As an aside, you take the one thing that keeps us grounded and feeling safe… ummmm… the GROUND and you start shaking it? You may need to hire someone with a mop to clean up every now and then. The same goes for an Escape Room. You’re not necessarily trying to induce fear here, but you are certainly wanting guests to respond to the success of solving a puzzle or opening a hidden passage or secret compartment. The moving of stone, perhaps, and simulating that with sound and vibration. Certainly an added effect that will get your customers talking and returning with their friends and families!

    Now of course I really didn’t “touch” on the sense of smell or taste. There are a number of products out there that will induce smell, if that is your thing, especially through the use of fog. Again, one more sense that will certainly leave a lasting impression! (good or bad). As for taste; not even going to go there. I’ll leave that one up to you!

    Sounding Off

    http://sinfulaudio.com/But as I summarize what we talked about, I wanted to interject another often overlooked aspect of keying in on the human senses. Not everyone has the benefit of being able to utilize all of their senses. And I think this is something that needs to be considered when we design our haunts and escape rooms. Our friends or family members who may not be able to see or hear can often find that their options are limited in the world of entertainment. We have come a long way, but I think for the haunted attraction and escape room community, it gives us an opportunity to think and design differently. Sound and Touch become extremely important to someone who can’t see. Sight and Touch to someone who can’t hear. Incorporating these thoughts into design decisions benefits not only customers who may have impairments, but creates an exceptional experience for everyone. And I think that’s what we are all about when it comes to entertaining, engaging and making sure our customers have a fantastic time!

    So as we put the puzzle together for our attraction, and think of all the innovative ways we can make magic happen, we now have a lot more in our toolbox to work with and consider. It’s truly a great time to be a haunt or escape room owner with all the innovative and technical ways we have at our disposal to make our themes come to life. And if we continue to tap into the primal complexities and opportunities of the human mind and senses in concert with all these innovations, we will surely succeed in puzzling, terrifying and exciting our customers each and every year.

    Creature Bellows

    New Scenes with Sam from Cult Fav Trick ‘r Treat are Latest Digital Display Offering from AtmosFX

    Seattle-based digital decorations pioneers AtmosFX has partnered with Legendary Entertainment and director Michael Dougherty to release a new product featuring the character of Sam, the mysterious being in the burlap-sack mask who ties together Trick ‘r Treat‘s intertwined Halloween-themed stories. This product allows fans to digitally decorate their homes and yards this Halloween season with unique animations that capture the spirit of Dougherty’s cult horror classic Trick ‘r Treat.

    The release date for the product is set for late September 2016 so you can add Sam to your Halloween displays this year. The animated displays enable anyone to easily project dynamic moving images onto walls, windows, props, and more.

    AtmosFX Sam from Trick 'r Treat

    The Trick ’r Treat digital decoration features all new vignettes filmed this year featuring Sam who, just as he does in the film, seeks vengeance on those who do not adhere to the traditions of Halloween.

    Display Sam from Trick ‘r Treat in your yard or haunt this Halloween

    Sam in Burlap Sack

    Each vignette features Sam dispensing his own unique brand of grisly justice. That means you can show Sam in your home or yard perpetrating dastardly deeds such as:

    • Responding to the neighborhood bully who attempts to trick-or-treat without an adequate costume.
    • Exacting revenge on a residence where healthy snacks are given away for Halloween.
    • Turning the tables on an old curmudgeon who steals candy from neighborhood kids.
    • Re-decorating the home of a homeowner who removes his Halloween decorations before the night is complete.
    • Conducting a mesmerizing symphony of fire from a cauldron of unwanted sweets.

    Other Trick ’r Treat digital decorations highlight Sam in several shorter “startle scares,” designed to surprise unsuspecting viewers.

    AtmosFX’s Trick ’r Treat Digital Decorations will feature scenes in window mode, for both horizontal and vertical aspects. Scenes will also be available in AtmosFX’s Hollusion™ mode which, when used with AtmosGEAR Hollusion Projection Material, creates an illusion where characters like Sam and his minions can appear and disappear in thin air.

    This special AtmosFX Digital Decoration will be available as a high-definition digital download at the end of September 2016, at AtmosFX.com. Like its R-rated film counterpart, the AtmosFX Digital Decoration features horror-themed content and is not suitable for small children. You’ve been warned.

    Trick ‘r Treat Sequel in the Works

    In addition to releasing details on the new Trick ‘r Treat products, Dougherty was tight-lipped regarding the much anticipated Trick ‘r Treat sequel that is currently in process. No hard release date has been set yet, but FrightFind will be sure to keep you posted as details become available.

    Dougherty hopes to turn Trick ‘r Treat into an trilogy. Speaking with Slash Film, Dougherty said,

    I’m going to speak carefully about that [Laughs], because the moment I utter a word about the sequel, everybody starts salivating,” said the writer/director. “It is very much my intention to make the sequel. Legendary is very committed to making the movie. Creatively, it’s in process. When it actually happens, I don’t know. But, hopefully, stuff like this — the digital decorations, the comic books, the merchandise, and what have you — will tide people over and I can finally get around to making it. Nothing would make me happier than returning to that universe. Like, I miss Sam. When we were shooting these vignettes, I was getting a little bit emotional because I would love nothing more than to hang out with Sam again for a year or two, bringing him back to the big screen.”

    These topics, and more, were covered in our interview with Michael Dougherty and Pete Reichert and Pete Williams so be sure to check it out.

    AtmosFX Trick 'r Treat Movie

    Get your Trick ‘r Treat digital decorations at AtmosFX.com this Halloween season.

    ABOUT MICHAEL DOUGHERTY

    Michael Dougherty is a writer, director, producer, and artist who has established a name for himself in a diverse range of genres. Most recently he co-wrote and directed the hit horror-comedy Krampus for Universal and Legendary Pictures. Starring Toni Collette and Adam Scott, the film grossed over $60m worldwide on a $15m budget. Previously, Dougherty wrote and directed the cult favorite Trick ‘r Treat (2009), a horror anthology that stars Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, and Dylan Baker. A sequel is in the works.

    In addition to directing, Dougherty helped pen the blockbusters X-Men 2 (2003), Superman Returns (2006), and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). Dougherty is also an accomplished animator and illustrator. His award-winning animated films have appeared on MTV, SyFy, and Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation, while his morbid illustrations are published as greeting cards by Nobleworks.

    A graduate of New York University’s film program, Dougherty was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and currently resides in Los Angeles.

    ABOUT ATMOSFX DIGITAL DECORATIONS

    AtmosFX was founded in 2005 by Pete Reichert and Pete Williams, two former MTV animators and producers with a combined 47 years experience in the animation and entertainment industries. Inspired by the high-end video installations they were producing for museums and amusement parks, Williams and Reichert shifted their focus to develop a product line of animated content for the consumer market. Their idea was simple, yet innovative: by using a projector or television and an AtmosFX Digital Decoration, consumers could display original animated vignettes on walls, windows and object, creating an entirely new way to decorate for Halloween, Christmas and other holidays.

    There are currently 17 AtmosFX Digital Decorations on the market, as well as additional peripheral products.

    ABOUT LEGENDARY ENTERTAINMENT
    Legendary Entertainment is a leading media company with film (Legendary Pictures), television and digital (Legendary Television and Digital Media) and comics (Legendary Comics) divisions dedicated to owning, producing and delivering content to mainstream audiences with a targeted focus on the powerful fandom demographic. Through complete or joint ownership, Legendary has built a library of marquee media properties and has established itself as a trusted brand which consistently delivers high-quality, commercial entertainment including some of the world’s most popular intellectual property. In aggregate, Legendary Pictures-associated productions have realized grosses of more than $12 billion worldwide at the box office. To learn more visit: www.legendary.com.

    Looking to ramp up the scream factor for your trick-or-treaters this year? Then add some pro-level 3D effects from AtmosFX Digital Decorations and be the terror of your neighborhood.

    A leader in digital Halloween decorations, AtmosFX illusions are the real deal. They allow you to project realistic images onto walls, windows, floors, TV monitors, your yard, or anywhere else you want to create an unforgettable scene indoors or out. Using the same technology that you’ll see in Disney’s Haunted Mansion, AtmosFX digital decorations are unmatched in quality and detail. You can literally transform your home into your own haunted mansion! Ranging from pee-yourself scary to family-friendly spooky, the opportunities for frights are endless.

    You can literally transform your home into your own haunted mansion!

    AtmosFX Digital Decorations transform walls, windows, TVs, yards and more!

    Check out the AtmosFX digital decoration tutorials to see the many ways you can use digital displays to decorate this Halloween.

    Display zombies crashing through your windows and doors, hologram ghosts and specters hovering in mid-air in your yard, blood dripping down the walls, or many other unnerving scenes. You can even project images onto objects like pumpkins or dolls to make them come alive. We’ve used them as part of our home Halloween decorations and watched crowds gather to witness the horrific scenes. (We’ve also watched people run away, so be warned.)

    AtmosFX Digital Decorations for Halloween

    Using AtmosFX is like having your own FX team – except it only takes about 15 minutes to set up. Plus, no clean up! All you need is a projector, DVD player, or computer and you’re ready to start scaring your neighbors or anyone else going by. It’s an easy way to bring some of the same technology and effects used by the pros in places like Disney’s Haunted Mansion to your own Halloween displays.

    New this year from AtmosFX

    AtmosFX recently released Macabre Manor and Trick ‘r Treat. Macabre Manor features ghoulish family of a long-abandoned estate. The new Trick r’ Treat digital decoration features the character Sam from the cult classic film Trick ‘r Treat. Read the interview with Trick ‘r Treat director Michael Dougherty about the new product.

    There are several Halloween-themed DVDs or digital download packages to choose from along with other products. Check out AtmosFX’s tips and tricks videos for ideas and to see the effects in action.

    Like you, we at FrightFind are big fans of all things horror. That includes all the clever and talented artists who create the make-up, masks, and other effects used in movies and attractions to bring nightmares to life in the best, most horrifying ways. So when we learned that Jim Brown of Eville J’s Creepy Closet was the victim of intellectual property theft we got fired up.

    We’re a big fan of Jim’s work and even travel with one of his nightmarish clown candy bowls. So when we heard this story, we thought the more people that hear it the better.  Plus, these overseas mask knockoffs are scary. “Bad” scary, not “good” scary.
    Eville J's Masks

    As you can see in the comparison photo above, Jim is clearly being ripped off here. So we’re trying to spread awareness the best way we can. How can you help? Be sure to go directly to the source when looking to purchase a mask or any other Halloween or haunted attraction item. That way you directly support the people and companies making these items without unintentionally giving your money to the asshats that are stealing from Jim and other artisans like him.

    But enough from us. Here’s what Jim has to say about it:

    From Jim Brown of Eville J’s Masks

    Greetings earthlings, my name is Jim Brown and I am the owner/operator of a small Halloween mask and prop making business called Eville J’s Creepy Closet. I have been asked by my friends here at Frightfind to write up a little something about my recent run in with an overseas company that has been stealing mask designs from American mask making companies, mine included.

    Now I realize this is nothing new and it’s been going on for years, but until it affects you directly it’s an easy thing to ignore. For me, this started on July 28, 2016 when I received a message with a picture attached from a customer asking if said picture was something I had made or if it was a cheap knock-off of one of my masks? A cheap knock-off it was! At first I brushed it away and tried to forget about it. However, the more I got to thinking about somebody taking something I had designed, the more angry it made me. It wasn’t even four hours later that I found out it wasn’t just one design being ripped off but two, and they both were very obvious copies of my work.

    Now let me stop this rant for just a second to give you a little back story about me and Eville J’s. Like many of you, I love Halloween and the horror genre, always have. What started out as a hobby to extend the Halloween season has little by little snowballed into pretty much a second job. It keeps me busy all year long. But even though every year we continue to grow and get bigger it is still just a part time gig I do in evenings and on weekends. I spend lots and lots of hours sculpting, mold making, painting, etc.

    Eville J's Masks

    In the last few years I’ve branched out to attend haunt conventions, which is fun and a chance to connect with our fan base. It is ton of work and a big expense, and you can only hope that it will pay off. So when you start to reflect back on all the years and all the work you’ve spent to build a name, gather a following, and make things that people recognize as yours, it’s very VERY frustrating to find out someone has come along and basically said “OK, these designs are mine now.” Then to find out that they are mass producing them overseas and selling them for less than I do! What’s worse, from what I’ve been told, there’s really not much you can do about it. Even if you go to the trouble and expense to patent, copyright, trade mark, licensing or whatever, it’s still hard to fight it. Unless you can do it all internationally as well, then you’re pretty much just SOL.

    I did contact the company that had the listings up and they apologized and claimed they didn’t know they were copies of my work and they had gotten them from a Chinese supplier. They took all listings down, and also claimed they would check their records to see if they could get me the name of where the mask came from. I don’t expect that I will ever really get that info. And if I do, I’m not sure it will even matter!

    So what’s the answer? This I do not know, but what I do know is that when I voiced my anger the outcry and support I got from my fellow American mask makers and Eville J’s fans and followers was overwhelming. So can we stop this kind of thing? Maybe someday, if laws are changed to protect artist designs for oversea companies. But for now I think you just have to make the best work you can and offer your customers the very best service you can. Then maybe we can steal back our business from the rip off bastards that can’t create something of their own.

    I’ll end this by saying thanks again to everybody who has stood behind us and supported us. It means a lot. Seeing that kind of love for my tiny little shop that I run out of a one car garage fuels my fires and makes me want to drive harder to give people even better products and service. So thanks and keep watchin’!

    One last thing we wanted to mention. Who in their right mind would steal from someone that makes stuff this twisted? That’s like stealing from Jeffrey Dahmer’s fridge for cryin’ out loud!

    Want to see more of Jim’s amazing work? Check his website out at EvilleJsCreepyCloset.com and follow him on Twitter @EvilleJ.