Hauntworld Magazine, the Halloween and haunt industry’s leading trade publication, has ranked what they believe to be the scariest places in the United States, including lists of the top haunted houses and haunted attractions for each day of October.
“Americans have an intrinsic urge to conquer fear and the haunted attractions on these lists are as close as many can get to literally coming face-to-face with true terror,” says Larry Kirchner, Editor-in-Chief of Hauntworld Magazine.
The attractions that made the list are being recognized for their attention to detail, high-quality special effects, and overall “scare factor.” The haunted houses and attractions on these lists aren’t your average neighborhood decorations. Each haunted attraction costs up to $1 million to construct, uses professionally trained actors, Hollywood make-up artists and the latest technology to transport people into an insane, realistic and horrific environment that rivals any horror movie set.
“Scary movies and roller coasters are great for a cheap thrill but what these attractions provide their visitors is a sense of exhilaration and an adrenaline rush that can only be felt from live action,” says Kirchner. “These locations are examples of those places in the country you’ll be telling your friends you survived, not visited.”
The Top 13 Haunted Attractions
- 13th Gate Haunted House – Baton Rouge, Louisiana, www.midnightproduction.com
- Netherworld Haunted House – Atlanta, Georgia, www.fearworld.com
- The Beast – Kansas City, Missouri, www.kcbeast.com
- The Darkness Haunted House – St. Louis, Missouri, www.scarefest.com
- House of Torment – Austin, Texas, www.houseoftorment.com
- Dent Schoolhouse – Cincinnati, Ohio, www.frightsite.com
- Bates Motel – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, www.thebatesmotel.com
- Haunted Schoolhouse – Akron, Ohio, www.hshlab.com
- Bayville Screampark – Long Island, New York, www.bayvillescreampark.com
- House of Shock – New Orleans, Louisiana, www.houseofshock.com
- Dead Acres – Columbus, Ohio, www.deadacres.com
- Headless Horseman – Ulster Park, New York, www.headlesshorseman.com
- Graystone Manor – Killen, Alabama, www.graystonemanor.net
Best Screamparks/Haunted Hayrides: 2009
- Headless Horseman, Ulster Park, New York www.headlesshorseman.com
- Bates Motel, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania www.thebatesmotel.com
- Shocktoberfest, Reading, Pennsylvania www.shocktoberfest.com
- Field of Screams, Mountville, PA www.fieldofscreams.com
- Creepyworld, St. Louis, MO www.scarefest.com
- Spookywoods, High Point, North Carolina www.spookywoods.com
- Bayville Screampark, Long Island, New York www.bayvillescreampark.com
- Jason’s Woods, Lancaster, Pennsylvania www.jasonswoods.com
- Halloween Park, Strinestown, Pennsylvania, www.halloweenpark.com
- 7 Floors of Hell, Cleveland, Ohio www.7floorsofhell.com
Top 5 Places to get Scared in America: 2009
- Salem, Massachusetts www.salem.org
- Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada www.cliftonhill.ca
- Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California, www.winchestermysteryhouse.com
- The Mortuary Haunted House, New Orleans, Louisiana at www.themortuary.net
- Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, Kentucky www.therealwaverlyhills.com
For more information on this year’s Top Haunted Attractions as well as other top industry lists, see the entire list here: hauntworld.com/featured_article/americas_best_haunted_houses_2009.
