Halloween Is Big Business: An Inside Look At The Haunted House Industry With Larry Kirchner

The list

1. 01

   The Darkness

   Haunted house in St. Louis, Missouri, operated by Larry Kirchner; described as one of the nation's top haunted houses.

2. 02

   Zombie laser tag experience outside Boston

   Example attraction where guests shoot zombies with lasers in a darkened warehouse.

3. 03

   Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

   Major theme park haunt; October general admission $104.99.

4. 04

   Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

   Disney's more family-friendly theme park event; tickets from $72 and up.

5. 05

   TransWorld's Halloween and Attractions Show

   Trade show whose expansion signals industry growth; many attendees come from outside the U.S.

6. 06

   Haunted Attraction Association

   Industry organization formed as the sector matured.

7. 07

   The Walking Dead

   Cited as a pop culture influence on current haunt themes.

Facts from the original

• Hauntworld.com estimates 4,000 haunted attractions operate in the U.S. today.
• In 2013, NBC News reported that haunted attractions were a $300 million a year industry.
• The National Retail Federation estimates total Halloween spending will reach $8.4 billion in 2016, a record high in the survey's 11-year history.
• 21% of people surveyed said they plan to visit a haunted house this year.
• Larry Kirchner is President of Halloween Productions and owner-operator of Hauntworld.com.
• Kirchner has more than 25 years' experience and has worked on building hundreds of haunted attractions globally.
• Kirchner currently operates The Darkness in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the nation's top haunted houses.
• Kirchner says when the industry was just getting started, 99% of haunted house owners, operators and even manufacturers had another job.
• Kirchner says well north of 85% of people operating a professional level haunted house, excluding charities, consider this their only job.
• Full-time focus is driving diversification into escape rooms, zombie runs, zombie laser tag and zombie paintball.
• Operators are opening for Valentine's Day or transforming their attractions into a haunted Christmas Show in December.
• Many special effects, technology and Hollywood-level production techniques are possible because talent migrated from the movie industry when CGI became more popular in films.
• Retention is challenging because attractions are only active and profitable for part of the year, so owners seek year-round uses for their talent.
• Haunted attractions vary widely, from local charity events to major theme park attractions.
• Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights and Disney's Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are two popular examples.
• Costs at Disney range from $72 and up for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
• A general admission ticket for Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights during October costs $104.99.
• Outside theme parks, options range from wholesome haunted hayrides to extreme terror attractions that require a participation waiver.
• Organizations like the Haunted Attraction Association and trade shows like TransWorld's Halloween and Attractions Show have formed as the industry matured.
• The trade show's expansion is one indication of the industry's explosive growth, and many attendees come from outside the U.S.
• Some of the biggest markets for haunted attractions are now in Asia and Latin America.
• Kirchner says the haunted house industry is a worldwide phenomenon, while the Halloween industry is an American thing.
• The cost for developing a haunted house can range up to several hundred thousand dollars or more, depending on location, complexity and vision.
• Many requests come from theme parks in development in Asia, the entertainment design industry's fastest-growing region.
• Growth has led to guest-facing improvements including virtual reality technology and increased interactivity.
• Pop culture influences like The Walking Dead and video games are leaving their mark on what is popular.
• In the 1980s and 1990s, Freddy Krueger, Pinhead, Leatherface and Michael Myers were all very popular in haunted houses.
• Technology is much cheaper now; operators can trigger audio effects and use CGI effects because CGI is easy to make, and some haunted houses now offer virtual reality versions of the attraction.
• Kirchner says you hit a wall on charging more for a haunted house experience, but you can add a virtual reality experience, zombie paintball or an escape room and upcharge that.