Professional haunted houses began to outshone non-profit groups like the Jaycees as more stringent safety regulations and advertising costs made it increasingly difficult for non-profits to maintain themselves.
If you want to experience a haunted house without crowds, plan to arrive earlier in the evening or on weeknights – and if possible buy tickets in advance online!
Spring
Springtime is an excellent time to experience haunted houses, as many open early this year. New York City-based Blood Manor offers an unforgettable haunted house experience within a dark mansion and 3D maze; each attraction comes equipped with lighting, audio, props and animatronics for added scares!
Restless Souls Haunted House in Westchester offers even more thrills for Halloween thrill-seekers with four terrifying haunted attractions and the Phantom Plaza Midway for an immersive Halloween experience that features up-close actors, Hollywood-quality props, an environmentally controlled environment, and intricate sets. For an interactive haunted experience with up-close actors and interactive features that promise a full night of Halloween fun, look no further.
Demon Acres begins its season on Long Island early October at their Copiague location, providing both haunted house and hayride attractions – each telling its own terrifying tale – to test all your fears ranging from claustrophobia, separation anxiety and clowns.
Summer
Attractions may contain features that include low visibility, loud noises, moving floors, fog, strobe lighting and latex effects; guests who violate any of these rules or act unsafely may be removed without refund.
haunted houses are open all year, giving visitors the chance to face their fears at any time of the year. These attractions may take place in former hospitals, shopping malls, warehouses, semi-trailers or dilapidated homes – each providing its own unique atmosphere!
New York City is host to an unforgettable horror-seeker experience this season – a terrifying chamber of horrors filled with actors, creepy villages and merciless clowns that is certain to leave guests reeling with fear and disillusion. Don’t miss this terrifying Halloween attraction at Chambers of Hell this year in NYC; be warned: it will leave even hardened horror enthusiasts reeling!
Fall
Haunted houses ramp up the intensity during autumn with gory illusions and frightening creatures, as well as real-life psychiatric facilities like St. Joseph’s State Lunatic Asylum No. 2. Mannequins will haunt the museum, while in the basement you’ll have to solve challenging puzzles quickly within an anxiety-inducing time limit!
Rotten Core Manor will be open every Friday and Saturday night from now through October. They have introduced two trails this year that have rated R ratings due to violence, strong language use and mature content.
Barton Orchards features a haunted house from September through October that uses high-tech effects and interactive up-close actors to scare visitors at every corner.
Winter
Haunted houses provide the perfect way to pass an evening during these cold and rainy months! Not only can they add some eerie thrills after Halloween, but haunted houses provide another source of fun!
Haunted houses may seem like historical landmarks with sinister histories, but many hauntings occur in otherwise ordinary-looking residences as well. Sounds such as footsteps, banging and rattling may be heard, which could just as easily be caused by wind gusts or vermin – or they could even be misinterpreted as paranormal activity! Doors opening or closing on their own can even be misconstrued as paranormal activity!
First established by non-profit groups and Jaycees, haunted houses soon experienced rapid expansion following several tragedies involving children trapped inside haunted houses. As regulations increased and volunteer haunted houses faded from existence, commercial haunted houses soon emerged as the dominant force within this industry – being safer yet providing thrills to customers who still believe in ghosts.