In this thread we’re talking about a haunted house attraction in Canada.
I know that these types of things are huge over here, and seem to have only gotten bigger in the past few years. Are these types of attractions a “thing” outside North America?
NOTE: If you aren’t clear about what I’m talking about: imagine a warehouse, empty retail space, etc., which someone has been converted to mimic a place that would be terrifying to be in-- a haunted house, an abandoned insane asylum, etc. Patrons pay a fee to walk through and be terrified by the setting, as well as scares generated by special effects, menacing costumed characters, etc.
In Germany and Austria, you traditionally find horror-themed dark rides at county fair type events and amusement parks. They are called Geisterbahn (ghost ride, ghost train). Here’s one at the Oktoberfest in Munich:
It’s here in Spain. But who knows if it’s an import. Like Halloween, which is “celebrated” massively here. If it’s a business which can earn income, it’ll spread. Always follow the money.
In case it’s not clear from the context, these (the American ones, at least) tend to be seasonal, springing up some time before Halloween and shutting down shortly after. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a year-round haunted house.
This new documentary about “home haunts” was filmed in my hometown. It will make its TV debut on Chiller TV on Sunday, October 28. It’s playing in select theaters and won best documentary at Fantastic Fest in Dallas in September. The American Scream.
It is about three families in Fairhaven, MA, who create home haunts for the public each year at Halloween. A couple of them do it to raise funds for charity. The guy most featured in the film, Vic Bariteau, has gone pro this year with Ghoulie Manor. (My daughter is in seventh grade with his daughter. And I know the people who make the other two haunts.)
There was a special screening of this in town two weeks ago and hundreds of people came out to cheer on our “famous” neighbors.
Edinburgh has the Edinburgh Dungeon, a year-round attraction featuring several exaggerated aspects of Scottish hitory - an infamous cannibal family, body snatchers, alleged ghosts, etc.
They’re everywhere in the UK. Every theme park has one as well as the large chain of “$CITY Dungeon” for every historical city in the country. There’s also some with guys that chase you around with chainsaws and hockey masks now, for the ultimate thrill.
In Germany and Austria, you traditionally find horror-themed dark rides at county fair type events and amusement parks. They are called Geisterbahn (ghost ride, ghost train). Here’s one at the Oktoberfest in Munich:
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There used to be a fair number of “dark rides” in Wildwood, NJ (on the Jersey Shore). These would operate during the summer and did include some “horror” themes. The rides would more or less close for colder months - I’m not sure they were even open in October except possibly for a special Halloween opening. It looks like a fair number are gone. I haven’t been on the boardwalk lately- are there any dark rides still there?
In addition to the Jersey Shore ones, I believe that Disney World has (or had) a haunted house ride. I think that haunted houses that are part of an existing amusement park that is open year round or outside of Halloween would generally be open as long as the park is open. The attractions that open for Halloween and close shortly afterward, I believe, are standalone horror attractions where you are going just for the haunted house and the haunted house is more or less all there is.
You’re thinking of The Haunted Mansion, which is a classic “dark” ride that involves ghosts and the macabre, but is in no way a “terror” attraction (unless you’re a very small child) like I described in the OP.
I think you’re missing a few tons of commas around celebrated; most of the celebrations seem to consist of schools where the PTA isn’t fighting it back and of supermarkets making attempts at selling bad chocolate decorated with pumpkins and bats.
As for haunted houses, they’re not common as a halloween thing, but they’re a common fairground attraction. The scary tunnel of non-permanent fairs or the haunted houses of permanent fairs are apparently a good excuse to grope your boyfriend, same as scary movies… (I wouldn’t know, I never needed excuses).
The big one - Castle Dracula - burned down in 2002. I’m pretty sure there are still a couple of small ride-through haunted houses though.
There also used to be one north of Atlantic City called Brigantine Castle. It closed down in 1984 due to storm damage and stricter regulations enacted after 8 teenagers were killed when the Great Adventure Haunted Castle caught on fire. 3 years after it closed, Brigantine Castle also burned down.
There is a year round one in New Zealand. Spookers is in an old mental hospital, but in what was the nurses’ home. I visited it earlier this year with a group of friends, and we had a ball.
