Dark hallways, eerie sounds, and sudden scares: haunted houses are a Halloween staple that have been thrilling and terrifying visitors for decades. From the moment the first ghostly figure jumps out of the shadows to the last scream that echoes through the night, these spooky attractions are designed to make hearts race and imaginations run wild.
For many people, the experience of being scared is oddly satisfying. But just how long have haunted houses been delivering frights to eager thrill-seekers? The origins of haunted attractions trace back to the 19th century, and since then, they’ve only grown in size, intensity, and creativity.
“This job has given me a lot of perspective from so many different types of people,” Senior Bella Kaz, who works as a “scarer” at a haunted house, said. “You gain a lot of creativity with many different things; you make your own personal costume and get your own character that is just yours and you can be as creative as you want”.
The modern haunted house as we know it began in the early 1900s when attractions were designed to create immersive horror experiences, complete with creepy settings and terrifying characters. One of the first known haunted attractions was the Orton and Spooner Ghost House, created in 1915 in Liphook, England. This early “haunt” set the tone for what would later become a worldwide trend of crafting eerie, spine-tingling environments for people to explore.
But it wasn’t until much later that haunted houses truly started to gain momentum in the U.S. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, parents began organizing homemade haunted houses to entertain kids and prevent them from causing mischief on Halloween night. The concept quickly caught on, with communities building elaborate haunted house experiences, eventually leading to the professional productions we see today.
“I’ve gone to haunted houses every year since I was a kid,” Plainfield North High School senior Siobhan Kelly said. “It’s one of the best parts of Halloween. You know it’s all for fun, but it still gets your heart racing.”
The real boom in haunted house popularity came in the 1970s when theme parks and other large-scale attractions began creating highly produced haunted experiences. Knott’s Berry Farm in California was one of the first to open a large-scale, multi-scare haunted attraction with the launch of Knott’s Scary Farm in 1973. This event has since become an iconic Halloween tradition, drawing visitors from around the world to experience the elaborate mazes and live-scare actors.
Today, haunted attractions have evolved into a massive industry. According to the Haunted Attraction Association, there are more than 4,000 haunted attractions in the U.S. with around 300 major professional haunted houses. Together, these attractions generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually, proving that the appetite for fear is bigger than ever.
But not all haunted houses are the same. While some focus on fun, family-friendly scares, others push the boundaries of horror. Extreme haunted houses, like McKamey Manor in Tennessee, have made headlines for their intense experiences, which can include physical contact, restraints, and psychological terror. Participants at McKamey Manor sign a waiver before entering and have been known to last only minutes before they quit.
For most haunted houses, though, the goal is to deliver just enough of a scare to get the adrenaline pumping without crossing the line into real fear or trauma. Many rely on a mix of jump scares, atmospheric tension, and creepy characters to get visitors screaming – and then laughing afterward.
Haunted houses have also become a key part of local communities, often run as fundraisers for schools, charities, and community organizations. Some high schools even transform their gyms into haunted mazes to raise money for their sports teams or clubs. These community-driven haunted houses may not have the budgets of the big attractions, but they deliver on creativity and local flavor.
“It’s always fun to see the homemade ones that people put together in their neighborhoods, like the whole Max from Stranger Things house last year,” senior Jackie Held said. “Sometimes those can be scarier than the professional ones because they’re so unexpected.”
Whether it’s the elaborate mazes at theme parks or the neighborhood haunt set up in a backyard, the thrill of haunted houses continues to captivate people of all ages. There’s something about willingly stepping into a space designed to scare that keeps people coming back for more.
“I think people like being scared in a controlled setting,” Kelly said. “It’s a fun way to challenge yourself and see how much you can handle. You know you’re safe, but it still feels real in the moment.”
As long as there’s a demand for screams, haunted houses will keep their doors open, ensuring that the thrill of fear – and the fun that comes with it – will live on for future generations.
(I don’t know what other quote to use, I’m kind of leaning towards no quote)
“This is my second year working there and I keep going back because I make amazing friends,” Kaz said. “Everyone is inclusive and kind and has turned into a little family.
