Prompt Cast
The History and Evolution of Haunted House Attractions
TLDR Haunted house attractions have a long history, dating back to ancient Egypt and the Greeks and Romans, and have evolved into interactive theater experiences that aim to scare and gross out visitors. From the first recorded haunted attraction in 1915 to the rise of for-profit haunted houses in the 90s, these attractions have different themes, cost a significant amount of money, and prioritize safety measures to ensure a thrilling yet safe experience for visitors.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This podcast episode discusses the different types of haunted house attractions and the popularity of visiting them, with an estimated 33 million people expected to go into haunted houses across the United States in 2014.
04:44
Haunted house attractions have a long history, dating back to ancient Egypt and the Greeks and Romans, and were originally used to deter grave robbers and promote religious piety, but have evolved into interactive theater experiences that aim to scare and gross out visitors.
09:53
The modern haunted house attraction originated from dark rides at amusement parks and the concept of creepy old houses, with the first official recorded haunted attraction being the Orton and Spooner ghost house in the UK in 1915 and the first big-time permanent haunted house being the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland in 1969.
14:29
The JC's in the 70s and 80s popularized the idea of creating haunted houses as fundraisers, leading to the rise of for-profit haunted house attractions in the 90s.
19:10
Haunted house attractions can be repulsive and scary, but they are not the same as true fear; there are recommendations for genuinely frightening ghost story movies, and the haunted house industry is diverse with different types of locations.
24:23
Haunted house attractions can have different themes, such as classic horror movies or serial killers, and can cost up to $125,000 just for decorations and special effects, with the need to change themes and layout each year to keep customers coming back.
29:00
Safety is a major concern in haunted house attractions, with measures such as fire safety systems, sprinklers, flame retardant materials, cameras, and waivers in place, as well as a focus on maintaining a steady flow of visitors through the attraction to prevent groups from catching up to each other and ruining the scares.
33:33
Some haunted house attractions may involve light touching, but visitors are fully informed and consent to it, and there are also extreme attractions that go beyond just touching; actors in haunted houses often hide in scare pockets and use distractions to surprise visitors; attractions are often run on compressed air, triggered by motion sensors or touch pads to create scares that are randomized for each group.
38:37
Extreme haunted houses are interactive experiences that can last up to seven hours, where participants are treated like assault victims and subjected to physical abuse, such as being covered in blood, locked in cages, and assaulted with fake snakes and vomit.
43:14
Hell houses are interactive experiences run by churches that aim to scare people into following religious teachings, with rooms depicting sins such as abortion, domestic violence, and suicide, leading to a final depiction of hell before participants are encouraged to repent and join the church.
48:22
Hell houses are still around and can be effective in scaring people into repentance and joining the church, as evidenced by a story of a little boy who vomited during a hell house experience.
Categories:
Society & Culture
