Sony Debuts "The Last of Us" Attraction at CES 2025
Haunted Attraction Network
Connecting the global Haunted Attraction industry through education, news, and events.
Haunts across the country continue to announce Valentine's Day off-season events. Visit our website for the complete UPDATED list, or?scroll down to see select listings. ?
Sony Debuts "The Last of Us" Proof of Concept Attraction at CES
Sony Pictures, PlayStation, and Naughty Dog presented a proof-of-concept "The Last of Us" attraction at CES (Las Vegas, NV). The experience combined Sony's Crystal LED panels, engaging audio, haptics, scent, and atmospherics with interactive PlayStation game content to immerse guests into the world of the hit video game series. Neil Druckmann, studio head and head of creative at Naughty Dog described the project as a "global location-based experience exhibit.” Druckmann has yet to announce any future plans or locations for the attraction. This is not the IP's first attraction iteration - in 2023, "The Last of Us" made its haunt debut with houses?at Universal Studios Orlando & Universal Studios Hollywood.?
Theme Parks
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Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Holiday 2025 Dates
After incorrect dates had been posted to the website last week, Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) officials confirmed that Haunted Mansion Holiday is returning August 22nd, 2025 - January 7th, 2026. Jack Skellington and his Nightmare Before Christmas friends will decorate the Haunted Mansion for the Halloween and Christmas seasons. The original version will operate this year starting on January 18th after a nearly year-long closure due to the outdoor queue expansion and construction on the new Madame Leota's Somewhere Beyond?store. Watch our ridethrough of haunted mansion holiday here.
?U.S. Haunts & Events
Salem Adjusting Safety Plans for Halloween
In the wake of the deadly New Year's truck attack in New Orleans, Salem, Massachusetts, officials announced new potential safety measures for their annual Halloween festivities. They are accelerating plans to install new retractable bollards and mobile barricades to block off vehicles from selected streets, enacting?stricter enforcement of road closures, and bringing in an "outside set of eyes" to review current safety protocols. Additional police?presence during Haunted Happenings is also being considered, as crowds grow as large as 100,000 people on some October days. The road closures and extra safety measures are likely to cause increased traffic congestion on open roads. Still, Mayor Dominick Pangallo said it's an "inconvenience that people are going to have to just live with, because safety is the priority concern.”
Former Haunted House to Become Food Hall
Plans are in the works for the former Haunted House of Wax in Niagara Falls, New York, to be?turned into a food hall with five new dining options. The former horror wax museum operated on the site since 2002 and closed just over a year ago. The $2.55 million renovation would bring a Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's Pretzel Place, and Carvel Ice Cream at street level, a Subway at ground level, and a Mediterranean food restaurant at the mezzanine level. Work is projected to begin?this March and is expected to complete by the busy tourist season in June. The company proposing the renovation is seeking over $380,000 in grants and tax credits to complete the project. A public hearing regarding these benefits will take place on January 29th.?
Conventions & Mixers
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Halloween & Party Expo: January 13th - 15th
The Halloween & Party Expo takes place this week - January 13th - 15th - at The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.?HPE is a one-stop shopping destination for all your haunt gift store needs - from costumes, party goods, masks, accessories, makeup, decorations, props, and more. This year's event features over 140 exhibitors including: California Costume Collections, Cinema Secrets, Ghoulish Productions, Halloween Costume Association, Lord Grimley Manor, Morris Costumes, National Costumers Association,?Trick or Treat Studios, Wolfe FX, Zagone, and more. HPE is open to qualified industry buyers only. Programming highlights include the Halloween & Costume Association's inaugural?Spooky Awards (January 14, 2025, at 5 p.m.). This event celebrates innovation and creativity in Halloween costumes, accessories, and decor, with finalists judged on artistry, marketability, and trendsetting potential. Learn more about the awards here.?
Spooky Swap Meet: Vendor & Haunt Applications Open
The Spooky Swap Meet?(Los Angeles, CA)?has opened applications for?Vendors?and?Trick or Treat House Hosts. The event is?April 25th - 27th at the Heritage Square Museum Los Angeles. Set amidst the stunning vintage Victorian manors, this highly curated marketplace swap meet will focus on gently used, vintage, and original Halloween decor, furnishings, costumes, props, and other spooky items. Booths cost $500 for a 10'x10' space, and participants must commit to vending all three event days. There are limited spaces available, and priority is given to those who have used items to sell and best fit the?swap meet/garage sale/flea market theme.?House Hosts will be assigned one of Heritage Square's historic manors to decorate in the spirit of Halloween, where guests will trick-r-treat throughout all event hours. Learn more at the event's official website. Curious what it looks like? Here's our previous coverage. ?
Haunted Attraction Association ?
OSCARES Swag Bag Donations
Want to get some extra eyes on your haunted attraction or product and are vending at TransWorld? Join the Haunted Attraction Association in making this year's OSCARES awards spooktacular by contributing to their swag bags. The HAA is seeking contributions of hauntingly cool items like stickers, buttons, chapsticks, etc., featuring your logos for additional branding and attention. Swag bags will be handed out to the first 100 OSCARES attendees. Interested donors should contact?OSCARES co-chair Ashley Long at [email protected] with what item they would like to contribute and how many they would like to contribute. ?She'll be collecting these items at the HAA Booth #2023 at TransWorld, and?should be dropped off no later than Friday, February 28th at 5:30 pm, CST.
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Education
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Ask the Haunt Expert: Leonard Pickel
Haunter’s Toolbox?is hosting a 90-minute LIVE Q&A session with?Leonard Pickel?on?Tuesday, January 14th, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. CST.?Leonard Pickel has over 40 years of themed attraction design and operations experience, creating over 300 original and innovative dark-themed attractions for major venues worldwide. A pioneer in the haunt industry, Leonard has founded key organizations, launched national conventions, and been featured as an expert on major television networks. ?
AZ Haunters Make & Take: Packing Tape Ghosts
AZ Haunters will host a Packing Tape Ghosts workshop on Saturday, January 18th, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Mesa, Arizona.?Packing Tape ghosts are fun, lightweight, and easy to make. The $20 registration fee provides participants with all the packing tape and clear plastic needed for the forms. Participants should bring a mannequin, dress form, or friend as a base for the tape ghost.?
Haunt Awards ?
Home Haunter Awards Show
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2024 Home Haunter Awards Show.?Video submissions via cloud server or YouTube link will be accepted through February 3rd, 2025. Awards categories include: Best Motorized Prop, Best Pneumatic Prop, Best Static Prop, Best Walk Through, Best Display, Best Overall, Best Costume, Best Hauntcycled, Best Modified Store Bought Prop, and Best Use of Digital Display. The entries are judged by admins of the Halloween Yard Haunts and Props Facebook group based on decor, props, setup, music, and anything else your creative mind can come up with. Any not-for-profit home haunter may enter. Home haunters cannot win in the same category in consecutive years. However, they can enter different categories. The awards' official website shows a full list of rules and judging criteria.?
Canadian Haunters Association Home Haunter Awards
Submissions are now being accepted for the Canadian Haunters Association's 2024 Home Haunter Awards Contest. These annual awards honor the?creativity, passion, hard work, and investment of the Canadian Haunters Association’s many members. The awards are open to Canadian, U.S., and international home haunters. Entrants must be part of the Canadian Haunters Association Facebook group?and submit a video link of their entry.?Each submission will be evaluated by a select panel of judges who are subject matter experts in various fields of themed (Halloween and Haunt) attractions and video creation and production. Winners will receive a custom trophy and an award certificate. Join the Canadian Haunters Association Facebook group to see the full list of rules and judging criteria.
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Valentine’s Day Haunted Houses:?
Our full list is also available on our website.? ?
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