Start Your First Haunted Attraction | Imminent Doom

Start Your First Haunted Attraction | Imminent Doom

Author: Brian Foreman & Darryl Plunkie: Haunters, Scare Actors, Haunt Owners December 24, 2025 Duration: 1:41:32
What's it really like to open and operate a Haunted Attraction business? Can your dream really come true? Can you do it by yourself?

We answer all of your questions in this Master Class with Conner Beets from Imminent Doom Haunted House.

Conner, a lifetime Haunt enthusiast, started and operated his first commercial haunted attraction this year (2025). At the age of 20 years old!
 
Conner's 5 Top Tips for starting a brand-new haunt are…
 
1. Build outside city limits if possible! If you happen to be in the city limits… be in CONSTANT communication with your local Fire Marshall and don't try to fight them on codes. Believe me… You will not win that battle lol!
 
2. Invest Wisely! As cool as some of those massive props are at TransWorld… the quality often isn't what it is at the show when you receive your copy. When at a show, be sure to thoroughly inspect a prop to make sure it is built to last and will be a worthwhile investment for your show!
 
3. Train your actors!!! As cool as your sets and props may be, your guests only want one thing… to be terrified!!! You can have the most beautiful and high-tech animatronics known to man. Still, if you don't hold your actors to a standard and train them how to scare, develop characters, and pace themselves properly… your show will definitely suffer!
 
4. Work with and collaborate with your other local haunted attractions! We did a huge project this year called The Frightful Four of East Texas, featuring four local haunts, and it absolutely blew up into a huge deal! You can learn a lot from working with fellow industry experts from your area, and since you are all near each other… There is room for everyone to succeed by working together to drive more guests to your area around October!
 
5. Stay Humble! I cannot stress this one enough! Don't be a giant Douche for lack of a better word! Your show is not the best thing in the world, despite what you may think, and you will always have to work to improve your show year after year! Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. I haven't seen many haunts that absolutely one person builds, so I'm definitely willing to work with others!

Ever wondered how the chilling atmosphere of a professional haunted house is really built, or what it takes to make a scare actor’s performance truly unforgettable? HaunTopic Radio: Haunted Attractions | Haunted Houses | Halloween | Haunters pulls back the heavy black curtain on the world of professional scares. Hosts Brian Foreman and Darryl Plunkie aren’t just commentators; they’re working haunters, scare actors, and haunt owners who live this passion year-round. In each episode, they sit down with the artists, builders, and visionaries who create the terrifying events we love, capturing their personal stories and hard-won expertise. This podcast is built on practical, real-world advice, focusing on how you can design effective scares and build compelling attractions without relying on a massive budget. It’s a deep, conversational dive into the craft, from makeup techniques and set design to the psychology of fear and the business of Halloween. You’ll hear the triumphs, the creative problem-solving, and the dedicated community that brings the haunting season to life. Tune in for an authentic look behind the screams, where passion for the art form is always the main topic.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

HaunTopic Radio: Haunted Attractions | Haunted Houses | Halloween | Haunters
Podcast Episodes
Haunted Attraction Network: Marketing, AI, Trends, and MORE! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:57
How do you create a successful off-season haunted event? Are you spending your marketing budget effectively? What is changing in the haunt industry for 2026? And much more Haunt talk. Philip Hernandez, creator of the Hau…
How To Open a Safe Haunted Attraction | William Ramsay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:04
In this episode, Dr.William Ramsay, aka Dr. TerrorEyes will present usable information on starting and growing a SAFE haunted attraction. Here are a few topics that will be discussed: -How did Haunted Houses start? -Why…
Remembering Jan Knuth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:52
In this episode, we remember our friend and fellow Haunter, Jan Knuth. The Haunt world lost a good one. R.I.P. Jan Skaggs Knuth She was always a kind soul, loved Haunting, was an admin for this group, & even thought abou…
Midnight Syndicate: The Birth of Gothic, Horror, & Haunt Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:04
Join the guys behind Midnight Syndicate, Edward Douglas & Gavin Goszka! We ask them questions like: How to create your own haunt music? What inspires them to make music? Sound tips and tricks? Plus, we play the first 3 t…
Total Terror Haunted House: From Home Haunter to Pro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:39
Join us as we discuss the Total Terror Haunt with Chip Wells in Virginia. Going from a home haunter to a commercial haunted attraction Create your own props with papier-mache How to operate and grow a haunted attraction…
Scare Actor Training & Managing with Fright Nights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51:08
Sammy Days & David Gricius are the Scare Actor Trainers and Scare Actors at Fright Nights in Southern Florida. Join us as we pick their brains... Learn how to recruit scare actors Learn how to train scare actors Learn ho…
Halloween Hollow Haunted House: Starting from ground zero [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45:01
Halloween Hollow Haunted House in Silver Point, TN, Has Everyone Screaming From Nashville to Knoxville, Tennessee, With Its Massive Outdoor Halloween Event! We answer your questions to the owners, Carroll Lee Moore III a…
Woods of Terror: Scare acting, snakes, midways, & more! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:54
Eddie McLaurin is the creator and owner of the Woods of Terror haunted attraction in Greensboro, North Carolina. Here's a brief overview of his story: Family Legacy: The Woods of Terror sits on land that has been in McLa…
Terror in the Corn with Bart Butler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:28
Ask the Haunt Expert: Bart Butler from Terror in the Corn Hosted by HauntersToolbox.com Bart Butler is the show director for Terror in the Corn in Eerie, Colorado. Bart answers all of your haunted attraction-related ques…
Haunt Marketing, Haunt Dolls, & Conjured Media [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:21
Vendor Spotlight: Haunt Dolls/Conjured Media Hosted by HauntersToolbox.com Before Haunt Dolls was even a thought, Alex Berland, who also runs Conjured Media, a marketing agency that specializes in haunted attractions, wo…