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
UK Haunters: Dan Brownlie Goes Behind the United Kingdom Haunt Scene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:31
Join in our conversations at: HauntersToolbox.com UK Haunters is a vlog style documentary that explores the UK Haunt scene from the POV of filmmaker Dan Brownlie as he opens up the UK haunt scene for the world to view. W…
MidSeason Check In: How is Your Haunt Season going? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:02
We host a Master Mind with our Haunt Master members and discuss what's going on inside our Haunt Operations. We talk about queue lines, scare acting, running a Haunted House, how to pivot your business, and lots more! If…
Keep Your Makeup Room and Actors Germ-Free [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:20
Shawn Morse, from Shawn Morse FX and Stalker Farms, takes you through his procedure on keeping his guests and staff safe in a world full of germs. Whether it's COVID or the seasonal haunt crud, we should always take prec…
Pre Season Haunt Checkup: Getting things ready to open in 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:25
This is the year of COVID cancellations and many Haunted Attractions are closed for 2020. Those that will be opened are doing things a little differently. The Haunt Master members of the Haunter's Toolbox share their tho…
DIY Haunt Animatronics with Steve Koci [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:27
Steve Koci, many of you know him as Halstaff on the webs, is the author of The Ultimate Guide to DIY Animatronics. In this podcast, learn the best way to get started in moving props and how to animate many different type…
Marketing Your Attraction After a Pandemic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:15
When a global crisis happens, like COVID-19 and similar contagious pandemics, haunted attractions and entertainment venues can suffer. Customers can become fearful to attend close-quarter events like concerts and attract…
Terror in the Corn: Outdoor Haunts, Scare Acting, & PreSeason Prep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:52
We ask Bart Butler and Michael Edwards from Terror in the Corn about their preseason preparation, scare acting, timed ticketing, surviving a pandemic, outdoor haunting, and more Haunt stuff! This was recorded from our LI…