Every Halloween season, Utah haunt owners rely on a few certain factors for success including expense management, weather, performance and customer satisfaction.
Owners shared how difficult it can be to start a haunted attraction.
“I don’t think people realize the amount of expense to run something like this,” Kara Lewis, current owner of family-owned farm Glen Ray’s Corn Maze and the Field of Fright, said. “Starting a haunt is very expensive. We didn’t have the money at first, so it’s been a progression of, 'Okay, how can we add to this every year and make it better?'”
Robert Ethington, owner of the Haunted Forest and a BYU alumnus, has had his attraction up and running for 35 years. A lot of money goes into making a haunted house so big, he said.
“In the haunt industry, it is so expensive that it takes a while to accumulate enough entertainment to put on a haunt this size,” Ethington said. “We’ve gathered a lot of really cool sets and scenes over the years.”
There are ways to save money on certain expenses, Asher Bambrough, current designer of the Field of Fright, said. His tactic is to find unwanted props.
“I’ll reach out to old farmers that have junk laying around that they don’t use,” Bambrough said. “Oftentimes I’ll bargain to deal with them.”
The weather forecast has a great effect on whether all the investment is worth it, Lewis said.
“We’re just subject to the weather,” she said. “We never know what we’re gonna get.”
The heat shrivels up pumpkins, the wind ruins decorations and the rain prevents people from coming, Lewis explained.
“We just have to go with the good days and pray through the bad days,” Lewis said.
Despite days with bad weather, the performance of the haunt is key to having consistent customers, Lewis said.
“That’s the thing about haunted houses,” she said, “You might go in and feel like it’s mass chaos, but everything is really well orchestrated to be in the right position to scare people the best way.”
People’s love for being terrified makes the Field of Fright successful, Bambrough said.
“Everyone loves Halloween,” he said. “I guess you could say that’s probably the main ticket seller. A lot of people love adrenaline rushes.”
Lewis said she has had no trouble getting actors for the Field of Fright. She started by asking for volunteers from their local school and from there it’s all been by word of mouth.
“We don’t have a very high turnover rate,” Lewis said. “Most people want to come back. Even those that have a full-time job return for the evenings. I end up turning away around 100 people a year.”
Another important feature of haunted houses are electronics. At the Haunted Forest, Ethington has been able to use his engineering skills to set up automation with computers and robotics to help scare visitors.
“We’ve even made shows that will entertain you as you’re waiting in line,” Ethington said.
At the end of the season, every haunt hopes that their customers are satisfied with their visit.
“Our goal is to make sure that we’re giving people more show, and they feel like they got their money’s worth when they leave,” Ethington said.
Lewis hopes that families feel free to leave the stress of everyday life at home when they visit their attraction.
“This is a labor of love for us,” she said. “We want to give back to the community.”
Some attractions in Utah offer student discounts. To learn more about the Field of Fright and the Haunted Forest, visit their websites for more information.