2015 List of the Top 13 Haunted Houses In America

Kansas City can now add another honor to its recent list of record-setting hospitality and tourism awards, as one of its well-known attractions has been named the No. 1 haunted house in the country.

13tophauntedhouses.com unveiled its 2015 List of the Top 13 Haunted Houses in America, and The Beast, located in Kansas City’s West Bottoms district is at the top.

“The haunts in West Bottoms are Midwestern institutions in the haunted entertainment industry,” said Amber Michael, art director for Kersey Valley Attractions and Halloween industry expert.

“Kansas City has a number of record-breaking, and unusual, attractions that put it on the map, including The Beast, which is the home of Medusa, the world’s largest python in captivity.”

Michael added that Kansas City is also known for having the world’s tallest waterslide—Verruckt, which opened in 2014 at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark—as well as Arrowhead Stadium, which was in 2014 named the world’s loudest football stadium.

“But this time of year, the record-setting haunted attractions in Kansas City are what draw the crowds,” she said.

“The attractions on our list are truly tops in the industry. Visitors are not just from the cities where the haunts are located. They come from neighboring states, often making their trip a family vacation.”

What sets them apart from neighborhood haunted houses, she added, are factors such as their high quality of effects and acting, advanced technology, industry standard-setting safety and their trend-setting details.

“These are the haunted attractions that are always at the front edge of what’s new in the industry. They are the haunts that other smaller, lesser-known haunts aspire to be,” Michael said.

This year’s list includes:

1. The Beast (Kansas City, Missouri)— Founded in 1991, The Beast is America’s largest haunted house. The Beast pioneered the “open format” design, where you’re not in a line, you’re wandering through the scenes, never knowing when a spook or an activated scene will rock into action. At the Beast, you are not just looking at the scene, you are part of the action!It takes about 40 minutes to go through the Beast — IF you don’t get lost in the fog in the Werewolf Forest, stuck in the maze, or pulled toward the light in the three-story light tower. The exit is a four story slide, it’s straight down and faster than you might find comfortable!

2. The Asylum (Denver)—Are you ready to GET SCARED?! FACE YOUR FEAR at the most insane haunted houses of all Denver Haunted Houses! “Within the walls of the legendary Nightmare Factory a hidden passage was unearthed! This passage descended two levels into Gordon Cottingham’s Hospital for the Mentally Insane, The Asylum. Much deeper and darker than the previous levels, the Asylum is a damp and musty place infested with spiders, rats, snakes, and the endless screams of the tortured souls.” From the creators of the 13th Floor Haunted House and Nightmare Factory, The Asylum Haunted House is the scariest haunted adventure in all of Denver, Colorado! Featuring all new up-close and in-your-face frights.

3. The 13^th Floor Haunted House (San Antonio)— Where is the 13th Floor, and why is it absent in so many buildings?Come with us, as we attempt to explain the legend of the 13th floor, and introduce you to San Antonio’s most horrifying haunted experience, the 13th Floor Haunted House.The levels of a multi story building are frequently numbered sequentially, from “basement”, “lobby”, “ground”, “one”, or “1” upwards or occasionally downwards. In some countries, as it is here in the United States, the number 13 is considered unlucky and building owners will sometimes purposefully omit a floor numbered 13. Hence, the 13th floor is sometimes given the number 14.

4. The Bates Motel (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania)—The Haunted Hayride is located deep in a 200-year-old forest full of overgrown trees creating the ultimate dark trail even during a full moon. This puts customers on edge even before ever entering the first hayride scene. Combined with a digital custom soundtrack, pyrotechnics and continuous scares throughout the ride, this hayride attraction is sure to create the ultimate haunting experience of your life!Big sets and detail are also part of the winning equation at the Bates Motel. Surrounded on all sides by massive trees, the wagon rolls through enclosed barns and compounds full of buildings.

5. The 13^th Floor Haunted House (Phoenix)— Where is the 13th Floor, and why is it absent in so many buildings?Come with us, as we attempt to explain the legend of the 13th floor, and introduce you to Phoenix’s most horrifying haunted experience, the 13th Floor Haunted House.The levels of a multi story building are frequently numbered sequentially, from “basement”, “lobby”, “ground”, “one”, or “1” upwards or occasionally downwards. In some countries, as it is here in the United States, the number 13 is considered unlucky and building owners will sometimes purposefully omit a floor numbered 13. Hence, the 13th floor is sometimes given the number 14.

6. The 13^th Gate (Baton Rouge, Louisianna)—The 13th Gate is the Ultimate Haunted House! Journey through 13 very frightening themed indoor & (weather-permitting) outdoor areas where your worst nightmares come true and anything can happen. From crawling though a crematory oven and an old hearse to being lost in dark underground tunnels or even finding yourself standing on a rickety bridge overlooking hundreds of live snakes, this 40,000 square foot haunted house is definitely not recommended for the faint of heart (nor is it recommended for anyone who is pregnant, has a pre-existing heart condition, is very young, or has a weak bladder)!

7. Nightmare on 13^th (Salt Lake City)—Starting out in 1990 as The Institute of Terror Haunted House, Nightmare on 13th has since grown into one of the industry’s most successful haunted attractions (Haunted Attraction Magazine), one of America’s scariest attractions (The Travel Channel), and one of America’s best haunted houses (USA Today). It is no wonder that the Nightmare on 13th has become a Halloween-time household name, and you can bet that we aim to live up to these honorable recognitions.

8. Netherworld (Norcross, Georgia)— No top haunts list would be complete without the inclusion of Netherworld Haunted House in Atlanta, Georgia.  This top-notch haunted attraction is more than a few cuts above the rest and consistently delivers scares and thrills that tap into every imaginable fear. With a critically-acclaimed cast of actors, state-of-the-art effects and animatronics, makeup and costuming to rival Hollywood’s best, Netherworld is a senses-shattering rush of adrenaline guaranteed to elicit the perfect blend of heart-pounding screams and nervous laughter. Since its debut in 1997, the fiendishly creative minds behind Netherworld Haunted House have continued to challenge themselves to raise the bar in themed attractions – haunted or otherwise – making them a perennial member of any Top 10 list regarding haunted houses and Halloween happenings. This ever-evolving house of horrors is sure to delight those seeking a memorable jolt of spirited seasonal fun, placing visitors in the thick of its nightmarish vision from the very moment they arrive. Garnering a wide array of well-deserved media coverage and critical accolades, Netherworld Haunted House should be placed very high on every Halloween “must see” list.

9. Spookywods (Archdale, North Carolina)— Kersey Valley Spookywoods Voted #1 Scream Park in America by Haunt World Magazine celebrating 30 years in the same location in 2015. Located in Archdale, North Carolina.  Proud members of America Haunts, the most successful haunted houses in America.  Featured in national media as a Top 13 haunted house on USA Today,  ABC News, Travel Channel, Forbes Magazine to name a few.  Established in 1985 as a haunted house now has expanded to year round attractions and events for the whole family. Three generations of adventure seekers flock to the beautiful 60 acre farm nestled in Archdale, NC each year to create memories that last a lifetime.  Open daily by reservation we have the 1.5 mile long zip line tour, high ropes course, escape games and outdoor laser tag.  In the fall we open the Maize Adventure corn maze  and Spookywoods haunted attraction.   In the planning phases now for weddings, meetings and special occasions the massive Kersey Valley Event Barn is coming soon.

10. Cutting Edge Haunted House (Fort Worth, Texas)— One of the scariest haunted houses in Texas is in Fort Worth The Cutting Edge Haunted House. This haunted house is so intense that the visitors who survive are thankful they can live to tell about it and warn others. You are surrounded by complete darkness and creatures you only dreamed about as a child are crawling all over waiting to claim their next victim to try to escape.

11. The House of Torment (Austin, Texas)— Out of this world haunted entertainment awaits you and your group. From the terrifying creatures, dancers, and entertainers that  interact with you throughout the haunted grounds to the special effects, stunts, environments, and monsters that await for you inside, House of Torment is a place that attracts tens of thousands of fans each year.  There’s no better way to celebrate horror and the Halloween season than to spend an evening with your friends at what the Travel Channel says is “One of America’s Scariest Haunted Attractions” and what the Wall Street Journal Calls “20,000 square feet of terror.”

12. The Haunted Hotel (San Diego)—The Haunted Hotel, located downtown in the Gaslamp District, is the longest running haunted house in San Diego. It was named by Haunt World Magazine as one of the top 13 haunted houses in America and has been featured in “America Haunts IV” on The Travel Channel in 2009.

13. The Dent Schoolhouse (Cincinnati)— The Dent Schoolhouse asks patrons to uncover the truth of over 30 students’ deaths. Ranked as one of the nation’s top haunts by ABC, the Huffington Post and scores of industry publications.

Similar Stories