America Haunts Reveals the Scariest Trends of 2014

Apocalyptic Landscapes, Demons, Witches and Zombies Are What's Hot

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Sep 25, 2014, 11:40 ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans love to be scared. But for some, what scared them last year may not be what scares them this year.

America Haunts, an association of more than 30 elite haunted attractions throughout the United States, sees eerie apocalyptic landscapes, terrifyingly realistic demons, the most frighteningly wicked witches and convincingly undead zombies as the newest haunted attraction trends in 2014.

"We have a responsibility to our visitors to make sure we keep our attractions fresh and keep on the cutting edge of what's scaring people today," said Amber Arnett-Bequeaith of America Haunts. "While horror, end of the world and supernatural themes remain hot, we have to be cognizant when the trends that scared people yesterday are no longer as effective. To combat this, our members annually change 50-75 percent of their properties so our visitors never quite know what to expect."

Some of the other 2014 trends in horror and haunted attractions America Haunts foresees include:

Interactive and high-tech features such as 3D video, animatronics and holograms
More sophisticated themes and stories woven into the haunted attractions
Waning interest in movie icons
Vampires are trending down a bit, but are still part of the mix
Witches
Zombies
Post-apocalyptic themes
Time-travel themes
Vikings
Medieval characters

"People have become accustomed to highly realistic special effects in their entertainment media, such as movies and television programs and video games," said Arnett-Bequeaith. "Particularly hot are young adult fiction and movies like 'The Hunger Games,' 'The Maze Runner' and Veronica Roth's 'Divergent' series. Our haunts aim to make visitors believe they have been transformed onto those sets."

For information on locations, hours and ticket prices for these nationwide attractions, visit www.AmericaHaunts.com/attractions.

With more than 30 haunted attractions nationwide, America Haunts delivers fear-based entertainment to more than a million thrill seekers each season. America Haunts has been featured on the Travel Channel and its members repeatedly recognized by Guinness World Records. The organization is committed to providing technical excellence, stunning set design, Hollywood-quality make-up, costumes and actors. Members enjoy nothing more than delivering, a good old-fashioned scare. Visit www.AmericaHaunts.com.

SOURCE America Haunts