Edge of Hell Haunted Attraction Marks 50 Years and Drove the Resurrection of Kansas City's West Bottoms

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Oct 28, 2024, 07:00 ET

Haunt Season Ends 11/2 Amid First Friday Weekends' "Blessing in the Bottoms" Festival, November 1-3

KANSAS CITY, Oct. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the heart of Kansas City lies a district that, once known for its stockyards and warehouses, is now a bustling hub for vintage shopping, antique treasures, and nationally acclaimed haunted attractions. Central to this transformation is Full Moon Productions, a family-run company that helped turn this area into a Halloween destination and then, through revitalization, reinvented the district as a vintage and antique hub. Celebrating its 50th season, the Edge of Hell remains the longest-operating haunted attraction in America and the cornerstone of Full Moon Productions' haunted empire, including the Beast and Macabre Cinema attractions.

Edge of Hell Haunted Attraction is the longest continuously running commercial haunted attraction in the nation. It is celebrating its 50th season in Kansas City, Missouri, America's haunt capital.

The Founding of Edge of Hell

Full Moon Productions' journey began in 1975 when Joy Summers and her son and daughter, Monty Summers and LaRetta Summers Arnett, opened their first haunted attraction, the Edge of Hell. The multi-story haunt became famous for its intense phobia-themed rooms, featuring everything from pitch-black mazes to a dizzying vortex tunnel—and even live snakes and rats. Over the years, Edge of Hell set the standard for haunted experiences, blending live actors with high-tech scares to deliver a heart-pounding plunge from heaven to hell, serving up a devilishly good time with a taste of the hereafter. The haunt outlasted the sea of haunted house competition in its early years when Kansas City was known to be the haunt capital of the world due to the many haunts per capita. Edge of Hell is nationally recognized with Rat Man as one of the country's most iconic scare characters and their world-record largest captive snake.

The Birth of the Beast

In 1991, Full Moon Productions opened the Beast Haunted Attraction, taking the haunted experience to new heights with a four-story layout. Visitors navigate winding paths through its terrifying rooms, often left to find their own way out. This groundbreaking escape concept heightened the thrill and solidified the Beast as a national attraction, drawing visitors from across the country.

Expansion with Macabre Cinema and the Ghosts and Gangster Tour on a Ghoul Bus

In 2007, Full Moon Productions expanded their haunted empire with the openings of Macabre Cinema and Chambers of Poe. Poe was established as a haunt that gave its proceeds to charity, but after eight seasons, it was shuttered. Macabre Cinema emerged as a horror fan favorite with its unique experience that brings the magic of horror movies to life. Thrillseekers walk through actual movie sets, such as Killer Clowns from Outer Space, Hellraiser, and the Mummy Scorpion King. The immersive experience of going through a slit in the movie screen to being the victim in the horror film feels like reality traversing among iconic horror film sets and characters.

The Ghosts and Gangster Tour on a Ghoul Bus was added in 2011 to show the sites where true and legendary scary stories emerged.

As Scream Tourism continues to grow, the trio of nationally acclaimed haunts in Kansas City's West Bottoms is the scary destination epicenter worthy of a thrill-seeker bucket list.

A Legacy Beyond Scares

Full Moon Productions continues to be instrumental in revitalizing the West Bottoms and shaping the haunt industry under the direction of the owner, Monty Summers, and his niece, Amber Arnett-Bequeaith (affectionately known as the Queen of Haunts). The district's renaissance was often shouldered by the Summers family and the many beasts and monsters who bring scares to life inside their haunted houses, as well as year-round work to maintain the area through graffiti and trash removal, managing security, and building community around the 13 blocks and the Historic 12^th Street Bridge in the West Bottoms.

Final Nights and Blessings in the Bottoms

The last nights of the haunt season will be November 1-2, coinciding with the Historic West Bottoms First Friday Weekend. As Halloween transitions to Thanksgiving, the area will celebrate "Blessings in the Bottoms," a festival showcasing the shops' diverse offerings, including antiques, furnishings, décor, food, and entertainment.

West Bottoms vibrancy is oddly a blessing enabled by Edge of Hell's success and the many entertainment options added, including the Beast, Macabre Cinema, Full Moon Escape Games, Festival of the Full Moon street events, and the Rumely Event Space. The collective success of this district and its entertainment has built up the community and a legacy of screams and laughter.

SOURCE Full Moon Productions