Haunted Houses

Next in my series of Halloween season blogs, I'm delving into the history of haunted houses—sharing some real haunted houses and a few miscellaneous Halloween facts.

I remember when I was a child in West Los Angeles. We had a very large, over-sized garage and one year my mother and father fixed it up like a haunted house for my Halloween party—a winding, twisty route through all kinds of scary things. It was a lot of fun and totally different from anything anyone else in the neighborhood did for Halloween. Of course, back in those days scary things were not at all the same type of bloody gruesome attractions that are the main features of today's professional Halloween attractions. Rather than featuring today's horror images, they dwelled on innocent/fun ghosts and goblins.

Halloween attractions have moved far beyond the neighborhood scare as a fun encounter for the trick-or-treaters. Today they are big business—very big business. Operators of the large attractions spend most of the year coming up with new and better ideas for frightening horror attractions and implementing them. They take pleasure in dreaming up even more diabolical ways of giving us the seasonal nightmares.

Let's talk about the history of haunted houses and some Halloween facts. Just in the United States, there are over 1200 professional haunted houses, 300 theme parks that operate horror-themed annual Halloween events and over 3000 charity-run spooky Halloween attractions.  Haunted attractions have a long history dating back to early civilizations.

Ancient Times:

The Egyptians knew that the best way to keep body snatchers away from a pyramid was to really scare them away. The commonly used mazes, moving walls, self-opening doors, and traps as well as snakes and insects to protect their treasure and the bodies of royalty. True, they weren't charging admission and the public wasn't lined up waiting to get inside, but it is an early example of creating a setting to produce fear.

The Greeks and Romans have a folklore complete with mazes and labyrinths filled with monsters. With theater being a vital part of their culture, we can assume they created numerous special effects devices to enhance the scare factor that would evolve into today's haunted house elements.

The Dark Ages:

This period in history saw the Christians continue the evolution toward today's haunted house attraction. During the 1300s through the 1500s, Europe had been converted from Celtic and pagan religions to the practice of Christianity. Many of today's Halloween activities—carving pumpkins, bobbing for apples, dressing up in costumes, and even trick-or-treating—were pagan practices that stayed with us.

The Renaissance:

Theater became increasingly popular and catered to society's love of horror which resulted in the development of more special effects. Ghosts, demons, the devil, and other monsters appeared regularly in plays including those of William Shakespeare.

The 1800s:

This was a time when the general population became fascinated with ghosts and the possibility of other realms. Self-proclaimed mediums, fortune tellers, clairvoyants, and spiritualists engaged in conjuring sessions in an attempt to communicate with the dead which became a form of entertainment for the elite. The theme of hauntings continued in the theater and the century provided the first wax museum, the forerunner of future walk-through attractions that played on people's sense of reality.

The 1900s:

The start of the 20th century saw the increased popularity of the traveling carnival and the rise of what was referred to as a freak show. Dark rides also became popular amusements. The patrons sat in a boat or on a train and were automatically moved through numerous scenes. Amusement parks came into popularity during this time. Those that could not afford a big roller coaster offered cheap fun houses and haunted house attractions to pull in customers.

Also during this time, many of the residential houses built during the early 1800s had become dilapidated and run down. Adults would tell their children that ghosts filled the neglected homes in an attempt to keep them from exploring those structures. This further fueled the mystique of haunted houses.

The 1960s:

In 1969, Disneyland (Anaheim, California) opened its Haunted Mansion attraction.  Rather than putting a genuine decrepit-looking structure in the middle of Disneyland, they created a lavish mansion with a pristine exterior based on the appearance of the San Jose, California, Winchester House.  It was originally a walk-through attraction but was soon changed over to a ride.

The 1970s:

Non-profit organizations began to use abandoned buildings and fields to put up haunted houses to raise money for charity.

The 1980s:

This was the decade when horror movies grew in popularity and so did haunted houses. Most amusement parks had a scary attraction of some sort.

The 1990s to present:

Haunts are everywhere—haunted hayrides, mazes, and scavenger hunts. They've become so popular that haunts are here to stay with the industry constantly evolving with new and more terrifying attractions.

Real Haunted Houses (that have not been turned into inns or hotels):

Winchester Mystery House/San Jose, California:

The Winchester Mystery House is a 160-room Victorian mansion brimming with bizarre architectural features and a very eerie origin. With features such as secret passageways, labyrinth-like winding hallways and a seance room, this eccentric house is rumored to have been built for and by spirits themselves. The Winchester Mystery House is visible from the freeway as you drive through San Jose on highway 101;

The Amityville House/Amityville, New York:

In 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were found slain in this home; eldest son Ronald DeFeo Jr. was later convicted of murdering his parents and siblings. A year later, the Lutz family moved in but quickly moved out after reports of unexplained paranormal activity—strange odors, unexplained cold drafts and an apparition that took the form of a demonic pig-like creature.

The White House (yes, the residence of the President of the United States)/Washington D.C.:

For years there have been reports that the White House is a hotbed of haunted activity. Visitors, staff, and even White House residents have reported seeing the ghosts of Abraham Lincoln, Abigail Adams, and Andrew Jackson, to name a few. FDR, Dwight Eisenhower, and Winston Churchill are among those who claimed to have seen the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. More recently, the Obamas claim to have repeatedly heard strange sounds and felt a sensation of someone gnawing at their feet in the middle of the night.

The Joshua Ward House (George Corwin House)/ Salem, Massachusetts:

Once home to wealthy sea captain Joshua Ward, the Joshua Ward House was built in 1784. However, its haunted history comes from the fact that it was built over the original cellar where George Corwin's house once stood. Corwin was the High Sheriff during the Salem Witch Trials and he took great delight in torturing confessions from accused witches and warlocks. For many years, Corwin's remains were housed in the basement, though they eventually were moved to a nearby cemetery. Rumor has it that Corwin's spirit still haunts the house along with that of Giles Corey, the only accused he was unable to force into confessing. He finally crushed Corey to death one large stone as a time.

The LaLaurie House/New Orleans, Louisiana:

One of the spookiest homes in the French Quarter, the LaLaurie Mansion was home to Dr. Louis and Delphine LaLaurie, a socially prominent family in the early 1830s. Rumor has it that Delphine treated her slaves brutally, chaining the cook to the stove, chasing another slave girl with a whip and causing her to jump to her death, and torturing and mutilating many others in a secret attic room. The house, which was owned by actor Nicolas Cage from 2007 to 2009, has been haunted by screams of agony coming from the apparitions of Delphine's slaves ever since.

Franklin Castle/Cleveland, Ohio:

Built in 1865 for the Tiedemann family, Franklin Castle makes a spooky first impression with its sandstone exterior, round corner tower and gargoyle embellishments. Those who have been inside the mansion, which is known locally as the most haunted house in Ohio, claim to have witnessed an eerie woman in black staring out the tower window, small children crying, and strange happenings like doors flying off hinges and spinning lights. The possible cause? Four of the Tiedemann children died in the home, and owner Hannes Tiedemann was rumored to have killed his 13-year-old niece in a hidden passage and his mistress in the tower.

The Whaley House/San Diego, California:

Now a museum run by the Save Our Heritage Organization, San Diego's Whaley House was designated an official Haunted House by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 1960s due to frequently heard heavy footsteps of the ghost of "Yankee Jim" Robinson, who was hung on the property in 1852 before the house was built. Other ghostly sightings include owners Thomas and Anna Whaley (Anna was reportedly seen by Regis Philbin), and even the family dog.

Halloween Frightening and Fun Facts:

Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in the U.S., annual revenue exceeded only by Christmas.

Approximately 100 countries celebrate Halloween.

Over 7 billion dollars are spent annually on candy, costumes and activities in just the U.S.

Approximately 90% of all households with children will participate in some sort of Halloween activity.

Over 80% of all professional haunted attractions in the U.S. are operated by a charity or help to benefit a charity of some sort.

Wishing everyone and safe and fun Halloween.