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After 50 years, Knott’s nonetheless leads the business with Scary Farm – Orange County Register

How did Knott’s Berry Farm change the theme park business 50 years in the past?

In 1973, Knott’s was the primary theme park to supply a standalone Halloween occasion. Right now, just about each main theme park property in America — and plenty of others all over the world — are extending their season with their very own Halloween haunts. Common has its Halloween Horror Nights. Six Flags has Fright Fest. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens supply Howl-O-Scream.

Knott’s Scary Farm on the Buena Park theme park. (Picture by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Even parks that don’t need to embrace leap scares and monsters have gotten into the Halloween sport with family-friendly occasions. Legoland has its Brick-Or-Deal with, whereas Disney does Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Journey and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Social gathering at Walt Disney World.

Knott’s Scary Farm opened for its fiftieth version final week. Trying again, it appears apparent {that a} park whose coronary heart is known as Ghost City ought to embrace Halloween. This yr’s Scary Farm brings a few of its previous mazes again to life with a tribute, The Chilling Chambers, which name-checks the very first maze in Knott’s Halloween historical past.

I noticed some followers exiting that maze crying in pleasure from what’s a literal stroll down Scary Farm reminiscence lane. Nonetheless, most of the hundreds of followers who end up for every evening of Scary Farm usually are not longtime guests. The Chilling Chambers affords loads of scares for followers who don’t get all of the references, however my favourite maze at this yr’s Scary Farm was one other new one, Cinema Slasher.

Concept art of the Cinema Slasher haunted maze coming to Knott's Scary Farm. (Courtesy of Knott's)
Idea artwork of the Cinema Slasher haunted maze coming to Knott’s Scary Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

This tribute to horror movies is a grasp class in walk-through hang-out design. You’ve acquired immersive environments, together with a theater foyer that smells of popcorn and affords a formidable light-shifting impact. There may be beautiful manufacturing design that brings standard film tropes to life. A fantastic forged of “scareactors” fills the maze with intimidation and leap scares. All of it comes collectively to elicit waves of emotion, from nostalgia to curiosity to worry and, in the long run, pleasure.

Experiences akin to Cinema Slasher draw hundreds of paying prospects every evening of Scary Farm. When theme parks discover hits like this, everybody else within the enterprise notices.

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