FindAHaunt News

September 11, 2015 - Cool nightly breezes and a penchant for the fear-induced tradition of visiting the world-renowned Kansas City haunted houses casts the spirit of Halloween as The Edge of Hell and The Beast Haunted Houses ready to open for the 41st season this Friday at 7:30 P.M. The Twelfth Street Bridge Historic West Bottoms District, near downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is a sort of nerve center for commercial haunted houses with the granddaddy, Edge of Hell opening in 1975, and cited as the first, large-scale haunted house in continuous operations with neighboring Beast opening in 1991. Both haunted houses rank among the best in the United States which has required many adaptations to the original haunted houses over the decades, including more elaborate sets, make-up and costumes, animatronics, holograms and techniques to “transport” scare cast members from place to place. “We have been sending chills for decades but the 4-sensory experience (sight, sound, smell and touch) is even more compelling today with Millennials wanting to be part of the experience versus just watching a movie or playing a video game”, said Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, a.k.a. Queen of the Haunts (facebook.com/QueenOfHaunts) who heads up operations for the West Bottoms’ haunted houses as well as the national spokesperson for the haunted house industry, America’s Haunts americahaunts.com. Haunted house producers have hired more than 300-plus people, including scare cast members, ticket takers, and operational assistants on site to help the crowds and make the joy of fear fun. New this year, the Festival of the Full Moon offering a feast for the senses on the streets around the world-famous West Bottom haunted houses. Daring performances, dance troops, food trucks and carnival activities planned every Friday and Saturday. The Beast has earned its reputation as a top 13 haunted house in the nation for years. Find your way through this thrilling open format design where visitors pass by dramatic scenes on four floors with a twisted path out. Traverse through the haunted house in a true 4D experience that includes movie-quality special effects, holograms, props, animatronics and a real alligator. Season opens with evenings on Thursday through Saturday in October. Also open Sunday, Nov. 1st, 6th and 7th.