Thrillvania

Last updated
Thrillvania
Location Terrell, Texas, U.S.
Opened1996
Website Official website

Thrillvania is an immersive haunted house theme park located in Terrell, Texas. [1] [2] The park consists of 50 acres, and is considered a major international horror theme park. [3] [4] [5] Created by Lance Pope in 1996, Thrillvania was one of the first haunted house parks to use film special effects such as animatronics and pyrotechnics. [6] [7]

Contents

History

Lance Pope bought a Antebellum South-style attraction called Cannon Manor from four former Disney Imagineers. In 1996, Pope moved the attraction (renamed Verdun Manor) to Terrell, where it became the foundation for the currently-named Thrillvania. Pope died in 2002 (at age 37). [8] Thrillvania currently encompasses an immersive environment where the spectators are led through the experience. [9] According to the Travel Channel and Reader's Digest , Thrillvania constitutes one of the largest and top rated international horror theme parks. [10] [11]

Houses

Thillvania Haunted House Park includes three main sights, including Verdun Manor, Cassandra's House of Clowns and Sam Hain's Trail of Torment. Each house presents different themes. [12] Verdun Manor, the largest house, has a zombie, traditional haunted house theme. Cassandra's House of Clowns is the clown house. Sam Hain's Trail of Torment is a trail walk through that consists of mutated villagers who have been living on the trail for years. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Flags Darien Lake</span> Amusement park in Corfu, New York

Six Flags Darien Lake is a 1,200-acre (4.86 km2) amusement park and resort located in Corfu, New York, off of Interstate 90 between Buffalo and Rochester. Six Flags Darien Lake features a theme park, water park, campground and lodging. It is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Six Flags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorpe Park</span> Resort Theme Park

Thorpe Park, formerly also known as Thorpe Park Resort, is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and includes rides, themed cabins, live events and Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster. In 2019, Thorpe Park was the UK's third most visited theme park, behind Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor. However, in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the park only had a 125-day operation season, along with limited capacity, leading to massively reduced visitor numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight Syndicate</span> American musical duo

Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo that has been working primarily in the genre of neoclassical dark ambient music since 1997 and is based in Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elitch Gardens Theme Park</span> Amusement park in Colorado, United States

Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park, colloquially known as Elitch's, is an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. It is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and operated by Premier Parks, LLC. Distinctive for being located in a downtown area, it is open April through October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haunted attraction (simulated)</span> Horror-themed recreational venue

A haunted attraction is a form of live entertainment that simulates visiting haunted locations or experiencing horror scenarios. They usually feature fearsome sets and characters, especially demons, ghosts, skeletons, zombies, monsters, possessed people, witches, serial killers, and slashers. Humorous characters may also be included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adventuredome</span> Indoor amusement park at Circus Circus in Winchester, Nevada

Adventuredome is a 5-acre (2.0 ha) indoor amusement park at Circus Circus in Winchester, Nevada on the Las Vegas Strip. It is owned by Phil Ruffin. It is contained within a large glass dome, and offers various rides and attractions including the Canyon Blaster and El Loco roller coasters, a rock climbing wall, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a video game arcade, and carnival-type games. Because the park is enclosed, it is unaffected by weather, unlike most theme parks, and is open year-round. Every October from 2003 until 2017, the Adventuredome was turned into the Halloween-themed Fright Dome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Flags Fright Fest</span> Annual Halloween-oriented haunt event

Fright Fest is a Halloween-oriented haunt event held annually at Six Flags theme parks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It mainly features haunted attractions, themed areas named Scare Zones, and live entertainment.

<i>Fatal Frame III: The Tormented</i> 2005 video game

Fatal Frame III: The Tormented is a survival horror video game developed by Tecmo for the PlayStation 2. The third entry in the Fatal Frame series, it was published by Tecmo in 2005 in Japan and North America, and by Take-Two Interactive in Europe in 2006. Set after the events of the first two games, the story revolves around three characters who lost loved ones and are drawn into the supernatural Manor of Sleep. The gameplay revolves around exploring the Manor and tackling hostile ghosts using the Camera Obscura. Each character has different strengths and weaknesses, such as stronger attack or stealth elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howl-O-Scream</span> Event at Busch Gardens and SeaWorld

Howl-O-Scream is an annual Halloween seasonal event owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts, that occurs during the month of October at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, SeaWorld San Antonio, and as of recently began at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego. The parks remain operational during the day and transition to Howl-O-Scream at night. The event features haunted houses, "scare zones", and live entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halloween Haunt (Canada's Wonderland)</span> Halloween event at Canadas Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Halloween Haunt, previously known as "Fearfest", is a Halloween event at Canada's Wonderland located in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It runs after the park's regular operating hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings in October until the end of October or early November – up to, and recently in the 2019 season, not including Halloween night. It is Canada's largest haunted theme park featuring over 300 monsters, nine walk-through "maze" attractions, six uniquely themed atmospheric scare areas, and three live shows. During its operation, the grounds are transformed via decorative props, thematic music, eerie lighting to further create its scary atmosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider Hill</span> Annual haunted event in Chillicothe, Illinois

Spider Hill is an annual haunted event held at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois to celebrate Halloween. The attractions include a trail, haunted house, and a haunted hayride. It is touted by the organizers as the number one haunted attraction in Central Illinois.

<i>Elviras Movie Macabre</i> American hosted horror movie television program

Elvira's Movie Macabre, or simply Movie Macabre, is an American hosted horror movie television program that originally aired locally from 1981 to 1986. The show features B movies, particularly those in the horror and science fiction genres, and is hosted by Elvira, a character with a black dress and heaven bump hairstyle, played by Cassandra Peterson. Elvira occasionally interrupts the films with comments and jokes, and in some episodes receives phone calls from a character called "the Breather".

SCARE for a CURE is an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit organization that raises money for local charities, including the Breast Cancer Resource Centers. Each year they produce an "extreme, full contact, interactive haunted house adventure" that runs around 45 minutes to an hour long. This combination of interactive adventure game and haunted house was pioneered by Richard Garriott at his Britannia Manor haunted attraction which began in 1988 and ran every two years until 1994. The torch was passed to Keith Ewing, former Britannia Manor construction manager, and continued in Wild Basin's Haunted Trails every year from 1996 to 2005.

<i>Universals Halloween Horror Nights</i> Annual Halloween event at Universal Studios theme parks

Universal's Halloween Horror Nights is an annual Halloween-themed event at Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan and Singapore. The longest-running & most successful iteration of the event, in Orlando, Florida, began as Universal Studios Fright Nights in 1991 as a 3-night event at Universal Studios Florida. The following year, it was re-branded as Halloween Horror Nights, advertised as the "second annual event". Since then, it has evolved into a scare-a-thon event filled with themed haunted houses, scare zones & shows that runs over the course of select nights from early September until late October/early November, inspiring offshoots at other Universal Studios locations across the globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HalloWeekends</span> Annual amusement park promotion in Ohio

HalloWeekends is an annual Halloween event at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. It was introduced in 1997, and takes place during the Halloween season, usually from the second Friday after Labor Day until the Sunday before Halloween, or sometimes into early November. The event is open on Thursday Nights, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It is included free with park admission. As of 2021, HalloWeekends features 11 haunted houses and nighttime scare zones, and there are several children's attractions. It is advised that children under 13 years old be accompanied by an adult. HalloWeekend's yearly slogan is "All You Fear is Here!". Other Six Flags parks including Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Valley Fair, and Worlds of Fun all have formerly used the HalloWeekends name. The name has changed to Halloween Haunt at all 3 parks. Cedar Point is the only Cedar Fair park that still uses the HalloWeekends name.

Motiongate Dubai is a Hollywood-inspired theme park located in Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, showcasing five themed areas and attractions dedicated to popular media franchises. It was opened on December 16, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ten Thirty One Productions</span> American entertainment company

Ten Thirty One Productions was an American entertainment company based in Los Angeles that created, owned, and produced live attractions in the horror genre. It was featured on Season 5 of Shark Tank where it received the largest investment in the history of the show. The company was sold to Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.

<i>Haunt</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods

Haunt is a 2019 American slasher film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The film stars Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, and Lauryn McClain. Set on a Halloween night, it follows a group of friends who encounter a haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears, unknowing that the performers have a murderous intent.

Field of Screams is an American attraction, located in Mountville, Pennsylvania. They estimate that around 75 000 people visit the attraction per annum. Field of Screams is best known for its wide range of horror "theme-park" attractions and branded events such as the Extreme Blackout, Zombie Fun Run, and Friday the 13th.

Misty Keasler is an American photographer based in Dallas, Texas.

References

  1. "15 of the Best Haunted Houses in America". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  2. Teicher, Jordan G. (23 May 2018). "Scenes of Quiet Horror in America's Haunted Houses". New York Times. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  3. "Thrillvania set to open new season this weekend". Terrelltribune. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  4. "A Guide to All of DFW's Haunted Houses". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  5. "North Texas' Scariest Haunted Attractions". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  6. "The Frights of Thrillvania". D Magazine. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  7. "10 Terrifying Halloween Attractions You Should Visit". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  8. "1THRILLVANIA Haunted Attraction". American Haunts. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  9. "The Frights of Thrillvania". DMagazine. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  10. "Thrillvania Haunted House in Terrell". Guidelive. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  11. "Thrillvania Haunted House Park". Mill Creek. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  12. "Top Haunted Attractions to Scare the $#!% Out of You". Geek Insider. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  13. "The Legend & Haunted History".

32°41′11″N96°14′48″W / 32.6863°N 96.2467°W / 32.6863; -96.2467