How Haunted Houses Are Revitalizing Abandoned Neighborhoods Across the U.S.

Haunted attractions are more than a seasonal thrill — in some cities they are drawing visitors back to long-neglected areas and helping reshape them. Speaking with Bloomberg CityLab contributor Dr. Elizabeth Yuko, this conversation traces the history of haunted houses from Victorian-era home parties to today's immersive, technology-driven productions, and examines the role they play in urban revitalization.

■ Scale and History of the Haunted Attraction Industry
- Estimated number of haunted attractions and paid-admission Halloween events in the U.S.
- Victorian-era haunts: paper strips, string webs, and other hands-on effects
- Modern equivalents: live animals, animatronics, smoke machines, lighting, and actors

■ Case Study: Baltimore's Nevermore Hunt
- Location in a nearly abandoned Old Town mall, one mile from Edgar Allan Poe's grave
- 1960s highway construction and 1970s pedestrian-mall redevelopment in the area's history
- Converting an old department store into a three-story 19th-century Baltimore streetscape
- Owner Thomas Wingate's investment in sidewalks, benches, and planters, and new small shops opening nearby

■ Other Revitalization Examples
- Kansas City's West Bottoms: a former industrial and flood-prone district now hosting one of the country's largest antique festivals
- Salt Lake City's Granary district: a warehouse area where a haunted house was among the first arrivals, now joined by breweries, restaurants, apartments, and a hospital under construction

■ Business Model and Off-Season Strategies
- Full Moon Productions in Kansas City and The Edge of Hell, cited as the oldest continuously operating haunted attraction in the U.S.
- Rented-out space and other revenue streams during the rest of the year
- Transitioning themes from Halloween to Christmas to extend the operating season