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Thursday, September 23, 2010
Terrell’s Thrillvania Thrill Park included in 2010 top hauted attractions in America
America’s Best Haunts announces the 2010 list of top haunted attractions in America
Curious to know where the fear factor ranks highest this Halloween season? Look no further. America’s Best Haunts, the leading authority on haunted attractions, is unveiling its annual list of the nation’s best haunts.
Now in its fourth year, this popular ranking has quickly gained a national reputation for showcasing America’s scariest and most innovative haunts, distinguishing them as the most sought-after Halloween attractions.
Carefully selected by a judging panel with over 100 years of combined industry experience, the list honors haunted houses that showcase the best in special effects, the most chilling and hair-raising themes, the most innovative design and the best overall scare factor value.
The 2010 Winners of the prestigious “America’s Best Haunts” title are:
Thrillvania Thrill Park
Location: Terrell, TX Website: www.Thrillvania.com
Bennett’s Curse
Location: Baltimore, MD Website: www.BennettsCurse.com
Screamworld
Location: Houston, TX Website: www.Screamworld.com
Eastern State Penitentiary, Terror Behind the Walls
Location: Philadelphia, PA Website: www.TerrorBehindtheWalls.com
Nightmare New England, SpookyWorld
Location: Litchfield, NH Website: www.NightmareNewEngland.com
ScreamPark
Location: Lexington, KY Website: www.ScaryLexington.com
Woods of Terror
Location: Greensboro, NC Website: www.WoodsofTerror.com
Ghostly Manor
Location: Sandusky, OH Website: www.GhostlyManor.com
Wisconsin Feargrounds
Location: Waukesha, WI Website: www.WisconsinFeargrounds.com
13th Door
Location: Aurora, CO Website: www.13door.com
The Nest Haunted House
Location: Chandler, AZ Website: www.Frightened.com
The TerrorFest
Location: Columbus, OH Website: www.TheTerrorFest.com
Indy ScreamPark – Newcomer of the Year Title
Location: Anderson, IN Website: www.IndyScreamPark.com
Each winner will be awarded a place on the America’s Best Haunts website, along with the honor of using the official seal identifying them as one of “America’s Best Haunts.”
Headed by Steve Kopelman, veteran of the haunted attractions industry, America’s Best Haunts was created in 2006 to become the premier source of credible information and resources for the haunted house industry. “Our industry is evolving and changing each year,” said Kopelman. “Our team at America’s Best Haunts puts tremendous effort into staying on top of all trends and therefore we are able to objectively review and compare haunted attractions around the country.”
The haunts are selected based on their scores across several categories including: safety, special effects, marketing, consumer appeal, attention to detail, and long-term commitment to the community.
Kopelman has dedicated his career to creating the best haunted attractions. With decades of industry experience, Kopelman has built and operated more haunted houses in the United States than any other individual.
“Only the top experts are invited to sit on my panel to review haunted houses across country and select the finest,” added Kopelman. “There are more than 24 million fans and thrill seekers that enjoy haunted houses each year. We wanted to make sure they know where to find the best scares and unforgettable chills for the best value.”
While a large number of attractions are nominated each year to be considered in the ranking, only select few are awarded the prestigious seal of ‘America’s Best Haunts.’
“Today’s haunted attractions are very different from those built a decade ago,” added Kopelman. “All of the winners in our 2010 list stand out above the competition. They boast the most innovative design, created by some of the most imaginative individuals, including former Disney producers. Integrating the best traditional scares and talented actors with high-tech design, they beautifully execute the use of animatronics and special effects including 3-D imagery. I encourage all Halloween enthusiasts to experience the top haunts and see why we call them America’s Best.”
For complete list of the winners and further information please visit online at: www.AmericasBestHaunts.com
Source: America's Best Haunts
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morgansw, anonymous:
There's a term in business for a certain type of unethical behavior called "Conflict of Interest". That is what you have when the person that heads "America's Best Haunts" is also a Managing partner of Thrillvania, which happens to be at the top of the list and is pictured in the article.
Let's stick to the facts. There is nothing even slightly objective about this. These haunts PAY to be on this list, so these "Winners" are nothing more than businesses who paid thousands of dollars and put money in Steve Kopelman's pocket so they could advertise themselves as one of "America's Best Haunts".
Just being realistic, but there's no possible way that anyone could visit and assess every haunted house in the country in order to even determine the best. There are far too many and they are only open for a short period of time. It's simply not possible.
To make the claim that Steve Kopelman has built and operated more haunted houses in the United States than any other individual is not only arrogant, it is a false claim. Let's see the proof of that statement, how many has he built and operated? Let's see the facts of how many he has done compared to others.
Everything else aside, there is no such thing as an objective review of a haunted house. It's nothing more than an opinion, expressed by someone that has proclaimed themselves as an "expert". I know several successful, expert haunters and none of them would dare to say they are the "leading authority on haunted attractions".
Every haunted house is different. They have different themes, different styles, and appeal to different audiences. Some use all live actors, some rely heavily on animatronics, others use zombies, werewolves, clowns, oh my. The bottom line is it comes down to whether or not you as a person liked it and whether or not it scared you. I've seen people walk calmly past the chainsaw wielding lunatic only to scream and run at the sight of a clown or a little girl in doll makeup. Like beauty, fear is in the eye of the beholder.
I hope that your readers can see this article for what it is, another attempt by Steve Kopelman to promote himself and his own haunt. I've visited several haunted houses across the country and I've seen some that I consider to be the best and none of them are on this list of so-called "America's Best Haunts", but they are shows that truly should not be missed. My most recent visit was to the 13th Gate in Baton Rouge and let me tell you, even as a fellow haunter, it knocked my socks off. Take a trip to Baton Rouge and then go ahead and visit Thrillvania and you will see for yourself just how "objective" this review is.
If you really want an honest review or opinion (since that is all that reviews really are) on whether you should visit a particular haunted house, then listen to your friends and people that you know that have been there. Ask them if they liked and what scared them about it and then decide for yourself if you think it's worth the money and the trip.
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sfxguy, anonymous:
Headed by Steve Kopelman, veteran of the haunted attractions industry, America’s Best Haunts was created in 2006 to become the premier source of credible information and resources for the haunted house industry. “Our industry is evolving and changing each year,” said Kopelman. “Our team at America’s Best Haunts puts tremendous effort into staying on top of all trends and therefore we are able to objectively review and compare haunted attractions around the country.”
.... ahem.... "Objectively"........ riiiiiighhhhtttt
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morgansw, anonymous:
This is an update to my previous comment. Steve Kopelman claims to be co-owner of no less than three haunts that he has listed as "America's Best Haunts"; Thrillvania, The Nest, and Terrorfest. Still think this is an objective review?
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What do you think?