This was written for a possiable story for Rue Morgue magazine. though it never appeared due to magazine problems, I've been a fan and admirer of Knott's Scary Farm, this was written in dedication of the Monsters of Haunt, and Mr Ted Doughtery, Webmaster of UltimateHaunt.com.
The Story of the worlds first Halloween theme park
By Frank Galati
Every year thousands of people flock to the Gates of Knotts Scary Farm to visit the park that started the Scream park Industry.
Staring in 1973 Knotts berry Farm Halloween Haunt has become the Halloween Scream Park Industry Standard. Every year breaking attendance records from the previously year, this is the story of the Job it took and takes each year to make Halloween Haunt the Scariest in the west.
First off what is Halloween haunt or Knotts Berry Farm, well first the story of Knotts Berry Farm. The story begins in 1920 The Knott Family arrives in the sleepy community of Buena Park California, and begin a life in farming 20 acres of land on Highway 39(now Harbor Blvd). After 27 years of operation and starting from a small Berry Stand on the side of the road to the old west Ghost town, the park Renamed from Knotts berry place to Knotts berry Farm. So the story goes each year family can enjoy the history of the American west from steeping inside a old schoolhouse or taking a dark ride down into the depths of a Mine. But in 1973 a different story emerged from the darkness. Once a month during the fall season fog fills the street of Ghost town, Camp snoopy and the Boardwalk. From the fog Ghouls, and monsters appear and begin one month of terror and fright this is Knotts Scary Farms, Halloween Haunt, for 33 years haunt has evolved from the less then 10 monsters to over 700, where guest/victims can walk through different themed mazes, or take a walk down one of the Haunts Five scare Zones Ghost town, Silver Bullet Mining Town, The Gauntlet, Dark Realm and Carnevil. But the question is what started a craze that every Southern Californian knows about, why do thousands of people return each year and how did this event start. So lets begin
Now to the Story of how Haunt begins at this time Knotts Berry Farm is already a world known park, at this time the movie industry has turned to Horror movies thanks to the new Gory effects and movies of the early seventies.
In the months before the Halloween of 1972 Bill Hollingshead ( Head of Entertainment at that time) get a call from a guy named Gary Blair, who was the manager of Larry Vincent (aka Seymour) the host of the famous Fright Night, Gary Blair talked of a idea of Putting Seymour in the John Wayne theater( now the Charles M Schultz Theatre) and putting on a Halloween Show with Seymour and Bringing in some monsters and doing a Halloween event. Bill Hollingshead and others Folks at Knotts Berry Farm went to work but the Halloween event would have to wait for another year. At the time the idea had to be presented to the Knott family who dont want to have the Halloween event, so Walter Knott walked through Ghost Town with some of the Contactors and heads of entertainment. Walter had just heard of a family voting of the event all voted not for the event, Walter walked through the Ghost town at the time Knotts berry Farm was World known he sat down on the bench with two figures, and put the Vote for the Halloween themed like Party.
So the word was giving to begin planning the Halloween event through the spring and summer of 73 the plan was to have the make up artists under the direction of make the monsters Bud Hurlbut who was the builder of most of the rides at Knotts Berry Farm most famous of all the Calico Mine Train and Timber Mountain Log ride, said I could up some black lights and some of the ride operator on the ride dressed up as monsters and scare people. Everyone at Knotts jumped in the mix to help off the event it was small but little did they know that this event would grow to new heights and start a new kind of theme park.
For Four nights people crowded the gates of Knotts Berry Farm all wanting to enter this new event, each night they had to turn away hundreds of people because they had no more tickets. The first year was not as we see the Haunt today, Only a couple spooky attractions were decorated, The Ghostway Express as the Calico Mine Ride and Satans Sawmill for the Timber Mountain Log Ride. And last the Mother and fathers of Future Halloween Haunt Scare Zones Chilling Ghost Town, eerie Fiesta village, and Bewitching Gypsy Camp the first of the streets, Back in those days were not sure if they had live actors in the zones but we do know that these Original monsters where, stunt men of regular the regular theme park during the year, this scare zones where decorated not as we see today, but it pulled the effect. This was one of the most successful events Knotts put on that planning was already underway for next years haunt.
The haunt of 74 was just about the same as the past year no changes in areas just couple more monsters, also Mona Lisa was brought into the Seymour show also magician Chuck Jones. Sadly Seymour was very sick and come down cancer almost didnt make it for the event which Seymour said he wanted to do very much but got out of his bed and put on the performance as it turned out as the weekend progressed he gained energy more and more and the fans of Seymour didnt know how close to death he was, but the audience had giving him life for one more haunt that he helped build, but sadly Larry Vincent passed away in the March of 75 at the 50. After the passing of Seymour the question came up who would take up the Show and event that Seymour had helped build. So the haunt of 75 came with a famous DJ and recent film actor from American Graffiti Wolfman Jack.
Wolfman Jack take up the show, again sold out event. But most importantly a something new emerged, Knotts first Haunt maze The Ten Chilling Chambers this brought in something Knotts Scary Farm is still remembered for its mazes. As many know the mazes and the Monsters are what brings guest in the park each year. Which many of the scream parks today contain rides but in a way Haunt has always to me been at the top of the curve
After 33 years of haunts, Its come a long way from there roots the scares are better the talent is huge and the fan bases is huge. Fans and Monsters alike when visit the haunt are both on fire, I myself each time I go Im addicted to the Monsters from my first visit to today and sometimes the same street monsters that scared me back those 14 years ago still get me to this day. The Monsters ones Ive talked with and gotten to know over the years have all the time of there life at haunt they love there work most said Id go unpaid the moneys does not matter. That they really have the time of there life at scaring and something all monsters have at haunt they bound with each other and it that bound its a family.
The Talent/Monsters of Haunt the men and women who return and some who come to be apart of the Haunt Family. Ive bee going for 14 years or so Ive seen the Monsters, the Veterans and the rookies all I tip my hat off to, they are the best in the Scream park Industry. Yes I know theres scarier events out there Ive been to many across the country and really they have the scares but its not the same as haunt, Haunt the monsters work from there heart and a magic happens something that is hard to explain. And also the haunt characters Ive seen they all have the same prinple of scaring in and out theyll gang up once in awhile but once theyve gotten there scare there done a lot of Halloween events they linger on the guest and after a well sometimes the guest have had it.
What Ive noticed about haunt is the monsters are all like family and they keep up with other throughout the year, when haunt comes around they watch each others backs from Maze, Streets, Black outs talent Captains they are all a family and they perform great they all pull together and make haunt work. And at the end of night theyre all tired but few will complain. I see what a lot of the monsters go through and Im still amazed that they can pull off what they can, example on Oct 26 it was the last Thursday of Haunt my last visit for the year, it was a bad night, one monster I was with had a bad knee but she was still out there giving it all she could, one monster when taking photos of darted out at some victims just hit the ground to slide this guy just jumps right in front of him and the monster barley hits him and the guy laughing. This is what a lot of the monster have to go through night after night most of the time but theyre still out there doing there jobs, and this amazes me. So may last words for those guys and gals out there. Great Job and thanks for the Scares, of all the Halloween themed parks Ive gone to you guys and gals take the cup for the best Monster of all Scream Parks
This part is for a Rocking website its tribute to Halloween Haunt its called Ultimate Haunt and its a website created for the Fans by some fans the webmaster Ted Dougherty created the website in 2000 and its had very great time on the net, fans from all the world can come and see how haunt was that year or take the legacy of Haunt test. During the summer time starting in July the website has Message boards where fans and monsters can talk but this is only during the summer when Haunt starts kicking in and the monsters all begin to get ready and go to rehire. Created in 2000 the website it self was like the first Halloween Haunt it was unknown but after a couple weeks it kicked in and the all around the world fans visited showing the passion, after a couple of months the Website released a interview with a while known person that visits the haunt Uncle Mike Hansen for the first time the people of the world got to see how the first haunt looked through the stories and pictures of the early days of Haunt. After that Interview former head of Makeup Department Abel Zeballos and they got to see the behind the Screams look at Knotts Scary Farm. Today the website holds a message boards which opens when the monsters of haunt begin to awake and get ready for haunt here fans and monsters alike can chat on what's going on in the haunt world, or for new and upcoming monsters ask questions about Hiring. The Website has haunts from years before.
Well that was the short history of southern Californian history of how Scare parks came to be from the granddy of haunts. If you've been or never have Haunt is a worth while trip to make during th season of Halloween. Remember also when you need a haunt fix or just want to know more history or just interstated in the event go to www.UltimateHaunt.com. So the season is coming upon us if you never have gone to the haunted grounds of Knotts Scary Farms Halloween Haunt why not make the trip "Everyone has to go Sometime".
Here's a shout out to Ted Doughtery, and the monsters of Haunt who helped through info or photos thank you for your time. There all great monsters and friends.
