top of page

HauntDesignKit.com Presents the 2015 Excellence in Design Winners

      Each year Haunt Design Kit has a team of friends and collegues that travel the United States in search of -what we feel- is an attraction that has achieved superior excellence in design, layout, land usage, and operations. In 2015, the eight-person HDK team visited 153 haunted attractions all over the country...from small "mom and pop" attractions to large theme parks events, we visited them all. Here, we are proud to announce which attractions we feel are leaders in design...these attractions are our 2015 winners of the HauntDesignKit.com Excellence in Design Award. 

DARK HOUR HAUNTED HOUSE - Plano, TX

     Dark Hour Haunted House is an amazingly well crafted attraction in Plano, Texas. Housed inside a former Sports Authority building, this massive haunt was well designed in order to capture the best scares, customer flow, and emergency systems possible. The haunt includes Disney-esque thematic sets, awesome lighting and sound, and great scares. 

 

     HauntDesignKit.com is proud to award Dark Hour Haunted House the 2015 Excellence in Design Award. 

HAUNTED OVERLOAD - Lee, NH

     When we think of the "wow factor" within an attraction we always end up at Haunted Overload. "Overload" is the key term here...this attraction is packed full of massively crafted sculptures, set pieces/facades, genius lighting and the perfect amount of fog. The layout and flow of the attraction transitions smoothly between each scene and often provides stunning and hauntingly beautiful "moments" that would appear to have been right out of a fantastical nightmare. 

 

     HauntDesignKit.com is proud to award Haunted Overload the 2015 Excellence in Design Award. 

HOUSE OF TORMENT - Chicago, IL

     The House of Torment brand is no stranger to excellent design. This Chicago attraction is another show produced by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group (who also produces numerous haunts around the country) and this haunt is the first 'House of Torment' outside of Texas.  House of Torment Chicago features mind-blowingly large sets, amazing details, and a flow that allows unique perspectives of each sets while setting the tone for an intense haunt. 

 

     HauntDesignKit.com is proud to award House of Torment: Chicago the 2015 Excellence in Design Award. 

SCREAMLAND - Margate, Kent / United Kingdom

     What do you get when an awesome new haunted event takes over a great little theme park in the U.K.? Screamland. Making its home at Dreamland in Margrate, Kent...Screamland is an intense and cleverly designed show that capitalizes on your fears and showcases amazing sets and designs. Screamland features four attractions that are -we feel- the best designed and produced shows in the United Kingdom...and probably most a Europe. 

 

     HauntDesignKit.com is proud to award Screamland the 2015 Excellence in Design Award. 

THE 13th GATE - Baton Rouge, LA

     Louisiana is home to some top rated haunted attractions...but our Excellence in Design Award goes to the 13th Gate in Baton Rouge. This haunt showcases a plethora of themes that are defined by their movie-quality, life like sets. The morgue feels like a real morgue...the swamp FEELS like a real swamp...oh, and the snakes are real too. The 13th Gate team creates what we think is one of the best set pieces in the country with their London/Jack the Ripper set...it is truly breathtaking. (Real cobble stone paves the streets...just an FYI).  

 

     HauntDesignKit.com is proud to award The 13th Gate the 2015 Excellence in Design Award. 

Honorable Mentions: These attractions are not meant to be forgotten and are also some of the best examples of excellent design and attention to detail. They are: 

 

  • The House of Shock - New Orleans, LA

  • Fear Experience Haunted House - Cleveland, OH

  • The Dent Schoolhouse - Cincinnati, OH

  • The LA Haunted Hayride - Los Angeles, CA

  • House of Horror & Haunted Catacombs - Buffalo, NY

  • The Scarehouse - Pittsburg, PA

  • Shocktober Fest Screampark - Tulley's Farm, U.K. 

  • Netherworld - Atlanta, GA

  • Halloween Horror Nights - Orlando, FL

  • The 13th Floor - Denver, CO

  • House of Torment - Austin, TX

  • Frightworks - Knoxville, TN

  • Bennett's Curse - Baltimore, MD

bottom of page