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Halloween Haunt (Canada's Wonderland)

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Coordinates: 43°50′33.16″N 79°32′31.00″W / 43.8425444°N 79.5419444°W / 43.8425444; -79.5419444
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Halloween Haunt
Halloween Haunt at Canada's Wonderland logo
GenreHalloween
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Canada's Wonderland
43°50′33.16″N 79°32′31.00″W / 43.8425444°N 79.5419444°W / 43.8425444; -79.5419444
Inaugurated2005
WebsiteOfficial website

Halloween Haunt, originally 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 - up to, and including Halloween night. It is Canada's largest haunted theme park featuring over 300 monsters, 10 walk-through "maze" attractions, 3 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.[1]

History

The haunted theme park concept was first introduced in 2005, then called Fearfest while the park was under the ownership of Paramount Parks. Fearfest at Paramount Canada's Wonderland originally operated on weekday evenings through October, with 8 frightening mazes some include skeleton key rooms and fright lane entry.

Most of the park's regular rides and attractions (with the exception of Nickelodeon Central, KidZville and Hanna-Barbera Land) continued to be staffed and operated during Fearfest, including the 'Haunted' Thunder Run coaster, which was slightly thematically changed to match the park. The park grounds were divided into 3 separately themed scare areas- The Curse of Sleepy Hollow, MTV Rockin' Scare, and Backlot Blood Bath - each having 2-3 mazes associated with it.[2] Each maze and scare area generally has its own unique back story, sometimes linking several mazes together.

The following year, Paramount extended its regular operating season through the family-oriented Halloween event "Spooktacular" in the typically closed child-oriented areas of the park, to match Fearfest's attendance in October. In 2006 the park ran Spooktacular from October 14–29 on weekends during the day, and would reopen the park as Fearfest in the evening.

With the change in ownership of the park from Paramount to the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, the Fearfest name was dropped and renamed Halloween Haunt, remaining consistent with similar attractions at other Cedar Fair theme parks across North America. In addition, Spooktacular was not revived for the 2007 operating season. Despite this, Canada's Wonderland still continued regular daytime park hours during the Halloween Haunt run. With an existing history of running haunted attractions since 1973 at Knott's Berry Farm's event, Knott's Scary Farm, Cedar Fair was able to incorporate 4 additional mazes to the roster while retiring the Legend of the Lost and Slaughter Street attractions.

In 2008, Halloween Haunt saw an extended seasonal run into November, breaking the park's own attendance records for the event. Cedar Fair also retired the MTV Rockin' Scare area, including the Total Request Dead and Ozzburnes mazes in order to introduce 3 new ones for the season. The "adult-oriented'" horror musical show Dead Awakening also opened during the 2008 Halloween Haunt, performing at the Wonderland Theatre.[3] There are currently three atmospheric scare areas with free-roaming monsters: Carnevil, Ghostly Pines, and Toys.

Current attractions

These are the attractions for the 2014 Halloween Haunt. Halloween Haunt also includes three Scare Zones: Carnevil, Toys, Ghostly Pines and new for 2013, Steampunk.

Mazes

Attraction Type Opened Location
The Asylum Maze 2007 International Street
Sci-Fi House Maze 2013 Medieval Faire
Club Blood Maze 2009 Courtyard
Cornstalkers Maze 2005 White Water Canyon
The Ruins Maze 2013 Wonder Mountain
Louisiana Scream Maze 2013 Wonder Mountain
Blood Shed Maze 2014 Courtyard
Terror of London Maze 2013 Kingswood Music Theatre
Streets of the Undead Maze 2012 Kingswood Music Theatre Spirit Manor Maze 2015 Action Theatre

Shows

Attraction Opened Location Description
Mysterion the Mind Reader 2013 Thrill Burger Patio A Magician.
Skeleton Crew 2011 Unknown (2011) Action Zone (2012) An acrobats and fire breathers show.
ZOMBIES 4D 2014 Wonder Mountain 4D Interactive dark ride.

Retired attractions

  • Clowns at Midnight - Maze (retired 2015)
  • Mother Noose - Maze (retired 2014)
  • Blood on the Bayou - Maze (retired 2013)
  • Iron Empire - Maze (retired 2013)
  • Kingdom of Carnage - Maze (retired 2013)
  • Red Beard's Rage - Maze (retired 2013)
  • Blood Drums - Show (retired 2013)
  • Haunted House 3D - Action Theatre Show (retired 2013)
  • Miner's Revenge - Maze (retired 2012)
  • Beyond The Grave - Show (retired 2012)
  • The Hanging - Show (retired 2012)
  • Fun House Express - Action Theatre Show (retired 2012)
  • Elvira's Superstition - Action Theatre Show (retired 2012)
  • Psycho Circus - Show (retired 2011)
  • Fangs - Show (retired 2010)
  • A Midsummer Nights Scream- Maze (retired 2010)
  • Dead Awakening - Show (retired 2009)
  • Massacre Manor - Maze (retired 2009)
  • Slaughter Mill - Maze (retired 2009)
  • Total Request DEAD - MTV Rockin' Scare Maze (retired 2008)
  • The Ozzburnes - MTV Rockin' Scare Maze (retired 2008)
  • Legend of the Lost: The Director's Cut - Backlot Blood Bath Maze (retired 2007)
  • Slaughter Street Fear Zone - Backlot Blood Bath Maze (retired 2007)
  • Spooktacular - KidZville/Nickelodeon Central Area (retired 2007)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Canada's Wonderland - Halloween Haunt 2008" (Media Release). Canada's Wonderland. 2008-09-18.
  2. ^ "Fearfest Takes Over Paramount Canada's Wonderland". The Brock Press. 2006-10-11.
  3. ^ "Canada's Wonderland - Dead Awakening" (Media Release/Casting Call). Canada's Wonderland. 2008-08-18.
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