20 Years of Fear: Waldorf Estate of Fear Adding New Haunt, Changing Others

Photo: Haunt Hunters App

by Tara Adams

LEHIGHTON, Pa. – Waldorf Estate of Fear is expanding its arsenal of terror this fall with a new, interactive haunted attraction. 

Grimville Slaughterhouse will be the Lehighton, Pa., haunt's fourth attraction, joining The Waldorf Hotel, Terror in the Corn, and Infection, Owner Angie Moyer said.

The new attraction is coming as Waldorf celebrates “20 Years of Fear.” Grimville's sinister main antagonist will play a large part in generating that fear.

“We put a serial killer on the loose at Waldorf,” Moyer said.

Haunt fans will become part of the action in Grimville Slaughterhouse, as they try to rescue others and save themselves from the killer.

“Your goal is to try to save them and get out,” Moyer said. “Can you escape the serial killer?”

Grimville Slaughterhouse will incorporate escape room features into the experience, and haunt actors will approach guests as they try to survive, ratcheting up the anxiety, Moyer said. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App

In addition to the new haunt, Moyer said The Waldorf Hotel and Terror in the Corn will see changes and upgrades. Infection, which is another interactive attraction at Waldorf Estate of Fear, is being redone.

“When you own a haunted house, you make changes every year,” Moyer said. “You have to spice it up.” 

Once the changes are in place, it's the actors who bring the scares to life, she said. Whether the reactions from guests are screams or laughs, it's all part of the experience. 

“We're here to entertain,” Moyer said. “All I'm trying to do is give people a good time.” 

Waldorf Estate of Fear, in which the first three Hell House LLC horror movies were largely filmed, attracts movie fans from across the country who want a deeper engagement with the eerie site that tormented the movies’ characters, terrifying viewers. 

And area residents have a unique tourist destination close to home where they can enjoy a fall night of scares, sit around a fire, eat, and shop horror-related vendors without the travel costs.

“You don't have to travel far to go to a good haunted house,” Moyer said. 

Waldorf Estate of Fear kicks off the fall season on Sept. 27, 2025, and runs on weekends through Nov.1, 2025.

For more information about the haunt and upcoming offseason events, visit https://www.waldorfestateoffear.com/. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App 

Springtime Screams: Hell House to Host Halfway to Halloween

Photo courtesy of Waldorf Estate of Fear

by Tara Adams

LEHIGHTON,  Pa. - Spring might be in the air, but fear is in bloom at a haunted attraction in eastern Pennsylvania, which served as the set of an unsettling found-footage horror movie franchise. 

And in a few days, fans of haunted houses, horror flicks, and the paranormal will get a taste of all three at Waldorf Estate of Fear's Third Annual Halfway to Halloween celebration. 

The Lehighton attraction, which many paranormal investigators believe is haunted by multiple spirits, is hosting the event, Halfway to Halloween: The Lake of Fire Edition, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The event is named after the third movie in the Hell House LLC franchise.

“You are in a haunted house that has paranormal activity, you are in the dark, and there are actors scaring you,” Waldorf Owner Angie Moyer said of Escape Hell House, one of the events Halfway to Halloween attendees will experience. 

Guests might even run into the creepy Hell House clowns. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App 

Moyer said the 180-year-old Waldorf, known as the Abaddon Hotel in the Hell House LLC movies, is a draw for fans of the films. Many fans travel from all over to see the property.

“People are coming just because it's Hell House,” Moyer said. “It has brought people in.”

The event's lineup includes a lights-on, behind-the-scenes tour of Waldorf led by movie cast members; an outside set tour; the Escape Hell House experience; dinner; and a showing of Hell House LLC: Lake of Fire. A late night paranormal investigation will follow the movie.

Stephen Cognetti, writer and director of the Hell House LLC movies, will be on hand for a question and answer session with attendees.

The eeriness of the Waldorf property made it a good match for the films, Cognetti said.

“When I was first given a tour of the Waldorf by Angie, I knew immediately that it was the perfect fit for my script,” Cognetti said. “It had so many creepy nooks, halls and doors to play out every scare and even come up with new ones while exploring. I absolutely love coming back to the Abaddon every year.”

There are four movies in the series, and a fifth Hell House LLC film, Hell House LLC: Lineage, will be out later this year. Lineage also is the first in the series that wasn't shot found-footage style and is said to be the last Hell House LLC film. 

The premise of the first Hell House LLC movie, released in 2015, revolves around the opening of a new haunted house attraction that goes terribly wrong. Each additional movie delves deeper into the story of the Hell House universe. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App

Halfway to Halloween attendees interested in exploring the haunted side of the property may purchase tickets for the paranormal investigation, which will begin after the Lake of Fire showing. 

The Waldorf property was built on farmland in the mid-1800s, and paranormal investigators believe spirits of some of the original residents remain at the site, based on names that have come up during investigations. Some spirits, however, are only there temporarily, Moyer said. 

“There are several spirits that live at the Waldorf,” Moyer said. “There are spirits that are just passing through.” 

The types of hauntings include intelligent spirits, mimics, shadow people, and residual activity. Moyer and other investigators believe that the energy created from the haunted attraction - the screams, scares, and laughs - have stirred up the paranormal activity.

“They're attracted to the energy,” she said.

While none of the entities appear to be demonic, the activity is notable enough that it will be featured in an upcoming television series called “24 Hours in Hell,” Moyer said.

The series is in post-production, and producers have been in discussions with Terror Films about distribution, she said. 

“They seem very interested in unleashing it and keeping Hell House alive,” Moyer said. “It doesn't have to end with Lineage.” 

The TV series focuses on the experiences and research-based scientific findings of a team of investigators who spend 24 hours inside the property. Not all of the investigators make it through the 24 hours, according to the Waldorf Estate of Fear website. 

“It's very cool. It's not just ghost hunting,” Moyer said. “They're trying to scientifically prove that there's something out there.” 

Limited tickets to Halfway to Halloween remain. For more information on the event or to buy tickets, please visit https://www.waldorfestateoffear.com/. 

Photo courtesy of Waldorf Estate of Fear 

Brighton Opens Doors to East Coast Haunters

Clifton, NJ (Haunt Hunters App) - The temperature read 80 degrees in Clifton, New Jersey on a hot Thursday night April 24, 2025. However, the atmosphere was like a electric October night during the Halloween season as the haunted attraction Brighton Asylum opened their doors to entertain and educate haunt enthusiasts from around the country with a behind the scenes tour. 

The Haunt Tour was part of Transworlds East Coast Haunters Convention that included a second stop at the Fright Factory in Philadelphia, PA.

"The feedback we have received has been overwhelming," says Brighton Asylum owner Rich Gonci, which offers three different attractions in Subculture, the Bleeding Grounds and Brighton Asylum. "We are extremely grateful to Transworld and to everyone who came out to see our show."

For more information Brighton Asylum 

Linda Blair Headlines Chiller Theatre Spring 2025

Parsippany, NJ -- (Haunt Hunters App) - Linda Blair will headline the famous Chiller Theatre at the Hilton in Parsippany from April 27-29, 2025. The horror icon played Regan MacNeil at age 14 in what is considered one of the scariest horror movies of all time.

Chiller Theatre is a popular annual meet and greet event that unites scores of celebrities with thousands of their fans for handshakes, autographs and selfies.

Chiller vendors sell all kinds of toys and memorabilia."This is the biggest show of the year for me," said Jeff Ananson, who has been been a vendor at the show with his business partner for 31 years. "So many unique one-of-a-kind items here and there is a lot of foot traffic for three days. This is the best show of the year."

Launched in 1991, the 3-day event was created by producer Kevin Clement and has mostly narrowed its focus to the celebrity exposition, although, there is always a costume contest and model art contest on Saturday. The big lure is the expansive list of notable guests, which range from film legends to one-hit wonders and bit players from big shows.

For sports fans, the lineup includes actor Frank Jasper from "Vision Quest" who played the "Shute."

The cast of ‘What's Happening,” including "Raj" and "Dwayne," will be on hand along with Saturday Night Fever (1977) star Donna Pescow, who played "Annette," and who acted alongside John Travolta.

Chiller in the past has also featured cast reunions from classic TV shows such as "The Brady Bunch," "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Warriors."

For More Information and Tickets visit Chiller Theatre

Haunt tour will be first to see upgrades at Field of Screams

Field of Screams Haunted Hayride 

By Tara Adams

MOUNTVILLE, Pa. -- Haunt enthusiasts attending East Coast Haunters Convention's Friday Tour on April 25th will get a first look at changes to several attractions at the nationally-recognized Field of Screams in Mountville, Pa.

Field of Screams Co-owner Jim Schopf said in a recent livestream interview with TransWorld's Kris Zahrobsky that changes include new scenes and upgrades in its four haunted attractions. 

TransWorld operates East Coast Haunters Convention. 

Schopf made the announcement from one of the new scenes - an elaborate  study in Den of Darkness. The study had been a morgue, which is no longer recognizable because of the overhaul, he said.

Den of Darkness and Frightmare Asylum will be fully operational during the tour. Participants will also take part in a lights-on walk through of Nocturnal Wasteland and sections of the Haunted Hayride, which will not be running. 

The tour group is "going to see what no one else has seen yet," Schopf said of changes to the hayride.

Tour members will be able to take pictures in any area that isn't live, he said.

Field of Screams Frightmare Asylum 

The Friday Tour also includes a stop at Hersheypark, where participants will have exclusive access to rides, dinner, a behind-the-scenes haunted house tour, and a walk-through of one of the houses featured in the park's annual Halloween event, Dark Nights. 

“We're thrilled to have East Coast coming up this way,” Chris Brown, Hersheypark’s director of planning and design, said during the livestream. “We're still newbies, but we're loving it.”

Dark Nights opened in 2022 and includes five haunted houses, three scare zones, and character-themed dining. 

Dark Nights at Hersheypark 

Schopf also will be part of an hour-long seminar at the East Coast Haunters Convention on Saturday, April 26, in Oaks, Pa., with Randy Bates of Bates Motel and Patrick Barberry of Legends of the Fog. The seminar, called "Hayrides of Horror," will discuss important aspects necessary to operating hayrides. 

"Hayrides are challenging ... but they're very rewarding for customers,” Schopf said. “They're one of the hardest types of haunts to do. There's a lot to consider when doing a hayride."

Haunt fans who can't make the convention's Friday night tour will be able to see the changes made to Den of Darkness and Frightmare Asylum the following weekend at Field of Screams’ Halfway to Halloween. 

Halfway to Halloween will feature a new event - a music festival. Five bands are part of the festival, which will begin at 1:30 p.m.: Y2KIDS, Renegade Radio, MXP, Fade to Black: A Tribute to Metallica, and The Future Legends, which hails from Nashville, Tenn.

For more information, visit:

East Coast Haunters Convention https://eastcoasthauntersconvention.com/

Field of Screams https://fieldofscreams.com/

Dark Nights at Hersheypark

https://www.hersheypark.com/things-to-do/dark-nights.

Asylum Runs Crazy for St Patrick's Slay

   St Patrick's Slay

Clifton, NJ (Chuck Mound/Haunt Hunters App) - Uncheerful jigs, morbid limericks and impish characters clad in blood-splattered, dingy green garb set a menacing tone at Brighton Asylum on Saturday night, as haunt fans turned out to celebrate the attraction's twisted take on St. Patrick's Day.

Brighton's version, St. Patrick's Slay, transformed its three haunts into sinister Irish themes. Guests encountered mischievous, demented banshees and leprechaun-like creatures who lured them along with the promise of gold coins.

Brighton Asylum is one of over 100 haunted attractions across the country that opened for a St. Patrick's Day event. 

Brighton featured a vast cast of St. Patrick's Day characters throughout the midway, led by its most famous character, "Frankie." 

"We drove over 90 minutes to experience Brighton Asylum," Roxanne Times of Double M 's Haunted Hayride in New York, said. "We love to see other haunt actors in action to help inspire ideas for the upcoming Halloween season."

One of the newest sets inside Brighton was a forest scene that provided an impressive depth perspective in a small space. The trees appeared to be never ending height-wise and gave guests the feeling of walking outside the grounds of the asylum. 

Scare actors in the scene worked their way in and out of the trees to provide solid jump scares.

In keeping with the Irish theme, scare actors were given special gold coins to hand out to a few random guests. The lucky guests were then able to exchange their coins for a full ticket refund.

Brighton Asylum is located on the border of Clifton and Passaic, N.J. The popular attraction also offers year-round escape rooms. For more information

Brighton Asylum.

East Coast Haunters