HDK's Top 10 Best Designed Haunted Attractions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Haunted Design Kit Announces Top 10 Haunts.

Haunt Design Kit.com Announces its choices for the Best Designed Haunted Attractions

Lexington, Kentucky (October 31st 2013) - Haunted house design website, Haunt Design Kit.com officially announces its picks for the best designed haunted attractions in the USA.

“Everybody and every media outlet has their lists for the scariest or ‘best’ haunts in the country, but we wanted to something different” says website creator Tyler Barnett.  “Our focus is the design aspect of the business...so we’re awarding what we consider to be the best designed shows in the industry.”

Haunt Design Kit.com took into consideration many different aspects of the haunts they visited. Areas of consideration included: Overall design, attraction layout, flow, scenic treatments and how well the design stuck with the themes of the attractions.

“We visited every haunt that made our list; sometimes in secret,” Barnett says. “We wanted to catch the haunts off guard and not announce to them we were coming. We paid full ticket price and waited in the lines just like an average customer. We wanted the full experience…we feel that allowed us to make the best decision on our top 10 list!”

So, the Top 10 Best Designed Haunted Attractions in the US as chosen by HauntDesignKit.com are as follows:

10.  Bennets Curse – Jessup, Maryland                      http://bennettscurse.com/

9.  House of Horrors – Buffalo, New York                  http://www.houseofhorrorsbuffalo.com/

8.  Haunted Overload – Lee, New Hampshire         http://www.hauntedoverload.com/

7.   The Dent Schoolhouse – Cincinnati, Ohio        http://www.frightsite.com/

6.  The Scarehouse – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania     http://www.scarehouse.com/

5.  Netherworld – Atlanta, Geogria                           http://www.fearworld.com/

4.  House of Torment – Austin, Texas                        http://thehouseoftorment.com/

3.  House of Shock -  New Orleans, Louisiana       http://www.houseofshock.com/

2.  The 13^th Gate – Baton Rouge, Louisiana           http://midnightproduction.com/

1.  Halloween Horror Nights – Orlando, Florida    http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/

These attractions are what we consider to be the very best at what they do.  From a design aspect, each attraction offers the very best in creative design, scenic treatments and all stick to their respective themes very well. A lot of these haunts actually employ scenic designers and artist to help create their haunted worlds.  Congratulations to all the haunts that made the list.

Contact:

Tyler Barnett / Haunt Design Kit.com

nigtgoretb@gmail.com

Haunt Design Kit needs YOUR help.

We need your help!

As you may know, HauntDesignKit.com has made huge improvements over the last couple of months and we've continued to offer free, quality information and downloads to you all. This will not, and ever, change. However, we have a couple of projects that we'd like to get started on that could really use your help.

First, click here for more info: http://igg.me/at/hdk/x/4395234

You'll notice that we've created an account on Indiegogo to help fund some projects we're working on. Obviously the cost of maintaining HDK's website, file hosting, the very small amount of marketing we do and the creation of new FREE downloads and information for you guys doesn't come cheap. This also keeps us from putting money into new projects that could REVOLUTIONIZE the way we all design our attractions.

Some things include a new how-to DVD focusing on haunt design and using SketchUp that will be a first of it's kind in the industry; no joke. We're also working on a shockingly cool new app that will really help your designs....can't say much more on that yet. The funding will also help develop cool new downloads that will be free on the site.

Needless to say, we REALLY need your help to get these projects off the ground. But we only have 60 days to raise the money! So, if you can contribute money to the projects that would be awesome (and might I add there are some cool perks that come along with that)...but if you can't you can STILL HELP! Please share this page and share our Indiegogo page to all your friends and help us get the projects funded.

Thank you and Happy Haunting from HDK...oh, here's that link again! http://igg.me/at/hdk/x/4395234

Haunt Design Kit.com recently featured in Funworld Magazine

If you've ever worked in the theme/amusement park industry...or any relative industry. Than you have heard someone talking about the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, or, IAAPA. IAAPA is best known for it's large amusement conference that's held in Orlando every year in November that boasts all the latest in amusement park merchandise and ride equipment.

Members of IAAPA, if you're not you should be, are subscribed to a trade magazine called FUNWORLD. Funworld is a monthly magazine with all the latest news and announcements from the entertainment (attractions) industry. You can also find all kinds of cool ads from the companies who build your favorite roller coasters. It's a great magazine to flip through.

Recently HDK was featured in an article/interview about the growing haunted house industry and the importance of quality design....and how to use 3D modeling software, like Google SketchUp, to achieve such design. If you have the magazine, we're on page 14.

We were honored to be asked to be featured in the magazine. HDK has been growing non-stop since we launched earlier this year and the future of HDK is looking very bright.

Get your copy of FUNWORLD here.

Funworld Magazine

Be sure to keep an eye out on the August issue of Funworld Magazine presented by IAAPA. If you're a subscriber you'll find an exclusive article with Haunt Design Kit curator Tyler Barnett. Tyler talks about everything from haunted attraction and haunted house design to the future of HDK and the importance of using 3D software to visualize your attraction. 

If you're not a subscriber, you should be, you can find more info here: http://www.iaapa.org/news/funworld

The article also features some exclusives topics and pictures on projects we've worked on that you'll ONLY see in the magazine! ;)

Remember, it's the August issue. 

Until next time. 

-HDK

HUGE UPDATE!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Haunted House Design Revolution.

Haunt Design Kit.com Launches New Education Center

 

 

Lexington, Kentucky (May 17^th 2013) - Haunted house design website, Haunt Design Kit.com, officially launches its brand-new Education Center today in response to it’s growing demand for educational resources and “how-to” information.

 

“The response to HDK (Haunt Design Kit.com) has been huge,” says website creator Tyler Barnett.  “Since our launch back in February, the site has welcomed some 950 unique visitors and has had nearly 5,000 page views.”

 

Haunt Design Kit.com focuses on haunted house and attraction design using modern technology to make the process easier and more accessible to the smaller, family-owned attractions. Currently, the website hosts several free downloadable “kits” that are made to be used with Trimble’s SketchUp; a free 3D modeling software provided by Google.

 

“SketchUp is a wonderful program. Many architects use it today to design and pre-visualize their homes or projects,” Barnett says. “We’re just trying to bring this technology into the haunted house industry and make it as easy as possible for attraction owners and designers…but it does come with a learning curve; which is why we created the Education Center!”

 

The Education Center at Haunt Design Kit.com will be home to free articles, interviews, videos and resources…all in an effort to help sway the learning curve for its users. “This is a big step for us,” Barnett added. “But we’re trying to revolutionize the way people are designing their shows…and this is just our first leap forward.”

 

 

Contact:

Tyler Barnett / Haunt Design Kit.com

nigtgoretb@gmail.com​

 

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Halloween Extreme features award-winning Halloween Horror Nights panel!

In recent years, Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights – Orlando (OFFICIAL) has featured exciting online game play and totally unique and groundbreaking Alternate Reality Gaming for Haunt Industry die-hard fans. 2012 saw the introduction of state-of-the-art Radio Frequency Identification technology in the Horror Unearthed game that used customized RFID badges to track players and keep scores as they competed in the theme park during the event.

On Saturday May 25th at 1:00 PM, the Universal Halloween Horror Nights award-winning game designers will present a comprehensive panel discussion at Halloween Extreme examining how these types of interactive experiences are conceived, their results and exciting plans for the future!

Don’t miss this unique experience and be a part of a First-Time-Ever interactive story and discussion!

Click here for more info.

NOW AVAILABLE: BODY BAGS!

Now available is our new BODY BAGS collection for Google SketchUp. Simply import our body bags into your haunted house sketchup design and have fun!

Get your FREE DOWNLOAD by CLICKING HERE.

New Galleries Posted!

We just updated the website with a new photo gallery. Now, you can take a look at pictures of haunted houses and haunted house projects we've worked on. Here you can get a better idea of the power Google SketchUp can have for your designs.

You can view the gallery here.

Coming the down the pipeline next, as far as galleries are concerned, are HDK user galleries. We're working on a way for users to submit photos and have them featured on our site in their own gallery. Kind of exciting, right! So stay tuned for that.

On a minor note, don't forget to head over to our Facebook Page and "share" the body bag status to your wall. Once we get 25 shares we'll post up a picture of our new BODY BAG downloadable collection that will come out in a few days. So, go do that!


Happy Haunting,
-HDK

Sorry for the low activity...updates are coming!

Ok...first, sorry. Sorry for the little activity on the site and Facebook lately. However, it's not because we've gotten lazy! ;)

We have some major, and I mean MAJOR updates coming soon. Now, I can't go into much detail on some of the new stuff, but I can on some.

First, we've contracted Brainstorm Studios to create a new and exciting logo for the HDK! One of the issues we've had with this website and Facebook page is it's branding and it's "place" within the haunted attraction and amusement industry. We thought the name itself would give it away...HAUNT design kit...but we thought wrong. So, in a few months we will unveil the new logo and branding for Haunt Design Kit.com and I'm sure you guy will LOVE it.

Second, we have some website improvements coming. This would include some back-end SEO work along with some site upgrades and new features. Yes. NEW FEATURES!!!

I'm not just talking about new kits to download or stuff like that...which we have more on the way...but all new areas of the website and brand-new features. I won't go into great detail about them, however, we may or may not be adding picture galleries, or haunt/design related articles and interviews, or more how-to videos, or more project files...or more content on the resources page...maybe, maybe not.

Also, something we did without really telling anybody about it is updated the original haunt kits with "real world" measurements. So now the 2"x4"s reflect their real world dimensions (1.5"x3.5"). That's just a little detail we took care of when we came back from Transworld.


I know all this is exciting and a lot of news at once. We just didn't want you guys to wonder what happened to us. We're busy taking care of the website and making sure things are good to go for you guys. No worries. We didn't forget about ya'.

As always, Happy Haunting.
-HDK

Just a tease...

Take a look at this haunted house teaser we made for a new project we're working on:

Any guesses what it could be? More later on this, just enjoy the video!

Free Resources!

Did you know that Haunt Design Kit has a FREE resource page where you can download and use all kinds of tools to help you design your haunted house? ...and it's FREE!

If you want free graph paper to download and print to design your haunted attraction on, both 90 degree (square grid) or Isometric (triangular grid paper). Go over to our RESOURCES PAGE and look around.

We're always looking to add more free stuff to this page and check-in every once in awhile to see if we've added anything new. We'll also do our best to inform you of any updates.

Happy Haunting.

-HDK

Article featured in Hauntworld Magazine

If you haven't received the latest edition of Hauntworld Magazine, then you might want to pick it up...HDK wrote an article on the benefits of using Google SketchUp with your haunt designs and layouts. Be sure to pick up your copy HERE!

Transworld 2013

So we're home from the 2013 Transworld Hauntshow in St. Louis and damn...we had a good time! It's always great meeting old friends and creating new ones, talking with vendors about their products, visiting awesome haunts, partying at the bar...we could talk for days about all the happenings that went on but that's for another time.

We'd really want to say thanks to all the vendors, haunters and supporters of HDK who stopped us along the way to talk about the website and chat about haunt design with us. It's great knowing that something we're doing is reaching so many people and it has lit a fire under us to not only improve the website, but to create new things for you and create more avenues of educating people about Google SketchUp and haunt design.

Now for some personal thanks. First, to Rodney & Melinda Geffert and the rest of the team at Nightscream Studios. You all are amazing and we just want to say thank you for showing us such a great time! Thank you.

To Mike "Tattoo" Krausert and the fabulous team of Cutting Edge Scenic Design. Thanks for the opportunity in working with you all on the Interactive Haunted House. I don't know if the 3D model/layout of the haunt is appreciated by the people who saw it; but it's great just having a chance to be apart of something special. Thank you.

To Larry Kirchner and the Hauntworld team. Thank you for the chance to publish an article in the latest Hauntworld Magazine! Hopefully, it will educate and inspire people to now only better their own haunt design but to learn to great new skill with Google SketchUp. Thank you.


We'd also like to thank: Tim Bunch, Kip Polley and Pale Night Productions, Lauren Lobosky, Glenn Hetrick, The guys at Interactive Ticketing, Allen Hopps, Jason Baseman and the Devils Attic, Christopher de Troy, Nick Wolfe, The crew at Return of the Living Podcast, Dead House Designs, and Dark Raven Designs...you all are awesome and we're glad to have you crazy haunters as friends!

Last but not least, thanks to the very patient employees at the Renaissance Grand Hotel. They do an amazing job putting up with all of us and the three nights we were in St. Louis was perfect because of you. Thank you.


See you all next year!

-HDK