Hollowgraves Haunted Manor update

[Hollowgraves]

I haven't stopped by the message board in at least two months, so I decided to make a quick visit to let everyone know that Hollowgraves Haunted Manor will no longer be located in Seaside Heights, NJ. We want to thank everyone that did visit, whether it be one year or all four years. It was much appreciated and we hope you enjoyed it as well. While I'm not ready to make a full announcement yet, I have good news and bad news. Let's go with the bad news first. I can guarantee that we will not be a summer haunt in 2007. There's always a chance that we will return to the shore on a future date but in a different town. The good news is that we WILL be open at a NJ location in 2007. I'm not ready to give a date and location yet but I can say it will be in Northern NJ this time. So keep watching the boards and our site, www.hollowgraves.com, as well, for updates. We should have some better details in the very near future.

Thanks again for the business and support you have all given to us. We can't thank you enough!

JOHN
Manager
Hollowgraves Haunted Manor

[robert]

That is bad news, John, because now there will be no summer walk-through haunt in NJ or on the shore. Castle Dracula (Nickel's Midway) never came back, and all the other ones burned to ashes in the 1980's. I was hoping you would be there for 25 years like Castle Dracula was was but I guess not. I guess there will be very little to scare the people next year except whatever ride throughs are left, Stillwalk, Dante's, etc. Even if you came back as a summer haunt on the shore, it would involve going to some other town besides Seaside, the whole point was to be able to experience your haunt and Stillwalk Manor at the same time. There was another haunt in Seaside that didn't last, it was only open one summer before you guys got there then got kicked out. The name of it was Zombie Xtreme. There's not too many places left that have the combination of ride-through dark rides and walk-through haunted houses anymore. Myrtle Beach has a couple of live actor haunts, but the Pavilion Park just closed forever and the ride-through Haunted Hotel's fate is uncertain. That was Myrtle Beach's only traditional (older, non-gun shooting) dark ride. At Niagara Falls, Canada they have one of those Ghost Blaster dark rides plus several walk-through haunts. Lake George, NY has a couple walk-through haunts. But, there are no walk-throughs at any beach in NJ or MD anymore now. Except Morey's Curse of the Mummy and Pirate's Cove (no actors) at Ocean City, MD. What will it take to open a summer haunt in PA or NJ? Something close to home? Would there be the slightest possibility of you considering Morey's Piers as a possible location? I don't know where you could go there, perhaps make room on the former Hunt's Pier? Wildwood is lacking a good old school haunt and you would be an excellent addition. Now I don't feel like visiting Seaside because you won't be there. I'd rather go to one of the other places in other states/countries that have summer walk-through haunts.

[Hollowgraves]

I won't get into business details but let's just say that we wanted to stay in Seaside for at least another year, but were not happy with where we were and the treatment we received. One example would be the addition of the Slingshot, right next to us. We had no problem with the ride being there or the owners and operators of it, but many people came to us at our front door, some weren't even customers, and asked why there was a huge support beam for the Slingshot, right in the middle of what used to be the entrance path to the Haunted Manor. Let it be clear that it certainly was not OUR idea to be blocked by another ride and leave it at that.

We would LOVE to be in Wildwood and it could actually be an eventual possibility. We have looked into it. For now though, we are leaving the NJ shore. I still encourage everyone to check out Stillwalk Manor on Casino Pier. While we were on competing piers, management at Casino always had nice things to say about our Haunted Manor and were very supportive of us. So please continue to visit them when in Seaside!

JOHN

[robert]

And they did a nice article about the Haunted Manor on this site. It looked like a true old school haunt like they had in the 70's up and down the shore. Now there will be a big void in the summer due to the lack of a walk-through haunted house on the shore. Wildwood lost all of theirs, except the Mummy attraction that Morey's added a few years ago if it's still there on the old Fun Pier next to the crappy dark ride. It seems no one is willing to take the risk on building a new haunt on the shore today, except you, Hollowgraves. I guess you will only be open in October next year, in some remote location. But, that kind of defeats the purpose of going to the beach in the summer to get your haunt fix like you used to be able to. Only open in Oct. means that you have to make a special trip to some off beat location instead of going to a vacation spot in the summer and experiencing the attraction during your summer vacation while also being able to ride amusements like ferris wheels, carousels, at the same time. Wouldn't it make more business sense to locate the attraction in a high traffic area and open 5 months a year instead of 1 month a year? What about Point Pleasant? You would go well with their amusement park and Fun House. I think Point Pleasant or Wildwood would be the best locations other than Seaside for a summer haunt because they have existing amusement parks.

[Hollowgraves]

Already said we've looked into Wildwood. It's not happening now. Doesn't mean it never will. As far as Point Pleasant, tell me where an attraction that truly is the size of a large house, would fit on that boardwalk and we'll look into it. Point Pleasant really isn't an option. As far as making more sense to be down the shore as opposed to a Halloween in the woods, the Haunted Manor never made the money down the shore, that it did as a Halloween haunt. We did OK but Seaside didn't prove to be a great location for us and we were treated poorly by the pier.

[robert]

How did you get to the shore in the first place? You were somewhere else before Seaside then moved there. Several years ago you were an October haunt in Wayne, NJ. What made you try the summer business? I guess Seaside will only have a ride through now on Casino Pier. I wonder what Funtown will put where you were, a generic thrill ride? How do you move the haunt? By truck? Where are you taking it for now? Wildwood really needs a good walk-through haunt since Castle Dracula burned down. The best dark ride there is Dante's. I hope they reopen the Golden Nugget Mine ride on former Hunt's Pier. I don't like how WW is losing it's motels, restaurants, and older buildings left and right for crapola condos. There is really no summer haunt close to me, you were the closest and I was planning to visit you summer 2007, dammit! We already lost some parks and dark rides this year like Myrtle Beach Pavilion and the Haunted Hotel ride not sure what will happen to it. The only summer June-July-August walk-through haunts in the northeast would be at Lake George, NY and Niagara Falls, ON, Canada now and perhaps Salem, Mass.

[Hollowgraves]

I've only been part of the Haunted Manor since 2003, which was the first year in Seaside. Before that, the attraction was in Keansburg. We have our own promoter who scouts locations for us and got us into both shore locations. Despite being a Halloween haunt for several years, the Manor was built with the intention of it being a shore haunt, Wildwood specifically.

From what I hear, the owners of the Sling Shot may be putting another one of their big rides in our spot. The house is moved by the truck and as I mentioned, we're not ready to announce the next location or dates yet. Once we are, it will be announced on our site, as well as here.

[robert]

So the Haunted Manor is essentially a portable that can be moved on trailers? I hope to get to the Manor sometime wherever it goes even if it means going on an October weekend to some remote location in Northern NJ. I was never there while it was in Seaside and I was hoping to go Summer 07 and hit both Manors, Stillwalk and yours, but that won't be possible now. I'm hoping you find another shore amusement park to haunt, good luck. But the location on the pier by the sea was unique, the ocean breeze and salt air combined with the spooky atmosphere of the haunted house. And there are so few amusement parks anymore with a walk-through, live actor haunted house in the summer except the parks that do Halloweekend type of events like Cedar Point and Dorney Park. In fact, there is no park that has a haunt or any stand alone haunt in the summer anymore in NJ, PA, DE, or MD. You were the last one with a summer walk-through haunt in an amusement park in the tri-state area. Before you, Castle Dracula in Wildwood up through 2001 post-9-11 until that October was the only walk-through, live actor haunt left in the area since 1987 when the Long Branch Haunted Mansion burned down. Gatlinburg, TN, Lake George, NY, Niagara Falls, Canada and Salem, Mass. might be the only places left with summer/year round walk-through haunts. I was at Niagara this summer and Lake George a few years ago. Their haunts are great.

[Hollowgraves]

Yes, the Haunted Manor, while large, is portable and can be brought from one location to the next.

We were well aware of our status as one of the last, if not the only, walk-through boardwalk haunted house attractions. We were also very happy to be acknowledged as one of DAFE's top ten walkthrough attractions of 2005. All of this makes us wonder even more why were treated so poorly, which ultimately led to our departure from Funtown Pier. As I indicated, we wanted to stay initially but in the end, it was decided that our time there was over.

[robert]

There's not too many places anymore that have the combination of a ride-through haunted house and a walk-through haunted house, in the case of Seaside, the ride-through Stillwalk Manor on Casino Pier and your walk-through Haunted Manor on Funtown were a good combination. But, now, Seaside will return to it's no walk-through haunt status. There was another walk-through haunt a year before you got there somewhere on the boardwalk in a rented building, but it didn't last beyond the first season because of high rent and the haunt packed up and left. Seaside almost had two walk-through haunts, though they never operated simultaneously, the other haunt left early 2003 before you got there, now they have none. Morey's has the Mummy haunt plus the other dark rides, Myrtle Beach Pavilion closed forever and the ride-through Haunted Hotel could be lost, it is still standing as of now, and they have a couple of haunted attractions on their strip, Ripley's Haunted, Nightmare Haunted House, Virginia Beach has a couple of year-round/summer haunts, Nightmare Mansion, Haunted Fun House. Orlando, FL has a couple of year-round ones. Niagara Falls, ON. Canada has several, and Lake George, NY has a couple. Gatlinburg, TN has another Ripley's haunted attraction plus another one Haunted Mansion or something. So, there's still plenty of year-round haunts in North America but some are far away.

[Hollowgraves]

The other haunt was called Zombie Extreme. I'm aware of it. Despite the Haunted Manor not being there at the time, I still spent time walking the boardwalk of Seaside in the months and years previous to that. Several former employees of theirs came to work for me once we opened.

All I can say about us returning to the shore is that if you're THAT concerned and interested in us becoming a shore haunt again, contact the pier owners and management in those towns and let them know that you want to see us there. We're already working on it but if the business owners know that there are people willing to spend cash on our attraction, it doesn't hurt us actually getting there.

[robert]

What about Casino Pier? Wasn't there any possibility you could have moved up to them? Other than Casino, Morey's Pier would be a great choice since they could use a classic style haunt, they used to have a walk-through haunted house (3 story) from 1972-1984. The Mummy haunt on Morey's south pier (former Fun Pier 1957-1984) is just a false front with a tent. Or perhaps the parks at Ocean City, NJ. Atlantic City doesn't seem to want amusements anymore, Steel Pier closed and will be redeveloped by the casino into something else. I guess all locations north of Seaside are out, you were already at Keansburg, Point Pleasant won't work, and Long Branch and Asbury Park are turning more upscale with no amusement parks for now. Wildwood, Ocean City, or Casino Pier if possible would probably be the best locations.

[Hollowgraves]

Casino is not really an option. They'll bring in independent owners but typically seem to want to buy the rides for themselves and we're not interested in that. Just because we were already in Keansburg, doesn't mean that we couldn't return there again. None of those places are out of the question and all options have been considered. All we know for now is that we will not be a shore attraction for 2007. 2008 and beyond is another story.

[mclunatic4evr]

Yeah! You kids today need to learn the meaning of Respect, that's right y'all ungrateful. Sheet, in my day we had a stick with an egg shell shattered all over it and we were damn grateful, of course Black Sabbath was blasting 24/7 back then.

[plokoon]

Okay, I am 14 and liked rollercoasters funhouses and darkrides! After seeing Wildwoods Piers history, Atlantic citys background. And others.

Okay, lets go down the list of pier parks.


Atantic City: Well there pier was cheap in modern years and Im glad its gone. No darkrides.
OCean City New Jersey: None.
Long beach island: None, well ust to.

Seaside: Well theres my first peir to stop too, Stilwalk manor rocks. Ive been in the old nightmare mansion version. Your attraction rocked on the other pier.

Wildwood: Now there we have a good successful amusement resort, thats not going any where down. Dante's Inferno, rocks like crazy, and the other three attrations rock.

Ocean City Maryland: Oooh! Looky heres a traditional park I go on vacation everyyear.
There haunted house was the best ever, that I ever seen. The crooked hallway, waterfall. The Pirates cove, another adventerous walkthrough. Now I would love to thank Trimper for all his funhouse and darkride. And the pier there stinks.

Now to the point. You should think about wildwood. There it would feel like home. You would bring back the dark in wildwood. Since 2000 was the on;ly time I was stupid not to ride the castle, and looked at it. I feel stupid. But along with the other darkrides. It would rock! Especially with the mummy ride.
But as a teen I would love to walk in your ride. And by any chance do you have any plans for extending it to a two story by any chance . And robert has a point as well.

Plokoon111