Statistics for you haunted houses

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Blake Lanser/Iowa State Daily

An Ames Halloween tradition, the Haunted Forest opens on weekends for all to come and experience the thrills of wandering through a haunted forest. Iowa State students and Ames residents are welcome to volunteer to dress up and scare ticket holders.

Michaela Ramm

Everyone loves to attend a haunted house to get a good scare for a night, even if it is fake. But what is the history behind these attractions? Here is some unknown facts about the haunted attraction industry in the United States.

The history of haunted houses is unknown, but there is speculation of the first attraction appearing in the U.S. in 1915.

Today, there are an estimated 1,200 haunted house attractions in the U.S. An average 8,000 people attend these attractions every year.

The haunted attraction industry makes between 500 and $800 million a year in ticket sales.

More than 80 percent of attractions are run by or benefit a charity of some kind.

Owners of haunted attractions spend more than $100 million annually in props, such as fog machines, lighting equipment, costumes and more.

Information courtesy of: http://hauntworld.com/haunted_attraction_information.cfm

For more information about haunted houses in Ames, click here