Halloween-Themed Attractions: A Scarily Good Growth Opportunity

Halloween is the perfect time for venues of all sizes to attract more visitors and boost revenue. By adding fun, seasonal attractions like haunted mazes and pumpkin patches, you can draw in larger crowds, engage both kids and adults, and extend the peak summer season into October.

In this article, we’ll dive into how embracing Halloween-themed attractions can turn your venue into a must-visit destination this spooky season.

Why Halloween is a perfect opportunity for growth

Halloween is bigger than ever. In 2023, 73% of Americans got in on the spooky fun, up from 65% just a few years before. And it’s not just about dressing up—people are spending too. With planned Halloween spending reaching an incredible $12.2 billion in the U.S., venues have a massive chance to boost business with just a bit of seasonal magic.

Seasonal attractions can appeal to everyone—from families looking for kid-friendly fun to thrill-seekers chasing haunted adventures. By tapping into the Halloween hype, venues can boost foot traffic and create new revenue streams through ticket sales, themed merchandise, and food and beverage offerings.

How Halloween attractions boost revenue

With Halloween spending growing around the world, how can attraction venues get a slice of the spooky pie? From exclusive events to special packages, tapping into Halloween excitement can take your venue to the next level. Let’s break down the key ways these seasonal offerings can boost your bottom line.

Increased ticket sales through special events

Exclusive Halloween-themed events create a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging guests to snag tickets before they sell out. Whether it's haunted houses, costume contests, or pumpkin-carving workshops, limited-time experiences offer guests something unique—and they're often willing to pay a premium for that memorable, seasonal fun.

Read more: 5 Unmissable Halloween Ideas to Generate Hype and Revenue

Enhanced guest spending with themed packages

Another way to maximize your revenue is through bundled experiences. By offering tickets that include themed food, drinks, or merchandise, you not only add more value but also increase overall guest spending. For example, you could offer a ‘Haunted Experience Package’ that includes admission, a themed drink, and exclusive Halloween merchandise at a discounted rate.

Using a platform like ROLLER to create packages makes it super easy to build and manage these bundles, ensuring guests feel like they're getting a great deal while boosting your revenue.

Read more: 10 Package Ideas That Will Increase Spend-Per-Head

Successful Halloween-themed venues

By tapping into the growing popularity of Halloween events, venues around the world have shown how creative, immersive experiences can increase attendance, drive higher guest spending, and extend the peak season into the fall months.

Here’s how some of the most successful venues have embraced the spooky season to boost engagement and grow their business.

Case study: Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights is one of the most iconic Halloween events globally. Known for its terrifying haunted houses, themed scare zones, and movie-quality sets, the event has become a top draw for thrill-seekers.

Using cutting-edge design and live actors, Universal Studios transforms its parks into horror-filled environments, creating a unique, immersive experience that keeps visitors coming back year after year. This combination of high production value and limited-time offerings allows the park to charge premium ticket prices while generating buzz that draws crowds from all over the world.

Case study: Liseberg’s Halloween transformation

Liseberg, a Swedish theme park, has seen remarkable success by introducing Halloween-themed attractions. By transforming its venue with haunted mazes, seasonal decorations, and themed zones, Liseberg extended its peak summer season into the fall and attracted guests during what would traditionally be a slower time of year for the venue.

This transformation helped increase both visitation and engagement with guests, particularly families, who came to enjoy the kid-friendly yet spooky atmosphere. Liseberg’s ability to tailor their Halloween offerings to all ages ensures they cater to a broad demographic, maximizing their appeal and revenue potential.

Case study: Hersheypark’s Dark Nights 

Hersheypark’s Dark Nights is a great example of how a family-focused venue can add intense, immersive Halloween experiences to attract a new audience while keeping their existing guests happy. While the haunted attractions are aimed at older audiences, younger kids can still enjoy trick-or-treating, flashlight tours, and fun interactions with Hershey characters in costume. This balance has allowed Hersheypark to expand its Halloween offerings and significantly boost per-capita spending through seasonal food, merchandise, and exclusive experiences. 

How ROLLER can help you make the most of Halloween

Halloween is an incredible opportunity to engage guests and boost your venue’s revenue. ROLLER's platform offers a range of tools to help you create seamless, spooky experiences that will keep guests coming back year after year.

From creating packages and bundles to modernizing your menus with smart and convenient mobile F&B ordering, ROLLER’s all-in-one platform makes it easy to provide a memorable and immersive experience for your guests. Here’s how ROLLER can help your venue maximize its Halloween potential:

• Packages: Easily curate themed bundles, such as Halloween-exclusive tickets, food, and merchandise combinations, using ROLLER’s Packages feature to increase spend-per-head and give guests more value.
• Mobile F&B ordering: Simplify food and drink orders with ROLLER’s mobile F&B ordering system, letting guests enjoy spooky-themed snacks and beverages without waiting in line. 
• CRM and targeted marketing: ROLLER’s CRM tool enables you to personalize your marketing content based on guests’ previous behavior, helping you maximize marketing campaigns based on their preferences.
• Guest waivers: Eliminate bottlenecks at the entrance by allowing guests to sign waivers or complete forms online before arriving, which is great for haunted attractions or thrill rides.
• GX Score: Automatically gather guest feedback through post-visit surveys, and use those insights to have an even better Halloween even next year with the GX Score.
• Self-service ticketing kiosks: Reduce wait times and streamline entry by allowing guests to purchase tickets on-site without the need for staff assistance.
• Analytics: Gain valuable insights into your venue’s operations and guest behavior with ROLLER’s powerful Analytics tool, helping you make data-driven decisions to improve efficiency and profitability.

Ready to transform your venue this Halloween season? Book a demo and see how ROLLER can help you increase revenue, delight guests, and streamline operations.