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| 319 Butterworth St, New Orleans, LA 70121, USA (New Orleans, Louisiana)
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The House of Shock
This annual Halloween haunted attraction is located in Jefferson, Louisiana and has quickly grown to be one of the most controversial Halloween haunts in the nation. The haunt's satanic imagery and its graphic depictions of dismemberment and torture have rankled more than a few local religious organizations and city officials and even generated accusations of devil worship.
The House of Shock had its very humble beginnings when it was started in 1992 by a group of 15 friends in the backyard of co-creator Jay Grancianette. The group had reportedly tired of the traditional haunted houses and decided to up the ante for their own and pushed for the most extreme elements possible. It was an instant success and pretty soon there were lines around the block of people wanting to get in, which made the neighbors less than pleased.
Of the original 15 friends, only three would continue to put on the event annually. The group comprised of Grancianette, Ross Karpelman, and Philip Anselmo; the frontman of the heavy metal band Pantera. In 1995, the group would be joined by Steven Joseph and move the attraction to a nearby warehouse and further expanded the operation. However, the move would be met with a little controversy when few complaints were issued to the City Council, who publicly announced that they might shut it down if they found anything offensive. A public debate over free speech was ignited that ultimately made the council back off. Anselmo ultimately found his life in Pantera didn't provide as much time as he needed for the haunt, so was forced to back off. However, he still joins the haunt as a part-time actor when he has available time.
In 1999, The House of Shock moved to its present location near the Huey P. Long Bridge in the Jefferson Parish near the city of New Orleans. The haunt has evolved from the simple walkthrough with plastic walls to a stage show, pyrotechnics, haunted house, concessions, live entertainment, and full-out spectacle - a self-professed "freak-show." Some call the haunt the "death metal" version of Halloween haunted attractions, which seems appropriate since death metal is also incorporated into the event.
What has gained this particular haunt all of the notoriety and status of being one of the best-known and most popular haunted attractions in the world is its reliance on extremely graphic and disturbing scenes, over-the-top intensity, and satanic themes. In 1997, one scene of a crucified deer with entrails spilling out was so convincing that the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries control board was sent into investigate whether the display was real. It wasn't. In fact, the co-owners admit to finding all the notoriety and talk of satanic worship to be completely laughable. To them, it is all in good fun.
While the disturbing and/or satanic imagery might be enough to dissuade some visitors from ever stepping foot into the haunt, there are countless others that are more than willing to brave it out. The haunt pulls in around 30,000 guests each year and grosses over an estimated half a million in receipts. It has even drawn attention from the entertainment world and was featured in the Travel Channel documentary, Halloween's Most Extreme.
Interestingly, the three co-owners have formed a bond with the 250-300 volunteers that help out with the haunt in various capacities and have developed a real community among them. Each year, the group holds a Christmas party where they hand out awards for best rooms and scares, barbeques, and even the annual New Year's Eve party. Given that they are located in New Orleans, they even participate in Mardi Gras by unleashing their own version of a House of Shock float that participates in the parade.
The Attraction
Visitors to the House of Shock can expect all sorts of depravity and fun. They are greeted by an elaborate five-minute stage show with a truly evil master of ceremonies with the backdrop of multimedia, live music, and stunning pyrotechnics. Guests are then ushered into the 20,000-square-foot haunt that features stops in such areas as a graveyard, funeral parlor, morgue, butcher shop, and finally the now-infamous Church of Sadness with an appearance by the devil himself. The labyrinth is described as an interactive haunted house where the guests aren't roped off from the sets, but become completely immersed and walk around in them. Each set comes with the wandering ghosts, ghouls, and assorted fiends, as well as plenty of blood and gore.
Information
For more information, including dates and hours of operation and ticket prices, please visit the site below. |
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The House of Shock
The official Web site for the controversial Halloween haunted attraction, The House of Shock, located in Jefferson, Louisiana - just outside of New Orleans. |
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