Lake Hickory Haunts

What Lake Hickory Haunts does

Lake Hickory Haunts, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina, operates a seasonal haunted theme park on a lakeside property at 520 Carolina Ave. The company runs 13 distinct themed attractions from September through November each year, including signature overwater and underground sets (Shipwrecked, Descent, Aquaphobia, Nightmare Factory, Voodoo Bayou, Extinction, and others), supplemented by a Midway of Mayhem with live entertainment, concessions, escape rooms, axe throwing, and additional paid attractions. A sister attraction, Lake Hickory Escape, operates year-round escape rooms at the same physical site, providing off-season continuity.

The business model is a multi-tier ticketed entertainment venue with three core admission products — General Admission ($32-$42), Fast Pass ($48-$58), and VIP Pass ($66-$77) — priced dynamically based on a color-coded night system (Green, Yellow, Orange) that reflects expected crowd levels. Ancillary revenue is generated from parking ($5-$20), midway attractions, concessions (Kraken's Kitchen), and gift shop sales, with VIP pass holders receiving a $5 credit toward these outlets. Group bookings are available for 20+ guests at dedicated rates, and military, police, fire, and EMS personnel receive a $5 in-person discount.

The technology stack is composed of third-party commercial platforms rather than proprietary systems: HauntPay handles online ticketing and timeslot reservations, Slick Text powers SMS marketing via the VIP text list, Google Analytics and Google Maps Platform APIs support site analytics and directions, and YouTube hosts documentary content including the "Road to Lake Hickory Haunts" series. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through the company website and on-site box office, with group bookings coordinated via email. The company employs 15 staff and is privately held with no disclosed external funding or institutional investors.

Name

Lake Hickory Haunts

Legal name

Lake Hickory Haunts

Website

https://lakehickoryhaunts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lake Hickory Haunts is a privately held seasonal haunted theme park in Hickory, North Carolina, operating 13 themed attractions from September through November each year for general consumers, groups, and thrill-seekers, with a year-round sister escape-room attraction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Haunted Theme Park

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (713110), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Destination Theme Parks (Large-Scale, Multi-Attraction Parks) (THAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal & Special-Event Parks (Halloween/Christmas, Pop-Up Experiences) (THAJAEAH)

Keywords

• Haunted theme park
• Haunted attractions
• Halloween entertainment
• Seasonal amusement park
• Escape room experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Hickory

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: One-time admission tickets to all 13 main attractions. Pricing varies by night color (Green, Yellow, Orange) ranging from $32-$42 online. All main attractions included; Midway attractions sold separately.
2. VIP Pass: Premium admission package including immediate access with no wait time, VIP lounge access with snack and water, free VIP sticker or trading card, one free Midway attraction ticket, $5 gift shop/concessions credit, and free printed photo. Prices range from $66-$77 depending on night.
3. Fast Pass: Shorter line access upgrade to General Admission. Moves much faster than standard queue. Prices range from $48-$58 depending on night.
4. Midway Attractions: Additional paid experiences including 4D Asylum Experience, Curse of the Mummy, Pharaoh's Treasure Escape Room, Axe Throwing, Dracula's Dizzy Darts, and Coffin Rides. Sold separately from main admission.
5. Concessions and Gift Shop: On-site food, beverages, and merchandise sales at Kraken's Kitchen and gift shop locations. VIP pass holders receive $5 credit toward these outlets.
6. Parking: Standard parking $5, premier parking $10, large vehicles (20+ passengers) $20. Cash or card accepted.
7. Group Bookings: Special pricing for groups of 20 or more: $30/person on Green Nights, $34/person on Yellow Nights. Must be purchased at least 48 hours in advance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lake Hickory Haunts operates a seasonal haunted theme park in Hickory, North Carolina, featuring 13 distinct immersive haunted attractions included with a single general admission ticket. The park operates September through November annually, with additional paid midway attractions (escape rooms, axe throwing, sensory experiences), concessions, parking, and a sister year-round escape room business called Lake Hickory Escape. Tickets are sold in General Admission, Fast Pass, and VIP tiers with dynamic color-coded pricing based on expected crowd levels.

Product overview

Lake Hickory Haunts is a haunted theme park (not a single product) offering 13 distinct core haunted attractions included with general admission: Midway of Mayhem (live entertainment hub), Nightmare Factory: Unleashed, Lair of the Undead, Voodoo Bayou, Shipwrecked, Aquaphobia, Extinction, Aftermath, Nature's Revenge, Descent, Big Top Circus, Chop Shop, and Ghost Town. Additional paid midway attractions (add-on modules) include 4D Asylum Experience, Curse of the Mummy, Pharaoh's Treasure Escape Room, Axe Throwing, Dracula's Dizzy Darts, Coffin Rides, Monster Mash, and Kraken's Kitchen. Ticket tiers consist of General Admission, Fast Pass (shorter line access), and VIP Pass (immediate access, VIP lounge, freebies). The park also offers group rates, parking, and live entertainment events. A sister brand, Lake Hickory Escape, operates year-round escape rooms at a separate location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Midway of Mayhem

Quantifiable outcome

• All 13 main attractions included with single admission price
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lake Hickory EscapecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYear-round sister attraction offering escape room experiences. Marketed during off-season as alternative entertainment option. Cross-promoted on Lake Hickory Haunts website and social media. Located at same physical property (520 Carolina Ave, Hickory, NC). Website link: lakehickoryescape.com.
• HauntPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party ticketing and payment processing platform. Provides online ticket sales, timeslot reservation system, and payment processing for admissions, concessions, and Midway attractions. URL: app.hauntpay.com. Privacy notice available at gopassage.com.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Six Flags Fright Fest: Six Flags Fright Fest is the seasonal Halloween event overlayed across Six Flags regional theme parks — comparable as an incumbent theme park operator running seasonal Halloween scare attractions serving regional thrill audiences.
• Universal Halloween Horror Nights: Universal's HHN is the largest scale seasonal Halloween haunt event in the US, with 10+ themed houses inside its destination theme parks — relevant incumbent comparable for seasonal Halloween demand, customer overlap, and ticket-tiering reference.
• Knott's Scary Farm (Cedar Fair): Knott's Scary Farm is the longest-running seasonal Halloween theme park event, operated by Cedar Fair inside Knott's Berry Farm — comparable as a multi-attraction seasonal Halloween event run by an incumbent theme park operator.
• Bush Gardens Howl-O-Scream (Tampa/Williamsburg): Bush Gardens operates Howl-O-Scream, a seasonal Halloween event with multiple themed haunted houses inside its larger regional theme parks — comparable as a Halloween-season multi-attraction overlay and as a competitor for regional thrill-seekers.

Direct peers

• Netherworld Haunted House: Netherworld is a multi-attraction haunted theme park near Atlanta, Georgia featuring two flagship haunted houses plus escape rooms and a Monster Midway — directly comparable as a regional, multi-attraction Halloween destination rival in the Southeast US.
• Field of Screams (Pennsylvania): Field of Screams is a multi-attraction haunted theme park in Lancaster, PA operating four haunted attractions plus a paintball hayride — comparable as a similarly scaled multi-attraction regional haunted destination.
• The Haunt (multiple locations): The Haunt operates multi-attraction haunted theme parks in Ohio (Haunt Hause, Haunted Warehouse) and Michigan — directly comparable as a regional multi-attraction haunted theme park operator with similar tiered ticketing.
• House of Torment: House of Torment is a multi-attraction haunted theme park in Austin, Texas operating multiple themed haunted houses plus midway attractions — closely comparable to Lake Hickory Haunts' multi-attraction destination format and add-on midway model.
• 13th Gate (Louisiana): 13th Gate is a multi-attraction, large-scale haunted theme park in Louisiana offering 13+ themed walkthrough attractions as a single destination — directly comparable to Lake Hickory Haunts' 13-attraction, lakeside, destination-hunt model.

Others

• Halloween Horror Nights Producer (Escape Game-style sister attraction): Lake Hickory Escape is the company's own year-round escape room sister brand — included as an internal comparable for the company's strategy of cross-monetizing its audience through year-round experiential attractions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-hickory-haunts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Hickory Haunts