Growing Up Spooky - Families Raised in America's Most Legendary Haunted Attractions

The Queen of Haunts recognizes the next generation, keeping the scream alive

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For most kids, childhood memories are filled with playgrounds, sports, and summer camps. But for the children of America's most legendary haunted attractions, growing up spooky was a family affair built on screams, creativity, and the business of fright. From crawling through dirt as scareactors and tearing tickets at night to painting sets and running snack bars, these kids were raised in the shadows of haunted houses and many are now strong contributors to the businesses their parents helped build.

The Queen of Haunts, Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, knows that story firsthand. Raised inside Kansas City's iconic Edge of Hell, Amber napped in coffins as a child and sprinkled rose petals from above the haunt's entryway while thrillseekers poured in. She often included her children, who napped in her office as toddlers as she worked. Today, she honors the families whose children grew up among the monsters and who are now keeping the scream alive for the next generation.

Nine Legendary Haunted Attractions Raising the Next Generation of Fearmakers

Beast , Edge of Hell, and Macabre Cinema (Kansas City, MO) – The Summers/Arnett family has lived and breathed haunting for more than five decades, creating Kansas City's legendary trifecta: Edge of Hell, Beast, and Macabre Cinema. From makeup and marketing to set design and operations, the family and their extended team of longtime staff have raised generations on the craft of scaring, setting national standards for innovation and world-class fright. Today, the Queen of Haunts and her uncle continue to expand their haunted empire, building on its nationally acclaimed reputation for immersive scares and unmatched production value.

NETHERWORLD  (Atlanta-area, Stone Mountain, GA) – Known nationwide for its movie-quality sets and larger-than-life monsters, NETHERWORLD's co-creator Ben Armstrong raised his children amid the mayhem. Growing up backstage, they were surrounded by towering creatures, iconic props, and the inner workings of a world-class haunted house. Both his son and daughter have since taken on creative and operational roles, carrying forward the tradition of pushing the boundaries of what a haunted attraction can be. They're mastering the craft of monster-making and are the next generation to ensure NETHERWORLD's reign of terror and reputation for jaw-dropping artistry and innovation continues to be a force in fright.

Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride  (Philadelphia-area, Glen Mills, PA) – For the Bates family, haunting has always been an all-hands affair. Randy Bates' children grew up in costumes and on tractors. Son Ben, who once fell asleep in his squirrel costume on a wagon full of customers, now serves as general manager overseeing builds, operations, and machinery. Daughter Veronica has spent 25 years managing concessions and retail while her husband handles security and EMT staffing. Other children and in-laws oversee HR, donut stands, petting zoos, and even tractor maintenance. From Randy's wife Anne managing the books to grandkids working concessions, haunting remains the ultimate family enterprise. At Bates Motel, fear is a family business and teamwork is the real secret to keeping the hayride rolling.

Nightmare on 13th  (Salt Lake City, UT) – Mike Henrie's son, Skyler, started at just 11 years old, too scared to walk through the haunted house but eager to help in the snack bar. By 13, he was running it himself, always dressed in a Nightmare shirt and tie, even earning the "All Tied Up" award. Over the years, Skyler moved into acting, retail, and ticket scanning, often finding ways to sneak in scares, whether by joking about "special touching tickets" or dangling a fake cockroach on a string. Today, Skyler oversees more than 200 actors and dreams of one day owning the haunt that shaped his childhood, proving that once you grow up spooky, you never really grow out of it.

Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego, CA) – Greg DeFatta began haunting in 1990 with the Haunted Hotel in Louisville before bringing his passion west to San Diego. His son Dylan joined the Haunted Trail as a scareactor at 14, often covered in dirt after enthusiastically crawling through scenes. Over the years, he transitioned from tearing tickets to building sets, drawing on his woodworking background and training in furniture manufacturing. For the past decade, Dylan has led design and build operations, shaping not only the Trail's massive outdoor sets but also escape rooms and axe-throwing attractions. With Greg's wife Harland and extended family pitching in, the DeFattas keep California's longest-running outdoor haunt screaming season after season.

Erebus Haunted Attraction (Detroit-area, Pontiac, MI) – The towering four-story Erebus has always been a family affair. After the unexpected loss of co-founder Ed Terebus, his brother and fellow founder Jim Terebus' children—Zachary, Brad, and Mackenzie—stepped in to carry the torch. Erebus served as their learning ground for every aspect of haunting, from design and acting to guest experience. Their leadership ensures that Erebus' towering terror and family spirit remain stronger than ever.

Talon Falls Screampark  (Melber, KY) – For Todd and Shell Ferren's daughter, growing up spooky meant painting sets, distressing props, and pitching in wherever needed from the time she was 12. Over the years, her responsibilities expanded from wardrobe and concessions to overseeing auditions, rehearsals, and nightly operations. Today, she leads the actor department, training performers, coordinating costumes, and calming first-time cast members before their debut scares. Off-season, she helps design and build new themes, proving her creativity shapes the Screampark year-round. Her journey from little helper to essential leader has made Talon Falls not just a family business but a family legacy of fear and fun.

Raising the Next Generation of Haunt Masters

"These haunts aren't just places to get scared, they're classrooms; for creativity, teamwork, and resilience," said Arnett-Bequeaith. "I was literally raised in Hell, Edge of Hell, and proud to pass on those lessons to my own children. We've all learned that fear, when faced together, can be both fun and empowering."

From kids running concessions to teens mastering the art of the scare, these families prove haunting is about more than fright — it's about imagination, grit, and a shared love of making people scream and smile.

As haunt season peaks, thrillseekers can step into these legendary attractions knowing that every scare is powered by generations of families who grew up spooky—and wouldn't have it any other way.

About Queen of Haunts

Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, dubbed the Queen of Haunts, grew up inside the nation's oldest commercial haunted house, Edge of Hell, and now oversees Full Moon Productions' iconic attractions with her uncle, including Beast, Macabre Cinema, and Edge of Hell in Kansas City. A national voice for the haunt industry, she promotes haunted attractions as safe places for fear and joy, where screams and laughter go hand in hand.

SOURCE Queen of Haunts