A History of Haunt: Part 1 Boo! Blast

 Twenty years ago, Worlds of Fun was in a massive state of flux. Orient Express was operating for its last season, and the park looked exceptionally different than it had only ten years prior. Another change was about to occur to a festival that had been a relatively minor part of Worlds of Fun up to that point, Halloweekends. In 2003 it would begin to expand massively, and that expansion began with two new haunts. Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns and Magical House on Boo Hill.

Boo! Bash pin a rarity for an event that only lasted under that name for one season.

The more recognizable Boo! Blast logo pin

Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns and Magical House on Boo Hill might have been the beginning of the Haunt we know today, but they weren't the beginning of the story of Halloweekends. No, the beginning of Haunt today started far earlier than 2003, and instead started 11 years earlier, in 1992, when the first seeds of the event were planted, not by Cedar Fair but by Hunt Midwest Entertainment (HME). In the early 1990s, HME was looking for ways to attract guests to the park during typically slow times of the year, and they did so by introducing several new park festivals; of primary interest to this blog was Boo! Bash. Primarily targetted at the younger, under-12 audience, the attractions were minor and included a Rockin' Trolls show at Tivoli Music Hall, a Dracula magic show (not to be confused with the John Bundy Spooktacular that would come a few years later), witch storytelling, trick or treating through the park, and the opportunity for kids to paint their own pumpkin. Unlike today's Haunt, the very first Boo! Bash would only run for two weekends in 1992, Oct 23-24 and Oct 31-Nov 1, bookending the far more popular Oktoberfest festival, which had existed since 1973. 

In 1993 the festival would return but with a slight name modification from Boo! Bash to the name more recall, Boo! Blast. Like the prior year, many activity offerings would remain the same, but it would expand to three weekends, Oct 16-31. Obviously, the event was determined to be something worth repeating!

The 1993 version of Boo! Blast repeated much of the same activities as 1992, including a pumpkin patch, magic show, trick or treating, and treasure trolls show. The event also included a Halloween Fun Walk inside the Incred-O-Dome, and children could also receive treats at gift shops throughout the park and a free bag to carry them in.

1994 would introduce a new major addition to Boo! Blast the Swope Parkway Health Center's Trick or Treat Village. The first thought on Trick or Treat Village is that this was the same as the Trick or Treat Town in the Tivoli Lobby. It is not, as it existed as a separate event from Worlds of Fun before and after 1994-1995. The 1994 Trick or Treat Village is described by an article in the Kansas City Star on October 7, 1994, as "featuring costumed ghouls greeting children at 20 house fronts and a pumpkin patch". It then goes on to mention that a donation of $2 is required for admission to Trick or Treat Village, and includes a decorated pumpkin to take home. Another unique twist to the event is that in 1995, Trick or Treat Village would open on October 30 as a "safe" Trick or Treat option when the park was otherwise closed, for a suggested donation of $5 per person. 

Another change to Boo! Blast in 1994 was the expansion of the event from three weekends to four from October 8 to the 30th in 1994 and October 7 to the 29th in 1995. As part of the extension, Boo! Blast saw the addition of a classic attraction that would last for nearly the next 20 seasons—John Bundy's magic and illusionist show, Spooktacular, featuring his assistant, Morgan. The show would change themes, titles, and primary audiences over the years but would become integral to many memories of the early event. 

1996 would see the first changes by the new park owners, Cedar Fair, which had purchased the park from HME in June of 1995. Before 1996, the park's season would run until the end of October, as it does today. Cedar Fair, for unknown reasons, changed that. The park season would now end in the middle of October and would remain that way for the next six seasons. 

Photo from Side Show of Horrors.  Photo thanks to John Bundy

Boo! Blast ad from 1996

Boo! Blast would continue, but for only three weekends again, with the event being re-scheduled to the time slot traditionally allotted to Oktoberfest, in 1996 that would mean September 28 until October 13. In addition to the schedule change, Cedar Fair would introduce a new attraction, Trick-or-Treat Town, in the Tivoli Music Hall Lobby; it would offer a tiny town where kids could trick or treat for goodies. Other activities also included mask-making and the storytelling K.K. the Witch. Tivoli Music Hall would also continue its tradition of Halloween entertainment provided by John Bundy and Morgan with Side Show of Horrors. Bundy describes the show as a "Tales from the Crypt format in which audiences saw the bizarre and unusual illusions in the crypt of curiosities." Unlike the later Spooktacular, it was not a show targeted at younger audiences. Bundy continues and describes that, like so many other Worlds of Fun traditions, this one was last minute, being put together in two to three weeks.

Frankenstein during Halloweekends, possibly taken in 1997 (Icicle in the background would be removed after that season).

Trick of Treat Town in Tivoli Lobby

1997 would be more of the same, with the event running from September 27 through October 12 (with October 12 being the closing day for the season). For the first time, Scandinavia would be officially listed as the official home for the event, and attractions would be updated, too. A new John Bundy show, Nightmare Castle, premiered, and it would be the first of his productions to feature "Wacky Dracky." Unlike the later Spooktacular, this was not geared towards children and families and featured a smaller cast than the later Spooktacular. In addition to the Tivoli offerings, various roaming characters, including Dracula, Frankenstein, and "other frightful favorites." 

Photo from Nightmare Castle, photo thanks to John Bundy

The following season is when things would "start" to get interesting and would start establishing the event we would all know at the turn of the millennia. The first significant change was the re-addition of a 4th week, with the event running from September 26 until October 18 (adding a week back to the operating season). 1998 would also be the first time for two separate Halloween events. Boo! Blast would continue in Scandinavia for the under 12 children, and Halloween Haunt would debut in Africa. In 1998, that meant several new activities. The first two would be creations by John Bundy: Digger's Used Coffin Lot, a comedy horror-style skit based around a fictional used coffin lot (think like a used car lot), and Witch Doctor's Revenge, where a talking head would taunt and tease its audience. The last attraction was Voo Doo Tunes, a DJ in Mamba Plaza with dancing Alien characters.

John Bundy's Spooktacular

Voo Doo Tunes at Mamba Plaza.

The Scandinavian section would continue as Boo! Blast and the Tivoli show would take on the form and theme it would carry through the next decade, the John Bundy production Spooktacular. Spooktacular took on its more family-oriented show format but continued to offer a full professional-scale magic and illusion presentation, providing spectacular entertainment value for all ages. Bundy would mention that it would carry on several props from the long-gone and short-lived Mark Wilson Haunted Theatre production that played at Tivoli in 1985 and 1986. In addition to Spooktacular, Tivoli would continue to be home to Trick-or-Treat Town and not far away still in Scandinavia. Broomzelda's Bewitching Tales would be a continuation of Witch-led storytelling. At Tivoli East would be located Maskerade, where kids could make their own mask, and also in Scandinavia, Groovy Tunes, featuring dancing Halloween characters.

Broomzelda's Bewitching Tales in Scandinavia. 

Though there is no official mention of it, it is also believed that the attraction of Fury of the Bloody Nile would begin in 1998 as well, it was memorable for its dyed red water and haunted skeleton raft.

Fury of the Bloody Nile 

Boo! Blast ad from 1998

The final change would occur in 1999 when the event title was officially changed to Halloweekends while still using the tags Boo! Blast and Halloween Haunt for the individual sections of the event (Scandinavia and Africa, respectively). Halloweekends would remain the name of the event for the next eight seasons, with the event changing drastically around the title, becoming more recognizable as the modern version of Haunt with each passing season.

Halloween Haunt signage headed into Africa

Digger's Used Coffin Lot photo by John Bundy

2000 would see the return of Halloweekends and a similar line-up, but the event would expand to FIVE weeks, from September 23 through October 22. Boo! Blast in Scandinavia would remain unchanged except for its witch's storytelling, which would have a new name, Winifred's Wise Whimsies Bewitching Tales.

Signage at the gate that the event has been modified due to 9/11

On September 11, 2001, the world changed when hijackers flew two jetliners into World Trade Center Tower One and Tower Two. Halloweekends would go forward but with little of its Africa Halloween Haunt attractions. The Scandinavian kid-friendly attractions would continue, as would Spooktacular. There were a few minor additions to the event in 2001 with the new themed modification of Camp Snoopy into "Camp Spooky," which came with a Peanut's Coloring activity in Campground Theater, and children could meet the Peanut's characters in Halloween garb. 

Coloring at Camp Spooky's Campground Theater.

Peanut's characters dressed in Halloween costume.

One change that stands out for 2001 is the event's expansion to six weekends, from September 27 until October 28; this is important as the six-weekend template would last through the 2009 season. With the event schedule expansion, this would also be the first time in six seasons that the park would again open until the end of October. 

2002 would return to the full roster of activities and was seen by many as the same old Boo! Blast. Little did anyone know that it would never be the same old again. 

A special thanks to John Bundy for answering our questions regarding his several Worlds of Fun shows and providing photos for many of the early shows as well!