Who is the Queen of Haunts?

These haunts, clustered in the Rumely Tractor Building and surrounding blocks, create a "neighborhood of nightmares" that draws thousands each season. The West Bottoms also hosts pop-up events, community markets, and festivals that Amber programs year-round.

In the business of haunted attractions, the most critical attribute for a haunt is to be scary. Successful haunts cannot operate as “amusement park-spooky” that works for young children. Mega-haunts have to bring heart-pounding, scare-out-of-your-wits terror. Some people feel like they are living a nightmare as they face their fears; they may even get temporary nightmares from the experience. 

“If we can get nightmares, we really did our job. Although the true measure of success is screams and laughter,” said Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, also known as the Queen of Haunts. “When I rank haunts, they have to be terrifying, and they have to be terrific – hence ‘terrorific.’” They’re terrific in the sense of entertaining the right way – a safe and professional track record. I’ve visited and have done my homework. While I have a bias for the KC haunts I’ve had a hand in, they hold their own against other titans of terror.” 

The Queen of Haunts' blood runs deep in the commercial haunt business, practically born into it when her mother and grandmother opened Edge of Hell in 1975, and she slept in a coffin at the haunt when she napped as a young girl. Her family is deeply involved, although her mother has passed and her grandmother retired. 

Seeking best practices in the haunt industry led Arnett-Bequeaith to leadership positions in haunt associations and further networking to hone her craft at haunting. She works extensively to research haunt illusions, lore, and legends that are fitting for scenes and spotting trends to incorporate into one of the three commercial haunts operating and a ghost tour. 

Another area of the Queen of Haunts' interest is haunt data. 

• There are over 1,200 haunted attractions nationwide. 

• In the top 50 US Metro areas, there are approximately 250 established, commercial haunted attractions 

• The average metro area in the top 20 cities has approximately five commercial haunts, with a high of 15 (New York City) or as few as 1 (San Jose, CA – not counting the Winchester Mansion, which is quite haunted but not counted as a haunted attraction). 

• 65% of the US population is driving distance to a commercial haunted attraction within the top 50 metros. 

• On top of the commercial haunts, many people make their home or farm into a haunted attraction. Some start as a hobby while others use it to save the farm. Commercial haunts allow the public in, have a business license, and have permitting and safety inspections by officials, as just a few differentiators from hobbyists.