Practiced on

During the entire fall season and not on a specific day

Country of Origin 

Lynchburg, Virginia, United States

Key Points / Halloween Connection

- Attractions that promote a Christian message showing the consequences of sin

- Have become a fixture of the Halloween season and attract people of all faiths and beliefs

Brief Bio

The origin of the attraction known as "Hell Houses" is the evangelical concept of "Scaremare", which began in 1972 at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, to promote Christian messages by frightening audiences with graphic depictions of sin and its consequences. 

Pastor Keenan Roberts popularized and modernized this concept in the 1990s by creating the "Hell House" version in Colorado, providing pre-packaged kits and scripts to other churches, and establishing the model for the, fear-based attractions that remain a fixture of Halloween in some parts of the United States.