s6, e010 | the Attractions Group Podcast: "Behind the Scare"- the Darkness St. Louis. Larry Kirchner
Go Behind the Scenes of The Darkness with Haunt Industry Legend Larry Kirchner! 🎃Why do some haunted houses terrify millions while others fail to make an impact? In this episode of The Attractions Group Podcast, host David Detling sits down with industry icon Larry Kirchner, creator of the world-famous The Darkness in St. Louis and owner of HauntWorld.
Whether you're a haunt operator looking to scale your attraction or a theme park fan who loves high-level creative design, Larry breaks down what it truly takes to build and maintain an industry-dominating haunt year after year.
📌 In This Episode, We Cover:
The history, evolution, and immersive design philosophy behind The Darkness St. Louis.
How high-budget animatronics, set dressing, and scare-actor placement create maximum throughput.
The business and marketing strategies haunt operators need to succeed in today's industry.
Behind-the-scenes insights from the founder of HauntWorld.com.
⏱️ Episode Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction & Welcome to the Fall 2026 Haunt Series
02:15 – Meet Larry Kirchner: The Father of Modern Haunted Houses
06:40 – The History & Evolution of The Darkness St. Louis
12:30 – High-Tech Animatronics vs. Actor-Driven Scares
18:10 – Designing High-Throughput Attractions Without Losing Immersion
24:50 – Marketing Your Haunt & Building the HauntWorld Empire
31:15 – Future Trends in the Theme Park & Haunted Attraction Industry
38:00 – Key Takeaways for Haunt Owners & Wrap-Up
🔔 Subscribe & Support the ChannelIf you enjoyed this deep dive, please LIKE, COMMENT your favorite haunt, and SUBSCRIBE to help us bring you more executive-level industry coverage!
🌐 Website: https://www.theattractionsgroup.com
🎙️ Listen on Apple/Spotify: Search The Attractions Group Podcast
📩 Business & Sponsorship Inquiries: info@theattractionsgroup.com
#HauntedHouse #TheDarkness #HauntWorld #ThemeParkIndustry #TheAttractionsGroup #HauntIndustry #Halloween2026 #AmusementParks #AttractionDesign
5 Oct 2026
s6, e009 | the Attractions Group Podcast: Behind the Scare | the Oaks Park (Portland, OR)
Season 6, Episode 009 of the Attractions Group Podcast "Behind the Scare" series takes us all the way to Portland, Oregon to the states largest Haunted Attraction: "Scare Grounds PDX at Oaks Park".
Flying solo again, David interviews Oaks Park Marketing & Events Director Emily MacKay and Alex Fulmor, Owner of Vendetta Productions (event, film, and audio production company located in the Portland, Oregon area).
A full episode description will post once the Premier is complete.
2 Oct 2026
s6, e008: the Attractions Group Podcast | Behind the Gourd at "Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom"
the Attractions Group podcast sits down with Logan Sanderson, Marketing Director for Kentucky Kingdom to "Gourd Behind the Scenes" of what it takes to put together thousand of pumpkins each year for the annual "Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom" event!
A more detailed description will post after the Premier ends.
Who has been a guest on The Attractions Group Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Chuck Mingo
John Dunlap
Dan Cockerell
Ryan Suhr
Don Helbig
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
415,159
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
53
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
0
Contact The Attractions Group Podcast
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about The Attractions Group Podcast
Who hosts The Attractions Group Podcast?
Clete Reinberger and David Detling and Clete and David host the show. Published by attractionsgrouppodcast.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does The Attractions Group Podcast take guests?
The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
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