While planning a haunted house is all about creating unforgettable scares, the way you handle ticketing behind the screams is vital to the guest experience. The good news? Every common ticketing pitfall your haunted attraction could make is really just an opportunity to fine-tune your operations, impress your guests, and maximise your revenue. Let’s walk through some of the most common ticketing challenges and show you how to turn them into wins!

Opportunity #1: Promoting ticket sales early

While it’s important to have the essential details sorted out, you don’t have to  wait until every detail is finalised (e.g., the logistics of your scares, the event vendors, staffing schedule) before putting tickets on sale. Here’s why: delaying sales unnecessarily can limit your exposure and cut into early revenue. Plus, if you launch tickets without a solid promotional push, the first wave of sales may not be as strong as you hoped. Early ticket sales aren’t just about dollars in the bank. They build momentum, help you forecast attendance, and make your operations run smoother all season long.

How to improve:

• Set and announce ticket release dates in advance. Even if a few details aren’t fully finalised, give people a date to look forward to. Build excitement with teaser campaigns leading up to the launch.
• Offer early bird pricing or bonuses. Incentives like discounted tickets or special perks for early purchasers help drive those first sales.
• Plan your haunt marketing calendar around your ticket sale launch date. Have social media posts, email campaigns, local partnerships, and press releases lined up with your ticket launch to make sure there’s buzz right away.
• Collect customer data early. Use data from your ticket sale launches to build your email list and social media following. That way, you can engage fans throughout the season and for next year’s haunt

Opportunity #2: Optimising your pricing strategy

How you price your tickets is one of the biggest levers you have for success. Finding the perfect price can be tricky, but it’s worth it! If tickets are priced higher than what people are willing to pay, you may sell less tickets. On the flip side, if you price your tickets too low, you’re missing out on needed revenue towards your bottom line. Having a thoughtful pricing strategy ensures you’re maximising both attendance and revenue for your haunt.

How to improve:

• Do your homework. Research what similar haunted houses in your area charge and compare that to what your experience has to offer (e.g., length, special effects, atmosphere, and overall value). Use their prices as a starting point for how to price your tickets.
• Build in flexibility. Tiered pricing, dynamic pricing, and options like early bird discounts or fast passes give guests more choices and increase your chances of filling every slot.
• Keep an eye on sales pace. Monitor if your tickets are selling quickly or slowly, then consider adjusting prices or launch promotions early enough to make an impact.
• Adjust pricing by demand. Charge a little more for peak days and times like weekends or the final nights before Halloween, when demand is highest, and offer slightly lower prices for slower weekday slots to keep attendance steady throughout the season.

Opportunity #3: Making your check-in process more efficient

While some haunted houses prefer paper guest lists, printed tickets, and manual headcounts, it often leads to bottlenecks and human error, especially during peak hours. A smoother check-in not only makes your guests happier, it also saves your staff time and reduces stress.

How to improve:

• Use a ticketing platform that has a ticket scanner and other powerful features. Recruit a ticketing system that offers a free ticketing scanner app and tickets with QR codes to speed up your admissions process and reduce errors.
• Train your staff ahead of time. Make sure everyone is comfortable using the check-in tools and knows how to troubleshoot common issues.
• Set up multiple check-in lanes. Clearly marked the stations at your entrance(s) to help distribute crowds and keep your lines moving.
• Provide clear instructions in advance. Remind guests what to bring and where to go in a know-before-you-go email and on signage at the venue.

Opportunity #4: Controlling your crowd flow

While selling lots of tickets is awesome, making sure your attraction can handle the flow of people is just as important. Overcrowding, long lines, or bottlenecks inside the haunt can frustrate guests and limit how many people you can realistically let through. Plus, capacity planning is key to staying within haunt safety regulations. By thinking about your crowd flow ahead of time, you can make your haunt both safer and more enjoyable.

How to improve:

• Set realistic capacity limits. Estimate how many people your haunt can handle per time slot and use timed entry tickets to spread demand evenly.
• Design your layout with crowd flow in mind. Plan for wider walkways, designated waiting areas, and multiple entrances to keep your lines moving.
• Have an emergency plan. If things are getting crowded, have a contingency plan like temporarily slowing entry or adjusting sales caps for future time slots.
• Monitor attendance in real time with your ticket scanner. Skip the manual check-in while easily tracking sales and entry numbers all in one place with a ticket scanner app.

Opportunity #5: Communicating ticketing details & policies more clearly

Guests love surprises in your haunted house, not in your ticketing policies. Refunds, re-entry, late arrivals, or weather cancellations should all be clearly stated and easy to find on your website. Similarly, guests should know exactly what their ticket includes, how long the experience will last, and any other important safety or accessibility information.

How to improve:

• Put your policies front and center. Refunds, transfers, weather, and entry times should be shared on your event ticketing page, email campaigns, and FAQs on your website.
• Send pre-event reminders to set expectations about the experience. In your emails, remind people about wait times, level of scare, run time, and safety measures so they arrive prepared.
• Train your team on your policies. Staff and volunteers should be ready to answer policy questions (like ticket refunds) on the spot.
• Add waivers at checkout. This protects your business and makes sure guests understand the experience they’re signing up for.
• Be transparent about fees. Clearly show any additional costs up front so there are no surprises at checkout. Guests will appreciate the honesty.

Final nail in the coffin 

Of these five areas, which ones hold the most opportunity for your haunt’s ticketing? After all, every haunted house has opportunities to make their ticketing process more efficient and drive more revenue. From optimising your pricing strategy to streamlining your check-in, you’ll not only improve your operations, but you’ll also give your guests the best possible experience from the moment they buy their ticket to the moment they leave your haunt.