Well, here we are going into our 4th season, and looking back at our original "about us" page, I have to say that very little has changed. It still represents where we started, but does not represent where we have set our limits. We're still a small staff that travels to haunted attractions for the love of the genre. We charge no fees for our stories or attendance therefore we don't make any money.... So why do we continue? For several reasons I suppose.
Personal fulfillment... While monetary gains for our work would be nice, we can't discount how much our lives have been enriched by this endeavor. We have met the nicest people and have made great friends with those we have encountered along the way. It is amazing that the same people that have dedicated their lives to scaring the living hell out of you, have such kind hearts. They have welcomed us into their locations and some into their lives and we have been made all the better for it.
Counteracting the negative press that is sometimes still given to these events / attractions... Halloween has had a long history of uphill battles with public perception. It has grown in popularity only to be boxed up and stored in the closet until whatever "newfound fear the holiday represents" has passed. Over the past several years, and despite horrendous world affairs, the holiday has continued to flourish. We hope that websites such as ours have aided in that prosperity in some small way. We don't want to see it boxed up again... we want it to be what it once was. We want the haunted attractions brought back to the Jersey Shore. We want the resurgence of the Dark Ride. And who knows, maybe we'll get it.
From the yard haunt to the mega-themepark, we're there to support them... Had it not been for the kook who set out to scare the bejeezus out of all the neighborhood kids while they begged for candy, we would not have Halloween Horror Nights or Knott's Scary Farm. It is their blood, sweat and deranged minds that started it all. And that is why we continue to pay homage to these happy haunters, who spend their own hard earned cash for YOUR entertainment... generally asking for nothing in return, a few excepting donations to the cause. It pains us greatly to answer emails that ask why "we cover these haunts that no one cares about." They are integral to the spirit of the holiday, and shame on you if you can't see that.
For you... As you've seen below, this whole endeavor started from emails we received from our vacation website. As long as you continue to look to us, we'll be here.

For all of our friends who have insisted on the new photo, here it is ;)

Welcome to HauntFreaks.com, where we are dedicated to supporting the Haunted Attraction industry and our fellow "haunt freaks" by providing up to date information on the who, what, when, where, and why's of the industry; and to counter the attacks of a hypocritical media, the "religious right," and "Tipper Gore supporting, Rosie O'Donnell watching, concerned for the welfare of YOUR children" groups that seek to abolish the holiday of Halloween and the genre of entertainment it has inspired.

  This was never more evident than the weeks following 9/11 when the media sought to vilify the promoters of haunted attractions for being unsympathetic to a wounded nation. These vultures, who have lived by the rules of "If it bleeds, it leads" for all of their teleprompter reading lives, wanted to know how those in this industry intended to proceed into the Halloween season. Some promoters, cowed by the media and the fear of appearing insensitive, altered their events. Some went forward as planned, and their actions were NOT out of disrespect to the suffering the country had faced, they were simply an attempt to resume life. These attractions are entertainment, and have as much to do with reality as Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. In real life, a hairy, overweight old man who spies on children, puts them on his lap and hands out toys would be a pedophile, NOT a pillar of society. Real life is scary.

  Furthermore, this genre of entertainment does not perpetuate violence any more than Disney films are responsible for the charitable acts of mankind. We do not detract from benevolence, giving credit to the media, we hold these people in high esteem; however, a disturbed mind does something horrible, and we look to find a responsible culprit. An unbalanced mind will find validation in whatever crosses its path. Look at the Klan, the Aryan Nation, and the "jailhouse" Muslim religion*, all three steeped in bigotry, all three committing crimes against humanity, and all three find validation in the Bible, yet millions turn to the bible NEVER to have the same perceptions.

  To the overly concerned mothers out there who worry about what kind of affect these events will have on my child, I thank you for your "concern," but I believe I will do my own parenting. While you're out correcting the injustices of the world, why not look to the morals we are teaching our children with Christmas. Now I have to tell you, I LOVE Christmas too; however, I have to point out the inconsistencies between the perceptions of the two holidays. While one is embraced by the church for obvious religious reasons, it is not in this spirit that the mini vans are parked in front of Toys R Us at 5 in the morning waiting for the store to open, when Little Johnny's Mom will shove little Billy's mom out of the way with little concern about what "lesson" she is passing onto her child. Eye on the prize, her only goal is to get the limited edition X-box / Tickle Me Elmo / Power Ranger / Cabbage Patch Doll that the media has told her child they NEED to have December 25th.

  To the "Religious Right," I will keep my comment brief. Remove the demons from your own houses of worship and the skeletons from your own backyards before preaching to me the sins of Halloween. Enough said.

  For those of you visiting this page that first met us as "Brian and Cindy's Excellent Halloween Adventure," we thank you for your continued interest. Our original page started out as something to share with our friends, and amazingly enough, has been visited 1200 times. It was thru this site that we have met some very interesting people involved in this venue and it has further fueled our interest, thus the development of HauntFreaks.com, a site we hope you will find as entertaining as informative, and one that we hope will never stop evolving.