Thanks to the recent string of beheadings by ISIS, some haunted houses are getting rid of their classic attractions.
The Denver Post reports that local attractions have removed figures like the Headless Horseman from their Halloween festivities. Busch Gardens locations in Virginia and Florida removed some of their Halloween decorations after customers complained about the severed heads. Similarly, Westminster's Frightmare Compound won't feature any headless decor.
Some owners of Halloween-themed businesses aren't happy about the trend, though. Chris Stafford, co-owner and founder of two Denver haunted houses, The 13th Floor and Asylum, said that the attractions are "based on fantasy," not current events, and characters like the Headless Horseman are timeless.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"There are plenty of Halloween props out there that have to do with a headless figure or a [severed] head," Stafford said. "They are elements of Halloween that have been around as long as Halloween has been around."
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.