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How do I insure a haunted attraction?
Your insurance premium depends heavily on the stunts you pull at your haunted house.
It turns out that jumping out at guests, revving a chainsaw or flashing lights could scare your insurance company into charging higher rates. So you might have to pick and choose your favorite scares. On the flipside, you could save on losses like a canceled event or damaged equipment if you use an event policy that specializes in that coverage.
What kind of insurance do I need for a haunted house?
Don’t get spooked by unplanned damage at your haunted house or corn maze. Instead, plan ahead with coverage like:
- General liability
- Liquor liability
- Auto liability
- Excess liability
- Business property
- Equipment theft or damage
- Rental equipment
- Medical payments
- Event cancellation
Do different haunted attractions have different insurance requirements?
Since many haunted attractions have similar liability needs, coverage for each event might look similar, with general coverage for liability and damages.
However, you’ll need to add or adjust coverage based on the specific stunts, performances and scares you have at your event. For example, you might need extra coverage for a musical concert or ax-throwing event.
What types of haunted attractions should get insurance?
Event insurers cover many types of haunted attractions including:
- Corn mazes
- Festivals
- Haunted forests and trails
- Haunted houses
- Hayrides
- Pumpkin patches
How much does it cost to insure a haunted house?
Event insurance for a haunted attraction ranges between $500 and $20,000, depending on the type of attractions and coverage you choose.
What affects the insurance premium?
While coverage, limits and deductibles affect cost, your premium could spike the most based on the scares you’re planning. High-risk attractions include:
- Actors jumping out at guests
- Chutes
- Live animals
- Mechanical devices
- Moving floors
- Multilevel attractions
- Open flames
- Private armed security
- Pyrotechnics
- Sharp objects
- Steep inclines
- Strobe lights
- Trap doors
What should I watch out for?
Stay extra-vigilant when thinking through the risks of a haunted attraction. Areas where you may need to watch your step:
- Beware of short terms. Event policies typically cover a short time — like 90 days — so unless your haunted event is temporary or seasonal, you may need business property coverage.
- Dig up special event insurers. Standard home or business insurers may not offer the coverage you need. Look for commercial and event insurance specialists.
- Be straightforward. Disclose all planned events to your insurer in case you need extra coverage. Otherwise, every scenario may not be covered.
- Check property coverage. Make sure property damage caused by guests is covered by your event or business property policy.
- Stay up on legal requirements. You may have other legal requirements like a fire inspection and building codes to keep in order.
- Plan for medical emergencies. You may need extra emergency exits or employee training in case a guest suffers an injury or health problem.
Bottom line
Your decked-out attraction could see a frightening premium if you include many scary stunts and acts. To lower that cost, you’ll either need to tone down the spook level or consider several insurers for the best rate.
Frequently asked questions about haunted attraction insurance
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