1. Haunted Houses: The Fear Economy

Haunted houses are the granddaddy of fall industries. They range from local community-run attractions to professional productions that resemble small-scale theme parks. And the scale is impressive. The U.S. haunted attraction industry pulls in $400–$500 million annually. Large operations like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights rake in tens of millions per season, while small-town attractions can make $50,000–$200,000 in a single October.

What’s remarkable is how these operations stimulate local economies. Hotels, restaurants, and gas stations all benefit from visitors traveling to these attractions. Seasonal employment spikes, too, with actors, ticket takers, and support staff finding work for six to eight weeks. A local haunted house might hire 20–30 temporary staff, effectively creating a small October labor market out of thin air.

Consider 13th Floor Haunted House in Texas. It attracts visitors from neighboring states who stay in hotels, eat out, and contribute to the city’s hospitality sector. The attraction itself is the tip of the iceberg; the ripple effect on the town’s economy can easily surpass its direct revenue. People willingly pay to be scared. The whole business model is a mixture of psychology, theatrics, and pure entrepreneurial audacity.

2. Pumpkin Spice Products: Flavor as Revenue

If haunted houses are the adrenaline side of fall, pumpkin spice is its caffeine and sugar equivalent. What started as a seasonal coffee flavor has morphed into a cultural juggernaut. Starbucks alone sells millions of Pumpkin Spice Lattes per season, but the market extends far beyond coffee. There are pumpkin spice cookies, cereals, dog treats, candles, and even flavored alcohol. Collectively, pumpkin spice products generate over $500 million annually in the U.S.

For local cafés and bakeries, the impact is palpable. Seasonal pumpkin spice offerings often account for $10,000–$100,000 in additional revenue. But the genius lies not in the flavor itself; it’s in the anticipation and scarcity. People will queue for hours, buy multiple items just to be part of the seasonal ritual, and then post photographs online that function as free advertising.

Pumpkin spice has become a symbol of autumnal identity. Its economic power derives not only from direct sales but also from the cultural resonance it evokes. You are paying for cinnamon and nutmeg, yes, but also for the feeling of being “in season.”

3. Ghost Tours: Monetizing Fear, Historically

Unlike haunted houses, ghost tours trade in stories rather than spectacle. Cities like Savannah, New Orleans, and Boston have built substantial tourism markets around their haunted histories. A single ghost tour ticket might cost $20–$30, but multiply that by hundreds of tours per week, and suddenly the economics are serious.

Savannah, for example, sees over 3 million visitors annually, with ghost tours contributing tens of millions in revenue. Hotels, restaurants, and bars experience noticeable spikes in activity. Tour operators employ actors and guides, adding seasonal income for local residents. And unlike haunted houses, ghost tours anchor themselves in local history, creating a product that is part performance, part education, and entirely experiential.

People are willing to pay for stories, even when those stories involve spectral manifestations and murder mysteries. Ghost tours are a case study in how narrative alone can drive tourism revenue.

4. Apple Picking: Agritourism Gold

Apple picking is perhaps the most innocuous of fall activities, yet it is a surprisingly significant economic driver. Orchards across the U.S. charge visitors for the privilege of picking fruit, supplemented by cider, donuts, and hayrides. A mid-sized orchard can attract tens of thousands of visitors per season, generating $50,000–$250,000 in revenue.

Nationally, agritourism around apple picking and other fall harvests contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy. The value lies less in the apples themselves and more in the experience: the combination of fresh air, autumnal aesthetics, and nostalgia. Visitors often spend additional money locally on lodging and dining, creating a multiplier effect that extends well beyond the farm gate.

Apple picking may appear quaint, but it is a sophisticated example of rural economic innovation, turning agricultural labor into a seasonal entertainment industry.

5. Corn Mazes: Confusion as Commerce

Corn mazes have become a staple of the autumn experience. Adults pay $10–$15 for the simple pleasure of getting lost in a carefully planned labyrinth. It sounds absurd, and yet large mazes can generate $50,000–$100,000 per season, with additional revenue from concessions and gift shops.

Nationally, corn mazes generate between $50–$100 million annually, and many incorporate haunted elements at night to increase revenue. Farms hire seasonal staff to manage ticketing, concessions, and actors, further embedding these attractions in the local economy.

The maze is an elegant business model: a low-cost, high-entertainment venture that leverages curiosity, competition, and minor disorientation to drive profits. Adults will wander aimlessly because it’s fun—and because someone is standing there with a snack cart ready to capitalize on their confusion.

6. Halloween Costume Stores: Pop-Up Empires

Every fall, temporary stores like Spirit Halloween take over retail spaces, often operating for just six to eight weeks. These stores sell costumes, decorations, props, and themed accessories, turning empty malls into short-term commercial kingdoms.

National Halloween spending reached $10.6 billion in 2022, with $3.1 billion spent on costumes alone. Individual pop-up stores can generate $1–5 million in a single season. Hundreds of seasonal staff are employed, and landlords benefit from otherwise empty retail spaces being monetized.

It is a brilliant, ephemeral industry. The stores appear, dominate the market for a few weeks, and then disappear. Consumers come for the costumes, stay for the atmosphere, and leave having spent far more than they intended. The ephemeral nature adds urgency—and revenue—to the proposition.

6. Halloween Costume Stores: Pop-Up Empires

Every fall, temporary stores like Spirit Halloween take over retail spaces, often operating for just six to eight weeks. These stores sell costumes, decorations, props, and themed accessories, turning empty malls into short-term commercial kingdoms.

National Halloween spending reached $10.6 billion in 2022, with $3.1 billion spent on costumes alone. Individual pop-up stores can generate $1–5 million in a single season. Hundreds of seasonal staff are employed, and landlords benefit from otherwise empty retail spaces being monetized.

It is a brilliant, ephemeral industry. The stores appear, dominate the market for a few weeks, and then disappear. Consumers come for the costumes, stay for the atmosphere, and leave having spent far more than they intended. The ephemeral nature adds urgency—and revenue—to the proposition.

7. Pumpkin Festivals: Big Gourds, Bigger Economics

Pumpkin festivals are multi-day events that combine spectacle with commerce. Giant pumpkin weigh-offs, scarecrow displays, live music, and local food draw visitors in droves. Circleville Pumpkin Show in Ohio attracts hundreds of thousands, generating $10–$20 million in local economic activity.

Farmers enter competitions for prize money and prestige, while vendors sell food, crafts, and memorabilia. Hotels and restaurants benefit, and local governments often see increased sales tax revenues. The festival itself is an ecosystem: pumpkins may be the centerpiece, but the economic impact radiates outward to multiple sectors.

The combination of scale, novelty, and media coverage transforms something as mundane as a squash into a driver of regional commerce.

8. Haunted Hayrides: The Wagon of Terror

Haunted hayrides are an elegant fusion of theatre, farming, and entrepreneurship. Riders sit on a wagon pulled through a scenic farm while actors dressed as zombies and other monsters create an experience of controlled terror. Tickets typically cost $20–$30.

This segment contributes to the broader haunted attraction sector, generating $100–$200 million annually. Local farms can make $20,000–$50,000 per October, with additional revenue from concessions, merchandise, and group bookings. Seasonal labor is employed, and the rides often attract repeat visitors, who come back year after year.

It is an ingenious use of existing infrastructure—hay, fields, and tractors—to create high-margin entertainment. People pay for fear, and farms profit. Everyone wins, except perhaps the zombies, who get sprayed by cider spills and pumpkin guts.

Conclusion: The Business of Autumn

What unites all these activities is a simple principle: Americans will pay for experiences that are weird, seasonal, or slightly indulgent. Whether it’s getting scared, eating cinnamon-flavored beverages, picking apples, or wandering through cornfields, fall represents a microcosm of the experiential economy.

Collectively, these industries drive billions of dollars in revenue nationally, provide tens of thousands of seasonal jobs, and sustain rural economies.