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MAKING A KILLING

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By TED JACKOVICS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 27, 2008

TAMPA - Is it just a phantom tale? They say Halloween productions make scary money for theme parks. Officials dare not tell. They guard their financial mysteries with the most horrific of secret keepers - their accountants and CFOs.

But something's out there. The evidence can be found across the country, from haunted houses set up in community parking lots to choreographed productions at parks such as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. There are 5,000 of them lurking in towns nationwide. Big business. Trade journals say so.

As Busch Gardens kicked off its Howl-O-Scream festivities with a preview Friday that continues tonight, we took a moment to uncover some of the numbers behind all that frightening fun.

Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream - By The Numbers

885 Paid part-time Howl-O Scream entertainment workers
262 Howl-O-Scream workers in culinary, merchandise and operations

$8.75 Starting pay for part-time entertainers

4,486 Busch Gardens total employees

$64.95 2008 walk-up admission

$59.95 2007 walk-up admission

$30 2008 savings with a coupon from Muvico or Budweiser
17 Number of special admission packages on www.raventwins.com

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7817. Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7817.

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