Elvira and Thirteenth Floor Set Los Angeles Haunted Hayride Takeover

It’s been over four decades since Cassandra Peterson first brought her sexy and sassy alter ego Elvira, Mistress of the Dark to television screens, putting a bodacious spin on the movie mocking horror schtick popularized by Vampira and Sinister Seymour before her. On the classic 80’s horror series Movie Macabre, based in Hollywood, her quip-filled cinematic commentary, campy California girl charm and prominent cleavage made her an immediate hit, garnering national syndication, a major motion picture and a fiendish fanbase that’s endured to this day.

Elvira also became the face of Halloween via a partnership with Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif. that included a thematic stage show and a myriad of merchandising. After a couple hiatuses, Peterson ended her relationship with Knotts for good last year, but it was far from a farewell to scary season celebrations for this beloved glamour ghoul.

“I had been with Knotts for so long, it kind of ran its course,” Peterson, 73, tells The Hollywood Reporter during an exclusive Zoom chat announcing her brand new partnership with Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and its producer Thirteenth Floor Entertainment. “I love Knotts, but I’m really happy to partner with Thirteenth Floor because it was getting kind of repetitive. I’m happy to inject some fresh, new energy into the character and into the things I’m doing. It’s very exciting.”

Launched in 2009 by the Mark Cuban-backed Ten Thirty One Productions, the Hayride was acquired by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group — known for putting on Halloween events across the country — in 2018. Peterson, who used to live in Los Feliz, Calif., says she took her daughter to the nearby haunt in Griffith Park every year. “For me, it’s very special. It’s one of my favorite L.A. attractions at Halloween. I’m thrilled to be affiliated with such a cool event.”

Thirteenth Floor’s CEO and founding partner Chris Stafford, also on the Zoom, reveals that Elvira will be injected into the narrative and lore of Haunted Hayride in a multitude of ways.

“We kind of reworked the Hayride backstory in 2019,” he explains. “We created the town of Midnight Falls and the interesting thing from a story standpoint, is that it’s perpetually trapped in the 1980s. They’re having their annual Halloween festival and the inhabitants are creepy, kooky and offbeat. It’s sort of horror comedy-themed so Elvira was a natural fit.”

The hayride component, in which guests pile into a slow-moving open wagon and roll through the depths and darkness of the park full of chilling sights, freaky props and scare actor encounters, changes a bit every year. For 2025, there will be “FM radio-style” audio programming dubbed “Elvira After Dark,” with thematic playlists in between comical commercials as the host guides what guests will see next.

In addition to the ride, the event presents mazes and its most popular, called Trick or Treat, is being renamed “Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem” featuring a facade of her new home in Midnight Falls. Also, one of the Hayride’s most popular props, its creepy animal skeleton carousel, will have an Elvira-themed overlay featuring her dog Gonk, from the eponymous 1988 film.

“I’m a child of the ‘80s so Elvira has been a legend to me for many, many years,” Stafford enthuses. “We couldn’t be happier to work with her and her team. We’re trying to breathe some new life into the brand and trying to do some different things because we share a fanbase, especially in the L.A. market.”

A vast yet close-knit community, especially on the West Coast, dark culture enthusiasts look forward to October every year, but these days they don’t limit themselves to fall. Retailers like Bath & Body Works and Michael’s stores now release items for “Summerween” and there’s even a wicked August convention called Midsummer Scream, which Stafford says led to the new partnership. The con’s executive director and co-founder David Markland is credited with introducing him to Peterson. The duo officially announced Elvira’s Haunted Hayride alliance and activation plans today at the Long Beach event.

“The haunt and Halloween fans are just rabid here so I think it’s a great synergy,” Stafford adds. “There will be unique retail opportunities for both of our fans, and experiential opportunities for people to escape from reality a little bit more this Halloween. I think we all need that and that’s part of why it’s as popular as it is.”

Peterson concurs. “Since I started doing things for Halloween back in the dark ages, it has just grown and grown,” she says. ”It doesn’t slow down. It’s gotten to be such a big industry, it’s encroaching on Christmas when it comes to spending money. And the nice thing is, everybody’s shopping for themselves. It’s almost like self-care. You buy things for yourself to wear, have fun and go to parties.”

Speaking of commerce, Peterson, who owns the rights to her character, which she created as part of the Groundlings comedy troupe in the early ‘80s before getting the KHJ-TV (now called KCAL) movie host gig, capitalized on Elvira’s universal appeal early on. It turned her into a multi-million dollar business year-round. From clothing and jewelry to home decor, Elvira remains an alternative pin-up, popular with movie buffs and goth culture vultures alike.

Thirteenth Floor hopes to take advantage of the star’s sales potential beyond the Hayride. “The retail element will involve exclusive merchandise that will only be available at Thirteenth Floor events, about 17 or 18 locations across the nation,” Stafford shares. “These exclusives will reach all across our footprint.”

In addition to new t-shirt designs and retro-style collectables, Peterson says she’s excited about a new Elvira apron with a rendering of her famous low-cut black dress available as part of Thirteenth Floor’s exclusive “Baker’s Bundle” (featuring her new cookbook and other goodies).

“It’s really cute if you need a fast costume — just slap it on and you’re good to go,” she says, adding that Elvira’s Cookbook From Hell (Hatchette), will be out worldwide in September. Featuring fearsome food and drink recipes alongside eerie entertaining ideas, it follows up her 2021 New York Times best-selling memoir, Yours Cruelly, Elvira.

Though Peterson won’t be there in the flesh every evening, she is scheduled to attend Haunted Hayride’s media night in September and her spirit will be fully integrated into the experience. As the Thirteenth Floor team completes planning, Stafford doesn’t want to give everything away, but he assures, “there will be a lot of different creative ways to interact with her.”

“Elvira has become a character that kind of transcends me,” says Peterson reflecting on the cultural impact of the fearsome femme. “Her image has become a part of Halloween. It’s a little like Santa Claus is to Christmas, so it’s something that can continue for years and years and years.”