Behind the scares: How Netherworld prepares for Halloween crowds and emergencies

With Halloween just days away, thousands of people are preparing to visit haunted attractions across metro Atlanta. But behind the monsters, dark hallways and unexpected scares, there is another side to the experience: keeping guests safe.

At Netherworld Haunted House in Stone Mountain, co-founder Ben Armstrong says safety preparations begin long before visitors walk through the doors.

"Safety is critical at Netherworld. We follow the four keys. Safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. And safety is number one always," Armstrong said.

Now in its 30th season, Netherworld operates two haunted attractions where visitors can spend 40 to 45 minutes or more making their way through elaborate sets and special effects.

Armstrong said the attraction undergoes annual fire inspections, including checks of emergency lighting, sprinkler systems, alarms and fire extinguishers.

Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services confirmed that Netherworld falls under the jurisdiction of the county's fire marshal's office.

In a statement to CBS News Atlanta, county officials said a facility at 2076 West Park Place Boulevard passed a fire inspection Sept. 10, 2024, and underwent a compliance inspection Sept. 1, 2026. The county listed a maximum approved occupancy of 4,651 people for that facility.

The statement did not specify the outcome of the September 2026 compliance inspection or clarify how the occupancy figure applies to Netherworld's attractions at 1313 Netherworld Way.

County officials also said local firefighters routinely visit the property to familiarize themselves with its layout, management and emergency response procedures.

Inside Netherworld, Armstrong gave CBS News Atlanta a behind-the-scenes tour of the operation, including a control room where employees monitor activity throughout the property.

"We're in the control room. See here we're monitoring the entire property. All the attractions, the queue lines, everywhere," Armstrong said. "We even monitor compressed air. We actually even monitor the weather here."

Armstrong said the attraction has an extensive camera system, EMTs and police officers on site. Employees also use radios to communicate, while emergency exits lead guests into hallways that provide a way out of the building.

"If anyone has some type of medical issue at Netherworld, we have EMTs on site," Armstrong said. "We have extensive camera system that we can watch to see if there's an issue. We have police officers on site."

As Halloween approaches, crowd management is another priority.

Armstrong said Netherworld employs approximately 500 seasonal workers, with about 200 on duty during a typical operating night. That includes roughly 120 actors and 80 operations employees responsible for parking, lines, food service and other duties.

The attraction uses timed tickets and designated waiting areas to manage the flow of visitors.

"We have time ticketing that limits the amount of people who are on property at any given moment," Armstrong said. "We have people go through crowd management training that we certify every single year so they know exactly what to do with a large crowd."

During the tour, Armstrong demonstrated how visitors are sorted into half-hour time slots before moving into the main queue.

For those planning a visit during Halloween week, Armstrong recommends choosing a weekday to avoid the largest crowds.

Netherworld has also advised visitors that parking is more limited this season because of nearby construction and recommends carpooling or using rideshare services.

Gwinnett County fire officials encourage businesses to maintain clear exit paths, clearly identify emergency exits and keep fire protection equipment in working condition.

They also recommend that visitors identify emergency exits and leave a building in an orderly manner if an alarm sounds or they notice smoke, fire or another unusual disturbance.

For Armstrong, the goal is to create an experience that guests remember long after Halloween.

"What we do here is we create memories," Armstrong said. "We love it when friends and family get together and they come out and they're just telling these crazy stories."