Parking lot haunts

[Jordan24]

I know I've heard of some people doing their attractions out in a parking lot under a tent or an open feild or somthing like that. But i was wondering how you could lock everything up, and keep things from being stolen, weather damaged, or vandalized.
Thanks in advance

[MDKing]

You'll need security. Set up in a location that already has security patrols, like many malls do. Make sure you tell the security office you will be there and the hours you're open/working. If you can, have someone stay on the property overnight inside the fencing. If you have any friends in the police dept. see what they can do, it makes a different for sure and in or out of uniform.

Weather damage, not much you can do there. Make sure you have things installed very secure, ratchet down any outdoor facades and use strong ratchets too. Keep sensitive electronics or animations away from the sides if you can, in a more secure part of the house fully walled in. Plan for the worse and hope for the best.

Allan

[Jim Warfield]

Sandbags, weight and roping things to a car bumper might help fight wind, just don't drive away and forget to remove the rope!
Any sign or object can become a damaging object in the wind and wind does make itself known in October..sometime, most places.

[SpFXChic]

MDKing was right on the money. Security is a necessity. Bonus points if your parking lot is fenced off and lockable...but you still have to have someone there. And sometimes even that doesn't deter people from trying to sneak in.

If you decide to utilize a tent, make sure your tent flaps are secure when you close up for the night. Also be sure to check for holes, etc. Leaky tents are no fun.

Unfortunately weather is a hazard. If you are in an area where you have heavy snow...it may be worth your time to find a different structure for your haunt. Clearing snow off a tent is no fun.

[Jordan24]

Thanks for the advice guys. And, luckly I live in Florida so snow won't be too much of an issue.

thanks

[SomeThingInTheIce]

Florida, thats were I am. No snow but, don' forget the hurricanes. You can put up a fence around the haunt and then put a dog in there or put signs up "Beware Of Dog" and then inside the haunt put a boom box that has a repeat button and burn a cd of dog sounds . People will think there are dogs inside and stay away. You could just turn on a TV so it sounds like someone maybe in there, things like this may or may not work but you can try.

[Jim Warfield]

Just have a reversable sign for the haunt, flip it around when you leave so the curious may be discouraged from trying to enter the tent.
"DOG POOPLAND!"

When we have hide & Seek groups here we tell them not to go out the north emergency exits unless it is a real bonofide emergency because if you do, you will just end up in DOG POOPLAND!

[haverghast asylum]

Have some satanic sounding music play. no one in their right mind would go in.

[shawnc]

A parking lot is cheap and easy to find compared to the alternatives, but there are obvious trade-offs - problems with weather, security, no structure to work with, etc. Something I have been seriously looking into is the use of semi trailers. They are portable and you can set up a lot of your haunt inside well before the season starts. You would have to check with the building/fire departments to see how they would classify this, but it may allow you to combine the best of both worlds (cheap and semi-permanent).

[Jordan24]

About the semi-trailers, do you have to purchase these or can you possibly rent them? Because this parking-lot haunt would probably just be for this season (if i decide to do it) and then I will most likely be moving indoors for the 09' season.

What part of florida are you in Somthingintheice? I'm up in Jacksonville.