Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Converting my Garage into a Haunt???

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Converting my Garage into a Haunt???

    I've been putting on a yard haunt in my neighborhood for the past 5 years. Now I'd like to turn it into more than just a yard display and turn my garage into a 4 or more room haunt and/or maze with actor friends of mine...

    I've got a perfect walkway from the front yard to our 24' X 24' garage in back than out of the garage around the opposite side of the house to the front again!

    Does anyone have any idea's how I could do this and actually get people to walkthrough... In this day and age people are a little leary of doing more than just going to the door and getting candy!

    Also does anyone have pictures of other similar low-scale haunts such as this or tips on making walls for it and or anything else!

    Thanks!
    http://www.nftsproductions.com
    http://www.myspace.com/nfts
    http://www.freewebs.com/eeriestreethaunt/
    http://www.myspace.com/eeriestreethaunt

  • #2
    A big Hershey bar hanging from the end of a fishing line/pole, lead them through with this. (Be sure and don't use a fishhook)
    Have either a low seperating wall between you and them or a slight elevated walkway for yourself behind the wall, all you need to see is just the top of their heads as you lead them.
    I cut a piece of 1/4inch plywood and replaced the chocolate , it makes the "prop" last alot longer with fewer repairs.
    This isn't really anyhting new . It is just a modernization of the story of the Witch with the gingerbread and candy covered house tempting Hansel and Gretel, or course candy was cheaper back then, especially if you procured that candy via magical powers.
    All that I can conjur up is another day's growth on my facial hair and killer BO.
    hauntedravensgrin.com

    Comment


    • #3
      Build it they will come! Oh yes, they will come!
      Giving People The Chills Since 2005

      http://www.warehouse31.com

      Comment


      • #4
        I think everyone here will agree that it is alot more work to build a haunted attraction than it would be to make a baseball diamond in a cornfield, he even "cheated", he had a tractor!
        I didn't see "Field Of Dreams" until it was several years old but when I finally did see it I laughed my butt off at that famous quote because, yes, I had done just that! But it will NEVER work here, in Mount Careless, Illinoise, the middle of nowhere!
        That movie cornfield/baseball diamond is only about 70 miles from here.
        I should have famous dead baseball player autograph night here in my haunted, haunted house. Of course admission to such an incredible event would have to cost more, at least 25 cents MORE!
        (I wonder what a ticket to a baseball game cost in 1920?..25 cents?)
        hauntedravensgrin.com

        Comment


        • #5
          :twisted: go with the flow.If you have been doing a yard haunt for awhile.you should be able to get people in your garage.I get bigger in my yard every year,people come from all over to see what we do.At the beging of the night it seems like everybody gathers at the end of my driveway forming a mass a people,but as soon as the first few go in and here the screams and monsters that start to fall right in.Some still need a little help with my actors but with the right motovation they have no where else to go but forward.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Converting my Garage into a Haunt???

            Originally posted by JasonSt
            I've been putting on a yard haunt in my neighborhood for the past 5 years. Now I'd like to turn it into more than just a yard display and turn my garage into a 4 or more room haunt and/or maze with actor friends of mine...

            I've got a perfect walkway from the front yard to our 24' X 24' garage in back than out of the garage around the opposite side of the house to the front again!

            Does anyone have any idea's how I could do this and actually get people to walkthrough... In this day and age people are a little leary of doing more than just going to the door and getting candy!

            Also does anyone have pictures of other similar low-scale haunts such as this or tips on making walls for it and or anything else!

            Thanks!
            INVITATIONS!! POSTERS, FLYERS!
            And some of the local radio and TV stations will plug a good home haunt... All ya gotta do is ask!! :twisted:

            As stated above - "Build it and they will come..." but try the invitations, posters and flyers to help share your work! :wink:

            Comment


            • #7
              i agree, build it and they will come. my wife and i started a small haunt 3 years ago, now we are one of the most popular free haunts in North East PA. people like to be scared and if you are doing a good thing for the young kids in your community like running a haunt then the community will see the good you are doing. good luck

              Comment


              • #8
                I've seen more and more home haunters create websites for their attractions...its amazing!

                Home haunting has exploded!

                www.HauntedOverload.com is one that I know of...

                Larry
                Larry Kirchner
                President
                www.HalloweenProductions.com
                www.BlacklightAttractions.com
                www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
                www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by drfrightner
                  I've seen more and more home haunters create websites for their attractions...its amazing!

                  Home haunting has exploded!

                  www.HauntedOverload.com is one that I know of...

                  Larry
                  Larry,
                  That's very true and keeps getting larger every year.
                  I think it's just the begining!
                  Thanks, Jeff
                  www.thefrighteners.com

                  www.IronStock.com
                  www.HauntForum.com
                  www.MidWestHauntersConvention.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Don't forget...

                    www.terrorsyndicate.com
                    and
                    www.methodzofmadness.com

                    Happy Haunting. -Tyler
                    Chris Riehl
                    Sales@spookyfinder.com
                    (586)209-6935
                    www.spookyfinder.com

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      And lets not forget www.somethingintheice.com
                      Giving People The Chills Since 2005

                      http://www.warehouse31.com

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Thanks for all the cool links and words of advice... Hopefully I be able to take my home haunt to a new level! Any other tips are welcomed!
                        http://www.nftsproductions.com
                        http://www.myspace.com/nfts
                        http://www.freewebs.com/eeriestreethaunt/
                        http://www.myspace.com/eeriestreethaunt

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I have done this in our 4 car detached garage for the past 3 years. We don't seem to have any issues with people showing up but our neighborhood has 450 homes in it ! . If you put out Haunted House signs they will come on Halloween and you will find that it grows exponentially year by year . 2005 we had over 300 come through. Word of mouth is a powerfull tool and everyone likes "free" LOL We do have several of the local teenagers that "act" in each of the scenes and that is the major challenge for me each year getting them to show up on time and to rehearse a time or 2. I try to include them in the build and listen to their ideas that helps them feel connected. I can usally throw together a room that suits their taste and most of them just like scaring their friends a LOT ! and they do. We have tried the don't touch the actors and they wont touch you but some of the victims come un-glued and contact is made but no body is ever hurt and no complaints its all a lot of fun and I think that is understood going in. I stress safety a LOT and ask myself "why" a few times then the screams and laughter ring out and I get my answer. Without the actors then the entire haunt would need to be designed very differently. http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c29/ruafraid/

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            ruafraid! Thank you very much for the feedback and also links to pictures of your garage haunt! Very cool stuff! This is exactly what I was hoping to see. An actual haunt similar to what I would be doing!

                            A couple questions for you... How many rooms are in your haunt? How wide are the hallways? Any problems with vandalism???

                            Thanks again!

                            Jason
                            http://www.nftsproductions.com
                            http://www.myspace.com/nfts
                            http://www.freewebs.com/eeriestreethaunt/
                            http://www.myspace.com/eeriestreethaunt

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              One of the reasons for the garage is the ability to lock it up. The entrance you see in my pics will clear the garage door comming down "just clear" LOL We also have to move all the "stuff" up to the front 2 car garage on one side to have room. This year I also have one of those portable carport that are 10' wide and 20' long no sides just the cover. You can build more in that space than you think and for 95.00 not a bad deal. In 2005 we had 6 room "area's" but we started late and did not use the entire garage we also used 3' hallways. I drew it out on grid paper oh about a few hundred times at least ! I am going to use angled walls this year. The 90 degree's angles work ok but Steve Hickman has convinced me otherwise (Terror Syndicate). This was also the first year with real walls. I did use large black on one side silver on the other tarps to "hide" the other part of the garage the "tool" area. We used 2X4 and 1/8" Luan I think. It was slick on one side and not the other they cost approx 8.00 at Home Depot and we built 4X7 foot walls the 8' walls are too hard to move around in the garage and it worked fine. Plus you have to "clear" the garage door. One side effect was the actors can hit the walls from behind and it creates quite an effect. We used screws for the luan and tied the walls together with corner brackets and 2X4's at the top for braces. It was very sturdy. "safety" The Front entry you see in the pic were 4X7 frames with Pallets screwed to the 2X4 frame it was a job but it looked really cool. At the the other side of the garage was the stalk around "HUGE" and he just stood there very still most people thought it was just another "prop" but then he became "Alive" and we have video of it but not the best quality. One parent jumped 3 feet off the ground! no kidding it was a huge hit.

                              hth

                              RU

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X