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  • Outdoor Haunt Idea...?

    OK, so I am striking out left and right with building owners in my area. Only about 20% of the buildings up for lease even have sprinklers, and some buildings that have been vacant for FIVE YEARS won't even attempt to talk about a short term lease!

    So I'm considering an outdoor haunt for my first year. One thing I should mention is that in our state they don't allow haunts in tents because the tents aren't class A, AND there would still need to be sprinklers...

    SO...

    I'm thinking about a haunted maze. Please critique this idea... I build the entire maze outdoors, with a PARTIAL roof. There would be the main parallel roof support running lengthwise above the haunt (think the peak of a rooftop) so that I could use a huge tarp to cover the entire thing in case of rain (that way the water would run OFF the sides and not pool up on top. The sides of the haunt would have a partial roof to help keep the sound bouncing around within the maze. And finally, when the haunt is being run, the top would be covered by camo netting so it gave the appearance of being inside.

    Please share your thoughts and potential hardships. Landowners all around my area allow fireworks tents, this would be a more involved project but along similar lines.

    My girlfriend's (who will soon be my fiance!) father has been building homes for the past 30-40 years so construction-wise we will have some help, but what do you pros think of this idea?

    Thanks so much, and meanwhile I am still looking for buildings to rent but I want a decent contingency plan!

  • #2
    Originally posted by scottylmt View Post
    OK, so I am striking out left and right with building owners in my area . . . So I'm considering an outdoor haunt for my first year.
    Create your own building. JB did Castle Dragon on a deck with a roof. I can send you plans. If you can build an outdoor deck in your backyard with a roof over it, you can do that with the haunt. Of course, you will need to handle the sprinkler system out of pocket.

    Allen also had ideas for a haunted trail in his book as an easy, economical way to get started.

    As far as your girlfriend's father being in construction, that can be positive and/or a negative. If he understands the concept of modular wall panels and temporary construction, and can follow haunt industry standard designs to that effect, then it's a major positive. If, however, he can't quite wrap his brain around the concept, then it becomes a major negative.

    C.

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    • #3
      Modular wall panels and temporary construction...

      I have searched the internet for some sort of "lego" style flame retardant wall panels, but to no avail. I would love it if somebody could point me in a direction for this, as I believe it would drastically reduce construction time...

      As far as building my own "building".. that's sort of what I was going for... I'm positive I could find a place that would allow me to use an abandoned parking lot like the fireworks tents do. My whole point in having a Partial roof, though, was to AVOID the sprinkler issue (not trying to spend THAT much money on it lol)

      Any thoughts on the feasibility of the design idea I put forth?

      Comment


      • #4
        Link on how to make wall construction type

        here is a link that shows how to make easy attached walls

        http://www.frightprops.com/faq/index...121&artlang=en




        walls.gif



        Originally posted by scottylmt View Post
        Modular wall panels and temporary construction...

        I have searched the internet for some sort of "lego" style flame retardant wall panels, but to no avail. I would love it if somebody could point me in a direction for this, as I believe it would drastically reduce construction time...

        As far as building my own "building".. that's sort of what I was going for... I'm positive I could find a place that would allow me to use an abandoned parking lot like the fireworks tents do. My whole point in having a Partial roof, though, was to AVOID the sprinkler issue (not trying to spend THAT much money on it lol)

        Any thoughts on the feasibility of the design idea I put forth?

        Comment


        • #5
          Thank you for the link!

          Can anybody tell me what they do to cover the maze when it rains?

          And do you leave electronics in place, or do you take down/set up every night?

          Thanks

          Comment


          • #6
            Just an idea

            I have always thought that it would be cool to do a building that looked like the roof had been burnt and partially blown away. You would still have the trusses and a few boards that were st holding it all together, but for the most part it would be open air. Vines growing on top would really give it the weathered look. I would also continue this theme with some of the walls, maybe a block wall that fell in and burnt furniture everywhere.
            www.haroldshaunt.com

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            • #7
              If your looking for an outdoor attraction take a look at Zombie Safari Paintball. Its easy to set up and very popular with customers. Find it on facebook or give me a call for more information. 573 881 7061
              Greg
              Zombie Safari Paintball Attractions
              Greg Allen
              scarygreg@andersonfarms.com
              www.andersonfarms.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Yeah I like the idea of a partial ceiling, simply to get around this ridiculous regulation enforcing tent haunts to get sprinklers. God it would be so much easier to just get a big fabric building and install more emergency exits!!!

                They took it a step further in Nebraska tho... you can't use tents because they haven't found a tent material that's class A fire rated! Its like you have to invest $20k in regs BEFORE you can scene invest in a haunt...

                The other option is just do total outdoors, but that will severly limit your audio/visual options, even with camo netting over the top because if it rains, you're f*ck'd!

                But putting up something is better than nothing... unless you're worried that purely outdoors wont be nearly as good as how AMAZING you could make it indoors! Or at least under a damn tent! Grrr

                Comment


                • #9
                  I would think that in Nebraska, you would be thinking about a haunted cornfield. We do 3 haunted houses and a haunted cornfield. The haunted houses have stupid money invested in them compared to the cornfield, but the cornfield is our main event. It seems that in our area, people love the natural setting of the outdoors. They like being in a cornfield, they like the moon light, we have a small section of woods that they love. Outdoor haunts can be very cool. Look at Haunted overload. There are many examples of great attractions that happen outdoors. I love my haunted houses, but if I had to do it over again, I would have invested the money into the haunted cornfield, and avoided the code nazis in the process. You can always do small buildings and scenes along the trail. Lots of potential, less headache, and the customers love the outdoors.
                  www.haroldshaunt.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    That sounds awesome...

                    But, I don't own, nor know anybody that owns a farm. I'm thinking that entry to something like that would be just as hard as entry to these warehouses that everybody wants a 3-5 year lease.

                    It's gonna come down to meeting with the fire marshal again... only sitting down and going over some options. For example, I'm thinking if the fabric building is open and has plenty of clearance over the event, that it could still be considered "outside". Here is a link...

                    http://www.teksupply.com/contractor/...6504020FG.html

                    There are others like this, in which you can actually close the edges to keep weather out (Obviously in this instance it would be during closing time. But you would have the camo netting above your event for an extra layer of weather/sound protection. Just an idea.

                    Also I have to talk with them about sprinkler options. I have found a couple old threads (one of which YOU were actually very active in Mike lol) that talked about alternate ways to get sprinklers. I have found the plastic ones (blazemaster) and have heard of the chemical ones... so it's really going to come down to the fire marshal on this one.

                    I am going for a quarantine theme here, so pretty hard to do that COMPLETELY outside. Imagine the government quarantining a bunch of people infected with stuff, but keeping them outside, and in CROPS nonetheless! LMAO the regulators would never allow THAT! But I see what you're talking about, and I agree that people like the "outside-ness" of corn mazes. One other problem is that there are already two of them in Omaha area.

                    I honestly don't care WHAT I have to do... this was a childhood dream, but has now become AN OBSESSION! If anything I just want to do it because the barriers of entry are so damn high, that the quality of show in my area has stopped improving, and as a CUSTOMER I'm offended!

                    Mike, did you ever get your (5,600?) indoor haunt sprinklered? I remember reading that in '09 you talked to Larry on the phone, and he gave you some ideas of how to do it cheaper... will you share?

                    Thanks, and to everybody else who may respond

                    Scott

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I have imagined an outdoor quarantine kind of setting. People walk a trail like they are walking a resident evil kind of thing. Those being quarentined are in heavy clear plastic structures with low light and you go by and can barely tell what is happening, mostly siloettes. You can see some action, doctors doing weird things and getting taken over. Things splatter onto the clear walls.

                      Other outdoor places you walk by look like MASH tents with cloudy plexiglass windows. You can collect all sorts of no longer running and super cheap military vehicles, old planes and helicopters as money comes around and never really stop collecting big junk that would prove you are serious.

                      Lots of this stuff can actually be independent movie prop rentals off season. Old jeeps with some kind of logo on them. Go crazy at army supply houses and auctions. Inside clear but hard to see through containments can be what looks like all kinds of strange scientific equipment, mostly just wood with blinking lights and gages. Not easy to see.

                      Then the trail you are on is blocked and there is a detor. There can be outdoor cages with the infected trying to grab at you. Some small sheds you might actually walk through or a cave has been used for something.

                      Especially with things happening in the world, imagine people coming up to you in moon suits with geiger counter sounding things?

                      Plus outdoors means maybe some fire effects, You just have to build the story. Kind of like the alien virus cave in the X files movie was covered up with a play ground on a vacant lot. A lot of Texas now looks like the X files movie to me. The train tracks, the track homes in the middle of nowhere. So you too can make the mundane and every day into something more sinister, even start your own conspiracy?
                      sigpic

                      Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by N2SPOOKINU View Post
                        If your looking for an outdoor attraction take a look at Zombie Safari Paintball. Its easy to set up and very popular with customers. Find it on facebook or give me a call for more information. 573 881 7061
                        Greg
                        Zombie Safari Paintball Attractions
                        Hey Greg, your ZSP people movers are pretty cool, the double-decker looks more exciting, do you know what codes you'd fall under for taking passengers? Likely varies state to state probably the same as a pumpkin patch hay rid code.

                        Also, what was Tina's idea that wasn't safe haha.? Finally, how do you keep your zombies from getting battle fatigue, I've never been shot with a paintball gun but I bet after a night as a zombie you'd have racked up some shots.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I can collect cheap military vehicles!? How do I find these auctions? Offutt air force base is right here in Omaha, that is a great idea!

                          I never thought to do it as a trail, that's new. I always pictured it as you were IN the quarantined building, but having the infected bust out would be awesome too. You would have your sounds and screams coming from the permanent buildings along the path.

                          One scene I thought of would be in a tunnel of clear plastic, with light on both sides, then monsters come from both sides and are trying to rip the plastic! Obviously being indoors wouldn't allow that awesome scene because of sprinkler issues, but outdoors it could work.

                          So theoretically how do you protect your speaker wiring along the main path (and speakers)?

                          Thanks for sharing Greg I was "quarantined" off by my other idea

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Nvm man I found some! Holy crap diesel generators, pallets of tents, tractors, flat bed trailers! Some for dirt cheap! Now how to get this stuff from Mississippi to Nebraska lol. And where to store it lmao.

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                            • #15
                              Everything is inside tuperware or similar large storage containers. Actual machines are inside old trailers decorated to match the themes. If I do an indoor, the trailer goes into the center of the build. Just a small one.

                              Still any vehicle on display the trunk and under the hood is full of stuff that shouldn't be in there to control props. I like to remove gas tanks and put a shelf there. Outdoor speakers are pretty common now as every rich person has an outdoor kitchen and swimming pool. The materials for the cone are simply more weather resistant. This is where scavaging speakers out of cars comes in. Low power, meant to be in places where water will run though like your car doors.

                              Then off season you hook all 60 speakers to an old hifi and see if you can play Nine Inch Nails music. I hear the other guys talk about amplified speakers. It is just how much you want to spend. How much you want to store. Remember scrap weight is crazy high values in January.

                              All these little out posts become shelter for all sorts of things. You will still kill lots of things. You don't need High definition when saying something into a plastic pipe will work just as well.

                              Maybe instead of hundreds of sound cards and speakers you could have an FM radio station like some of the Christmas parks. YOu tune your radio into a certain channel and hear Christmas music. You could come up with maybe a smart phone channel? Issue transistor radios that give alerts about the impending doom on society. Or space patrol walky talkies? I'm just trying to remember what could be fun. A combination of all of the above plus become a vetriloquist.

                              If you can do time travel you really only need one energetic actor.
                              sigpic

                              Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

                              Comment

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