Haunt Concepts

It seems to me that most haunts, if they have any literary influence at all, use the same books. Frankenstein, Dracula, maybe some Lovecraft.

My son suggested the idea of a Haunt based on HG Wells' stories, and I thought it would be interesting. Then I naturally thought about Jules Verne. I wonder if this has been done? Either is too ambitious for me at the moment, but here are some thoughts I have, for your consideration and comment:

Wells' Books:
The Food ...

How do you incorporate darkness into your haunt?

At least where I live, you have to go pretty far away to find actual darkness. The lights of Phoenix can be seen 100 miles away. In California, it is even worse. Since most people live near large cities, I wonder how many people have ever had a chance to experience darkness, much less become comfortable in it.

I have this idea for a haunt that is entirely dark. I wrote about that idea before. Not just a dark haunt ...

I have always been drawn to werewolf stories. The idea of the shapeshifter intrigues me, but a werewolf is typically a tragic figure more than anything else. At first, it seems very cool. Every full moon the werewolf metamorphoses into a powerful beast, seemingly invulnerable to all but silver.

The thing is, this is a curse, not a gift. The werewolf, by his very nature, is separated from mankind by the beast within. Worse, the victims will inevitably be those he loves. Therein ...

Anyone who knows me knows I love big displays of science. Sure, vinegar and baking soda is a mildly interesting reaction, but put it in a ziplock and it explodes, which is much better! Put it in a volcano model, and ...well, we have all seen that. Mentos and Diet cola is another spectacular reaction. I am always looking for something that makes a big impact.



You have probably seen a Jacob's ladder. Nothing says "mad science" like a buzzing, sparking ...

Haunt is about illusion. We plan our layout, our lighting, sounds, etc. to create an atmosphere that seems to be more menacing than it is. We use hot glue, PVC, and paper mache to create the illusion of things that simply cannot exist.



Stage magic is about illusion too. The magician puts the audience in a position of "seeing" what is simply not true. Why, then, do I see so few references to magic type illusions in haunts?


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