Thread: Need some ideas if you got em'

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As some of you may or may not have read before, I have an indoor haunt that is always decorated and ready to go. I live out in the country and don't get any TOT's. but I've always had a party and I always get at least 100 people. But last year my crowd was older. It was the first year since both of my kids graduated high school and this year their college friends were more serious than their high school friends and alot of them were more interested in the party than going through the haunt. So I only ended up with about 60 or so going through.

I had actually considered the idea of not having my haunt at all this year, but I don't know what I would do with myself during the summer when I build props so...I had an idea and I was wondering if you all could help with any additional ideas or warnings.

I have always wanted to have a scavenger hunt inside my haunt but I had too many people to pull it off but I think now that the number of patrons is down, I might be able to pull it off. My haunt is pretty large, it's about 3000 ft. including the outside area. I wanted to break them into small-ish groups, give them a list of things to find and just let them "explore" as if they were searching an old haunted house or whatever story I decide.

Should I still have actors or would it be better to just let them explore?

I thought about shutting all the lights off (keeping sound FX etc. on)and making them search with a low flashlight w/ actors in there to scare them. But I'm not sure how well this will work.

Any ideas for pulling this scavenger hunt off, or is this just not a good plan? As someone who has always loved exploring creepy old places, I thought this would be a fun way to slow them down and force them to look at the things they normally hide their eyes and run past. With my haunt having secret passageways, it would probably be alot of fun for the actors too, if I use them or it would be fun for my dedicated crew to have a way to see the haunt from the other side while they hunt with their group instead of acting this year.

Any ideas on themes for it? I am leaning toward turning the entire thing into a Haunted Mansion and using some of those secret passageways, or video game style where they are looking for a certain number of the same thing (think gears for an engine) in a more industrial nightmare type haunt.

Has anyone done this as haunter or hunter?

How will they "get" the items listed?

Are you going to have them pick them up and bring them back to you?
This risks your props and scenes since people may think something is what they need and take it without it being correct. If you spread gears around but someone is literal and takes a gear out of something you may have problems.

Is it going to be a photo scavenger hunt where they have to take a picture?
That takes time to review once they return, to find the winner.

Hunt for a certain color flag or cube or cut out shape or such?

I really like your idea, would be fun! But make sure you think of all the ways someone could screw it up (believe me, people can take something entirely different than you expect) and the variables. What you may think is obvious...

Along those lines of photos, you could take a picture of WHAT they are looking for.......that might work...

Sounds like a really fun idea to me.

I usually do a easter egg hunt style using skull containers filled w/ candy and toys for the tots to find for my sons birthday on halloween.

Just an idea

Originally Posted by IshWitch

How will they "get" the items listed?

Are you going to have them pick them up and bring them back to you?
This risks your props and scenes since people may think something is what they need and take it without it being correct. If you spread gears around but someone is literal and takes a gear out of something you may have problems.

Is it going to be a photo scavenger hunt where they have to take a picture?
That takes time to review once they return, to find the winner.

Hunt for a certain color flag or cube or cut out shape or such?

I really like your idea, would be fun! But make sure you think of all the ways someone could screw it up (believe me, people can take something entirely different than you expect) and the variables. What you may think is obvious...

Yes I mean bring it back to me on the outside. And I mean things that are very obviously not props. As far as gears I don't mean actual gears I mean gears that are oversized and made just for that purpose. Photo scavenger hunt wouldn't really work in low light. But I think putting a photo on the list of things would help them to find the right thing.

Oh, I think having the actors in there would be awesome. To just wander around free will in a haunt with a serial killer (or something like that) after you would be sooooo scary. I love your idea and sounds even scarier than a normal haunt.

Thanks Terra, I've always wanted to do it that way at least one year. I got the idea from my son a few years back. I sent him and a couple of his friends in there at night to look for something that I had left in there. They couldn't figure out how to turn the lights on so they ended up using a video camera light and they also video taped themselves just goofing around. They couldn't just run in and get it real quick because they had to actually find it and that year it was layed out in a maze form. My son knew his way around and left his friends with the camera. They couldn't figure out where he was or where he was coming from and he scared the crap out of them. It was so simple but very affective.

Lol that's so funny - to get an idea from a solution to some other problem.

I like the idea that they have to bring out some specific, non-prop items (as was mentioned above skull candy-containers, or halloween lantern or similar item from the dollar store, etc.) while trying to avoid the monsters. That way it would keep your props from being targets. Also, I was thinking they could try & find one specific monster that had an item that extra "points" & have him well hidden.

This is a great idea - keep us updated on how it goes!

Originally Posted by creepyhomemaker

Yes I mean bring it back to me on the outside. And I mean things that are very obviously not props. As far as gears I don't mean actual gears I mean gears that are oversized and made just for that purpose. Photo scavenger hunt wouldn't really work in low light. But I think putting a photo on the list of things would help them to find the right thing.

I think it sounds like a blast!
Yeah, that is what I was getting at.
Where I work we get some real concrete thinkers (which always amazes me how they can't even imagine of thinking outside the box! LOL) and you have to just sit and stare at them sometimes!

I like the Maze idea.