Thread: help me do this right

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I just got put in charge of a fundraiser haunted house for our local 4-h club. I love halloween and have been doing the yard and house for the last 3years but Im kinda lost when it comes to setting up a full haunted house. I have over 40 kids, ages 7-18 that will be involved in putting this together. I just found out that my wife said I could do it...lol I would like some ideas of what I could do. I was thinking it probly needs to be fun as well as a little scary for the kids. If anyone has done something like this or has some ideas it would be of great help. I also need it to be free or very cheap ideas so we dont spend more than we make on this spooky filled fundraiser. I need a cool theme and if anyone here in colorado has and props to donate or let us use that would be great.... Thanks in advance for everything

jason

Welcome! Do you already have a place for the haunt to be located? If so, what kind of facility/room(s) will be available? Sometimes that makes quite a difference. Both in limitations, and advantages. Is it in one room, large/small? High ceilings? Old/new building? etc...

We do have a place for the haunted house. Im not sure what room we get to use as of yet. One room is 30'x100' low celing and the other is about 80'x150' with very high celing. Not sure until the 12th of july what we get to use. What would be better? maybe I can get them to give me what I want....lol

thanks

I would use the one with a higher ceiling...The one I put on I have a 2nd level for all my air prop levers and for some of the help to reach from the top. Also now if you are going to charge for the haunted....you open a totally diff doors now...will need insurance...be check by Fire Dept and anything that goes with that...maybe approver from the city or county for that location...BUT I will be going down the same path as I will doing my 1st inside haunt for a fundraiser too after 6yrs BIG haunted free maze at my house...good luck and please keep us posted on how its going..thanks

You don't really need insurance as long as you have a place to bury the bodies.
"Parts is Parts!"

Youve come to the right place for sure. As soon as you find out which room you have, Id try for the higher ceiling one, and you can give us a floor plan. Its game on!

I think that I should be ok with all the safty and insurance and such since its a county building. Both of the rooms that can be used have good enter and exit points so thats nice. I would like the larger room with high celing because I think it will have a better fright factor. It also has concrete floors, the smaller room has carpet. I should have a better idea as to what I have to work with on the 12th after the meeting. It should be a good time no matter what room. Its going to be hard to keep all the kiddos doing what they need to. I will keep you all posted.

thanks

I was a part of a similar fund raising professional haunt geared for younger kids a while back.

First of all, you need to talk to your city and find out what liscences, insurances, certificates, and whatever other legal crap you need.

Then, I would talk to all the local hardware stores, newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, and see if anyone is willing to sponsor. Why these? Free materials and free advertising.

Now, you need to see what space you get. The larger is better of the options you listed.

Decide the target age group first. For younger kids, consider utilizing a 'guided tour' style haunt where one of your older kids act as a guide through the haunt and tell a short story about each room. Theme the rooms to be interesting and have little interactive things for the kids to look at. This also allows some cheap 'animations' as your guide pulls on a fishing line, or flips a switch, etc, all out of sight.

One trick in particular that we used to do was to have the ticket taker at the front ask the kids their names, as they left, they would radio those names to a fortune teller at the end. Kids were always amazed the fortune teller KNEW their name.


Another possible option is to make it into a little skit or show. I have 1 room in a carnival, and this is what we came up with in that setting:



You could do something similar in each room, perhaps.

I have another question for eveyone... Is the any halloween stores the donate to events like this?

I doubt you will get Halloween stores to contribute and they get so many requests. But you Can probably hit up local businesses and parents for contributions if it is a non profit organization. Also make sure you check with your city. I am pretty sure you will need permits and insurance. The last thing you want to happen is to put all the work into it and have it closed down.