Thread: Any Indiana Yard Haunters here?

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Hello, I am from Nw Indiana. I used to see tons of yard haunts and Halloween decorations when I was growing up. But after a few churches started anti Halloween campaigns over the years the number of haunters seems to have decreased dramatically. The block I moved to only has one other person besides myself who does much of anything for this sacredly wonderful holiday. So I was just wondering are there any fellow haunters still out there. I would love to do what I did back in the old days and drive around looking at everyone's haunts and follow up with the usual, "Wow, why didn't I think to do that" or "I am definitely doing that next year." But sadly when I do go searching I find very few people who even decorate, let alone go all out. So I was just curious if maybe there are some neighborhoods or towns I should check out this year.
It would be so awesome to start my own little subdivision community where one of the prerequisites is to decorate for Halloween. I can't even imagine how awesome it would be to drive down a street and see Halloween everywhere I look. I know I'm dreaming but even still I think it would be an awesome site to see. I figure they already have all kinds of specialized communities. And home owners associations have all kinds of weird rules. It would just be really cool to see Halloween as one of them. Any thoughts.
On the plus side I have seen a few people put a few Halloween type decorations out this year. Not much but its a start. Perhaps they were spurred on by our over the top haunt last year. Maybe just maybe (cross my fingers and pray to the gods of All Hallows Eve) this year will get them doing even more.

Hey Ravenfell, I'm here in Indiana. But I live in south central IN. We have a few good home haunts around here but they ae kinda spread out. I'm the only one on the block usually. If you get the chance to go to Indy, the Arlington Heights area off of East 10th Street is supposed to be pretty good close to Halloween. They usually have a decorating contest among the people that live there.

I'm in northern Indiana. There aren't a ton of super decorated houses. I know we have parents that tell us that they make a point to come to our house. I've been in lots of family photos.

Last year was our first year in this house and our first year having a yard and being able to do a haunt. So even though we did go a little overboard with decor for that first year I hardly think it was a big production. Yet all the people who stopped by and commented made it sound like we had set up some Hollywood style Haunted horror show. There were even people suggesting that someone should call the newspaper. It felt good to hear all those compliments, but at the same time it was kinda sad. I mean if our first year Halloween that was planned and thrown together in a matter of maybe 2 weeks was that big of a hit to people, they must have been seriously deprived for years from any good quality Halloween wholesomeness.
As I said there is another person down the street who decorates but eh. I don't like to criticize or disparage peoples attempts at all but it's kinda a nightmare and I don't mean in the good Halloween nightmare sense. From what I heard until we moved in his house was the big deal for Halloween in these parts. So perhaps they were just praising us not in the sense of how great we were stand alone but more comparatively...don't know. But hey at least there is someone else out there decorating. He was very curious and kept walking down the street to stair at us while we put everything up last year. He would just stand on the other side of the street and glare. But I have noticed some projects going on in his yard in the past couple weeks so perhaps our arrival has awoken a competitive spirit in him. Its funny too cause we have been working on things in the garage lately building our props, and the man whom I almost never see out walking has found numerous reasons to come strolling down the block and trying to get a glimpse into our garage of nightmarish creations.

I grew up in Hobart & Valparaiso, but now live in Manhattan, IL near Joliet. That's so funny you mentioned your dream of a subdivision where everyone must haunt. I've had the same dream for years. I've always said if my lottery numbers hit big, I would buy lots of land and develop it into a subdivision for people like us, and of course if you lived there, you'd have to haunt. I'd have street names all having to do with haunting, monsters, and Halloween. Of course inflatable yard decorations would be banned.

LOL, @ ryan lamprecht I know there are some people on here who love the inflatables but I totally agree with you about them. The only one I have seen that interests me in the least bit is the chariot thing but even that is a little too cartoonish inflatable for me. The yard down the street does mostly inflatables. Although its not the inflatables that make the yard bad. Although seeing the blow up grinch still out stealing xmas a week before Easter does have that effect. It is more of the disorganized a tornado just dropped stuff where ever kind of look that bothers me about it.
But yeah if I discovered a neighborhood like that I would totally not let my hubby rest until I talked him into moving there. And I grew up in Valparaiso myself. Well Washington Township and then moved into the actual town of Valpo. And now looking at your name I'm wondering if I knew you. Something about it looks familiar. Creepy!!

P.S. Drop me a line when you win the lottery and save me a plot. Oh and can we have building codes that dictate the styles of houses lol. I would love to see a neighborhood of eerie old Victorians and maybe a few Amityville horror houses all over.

I'm just south of Indy in Greenwood! I'm seeing more peeps with decor our this year! I had a lady tell me last year that every night her daughter made her drive by to see my haunt. Tons of people asked to take photos too! I did gooood!

Ravenfell,

There are a few haunters to the West Of Indianaplois if you get up this way, actually we have 3 within a mile of each other!

I'm central IN. There is a guy in Indy named Dave...he is a member here(can't recall his forum name at the moment) and has awesome and very unusual props.

I'm from NE Indiana, not much around here, but I'm going to be changing that! For some reason the big thing in this area is trunk or treating. People go to the town square/park and back up to the curb and decorate their trunk and kids walk around and collect candy. It's supposed to be "safer" but it's no fun.