Thread: Professional Haunts

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I was just wondering, how many of you work at or own a professional haunt? I'm thinking about working at one this coming October.

I've always been curious though for those who own...how'd you get started and what do you do for the rest of the year?

I worked at a pro haunt from 05-08. I liked it but the hours were stressfull due to getting out very late but that's when I was in school and worked another part time job. I had to work on Halloween night wich meant I could not be home to do the yard. Other than that it was a blast learned many ideas and it was the best job I'v ever had.

To educate you. Almost every person in the halloween haunt business works all through the year on their walls, costumes, props and business dealings, it can't all just "Happen" and it sure can't happen in anything like a week or two at the end of September.
Having numerous helping friends, relatives or a connection to some group will make the heavy lifting and transporting of things somewhat easier, but the hours will be eaten up by many things you never even considered called problem solving.
If you love Halloween don't own a haunt, or you will probably never see another "Halloween", you will be consumed with the business end of it and hiring /helpers part and the next thing you realise ..it's the middle of November!
I own my place and have for 23 years and I have done 98% of all the work here, everything from roofing to digging out the basement, wiring, plumbing,heating, props, artwork, advertising to being the designated parking lot janitor.
If I could somehow tally the hours of all of this effort ...I could have made alot more money working at some job, almost any job doing almost anything else.
Maybe I'm more physically ambitious than most or maybe more commited and driven or maybe about to be driven to be commited?
The verdict is still out on that.
I came at the workload here at the age of 38 with 15 adult years behind me working with tools in the trades, this helped alot too.
I strive to create a one-of-a-kind experience here with my own ideas, art and energy. Very, very few items seen here have come from any trade show or someone's help pages on a prop building website.
I try to have a place that will be different and stimulating, I think these concepts are very appealing and are a basic draw, and of course I really do love doing all of everything I have just typed here too!
I work on this place everyday, work in it every night, open for house tours..Right Now!
see it at: hauntedravensgrin.com
In Mount Carroll, Ill...at the edge of the cliff, surrounded by parking lots, across from the city graveyard.

Thank you SO much for your replies. The hours of working a haunt is what I'm unsure about. But honestly, I'd love to experience it at least once.

Gym, no doubt you have to work on your haunt all year round. Do you have something full time on top of that? Or does the haunted house and then the tours take care of needing something on top of that?

I ask because like everyone else here I LOVE halloween. I'd love to be able to do something with the passion I have for it. Just getting an idea of what can be involved with both working for a Haunt and for owning one.

I'm definitely not running out to buy anything or to create my own Haunt at this time. But knowledge is power in my opinion. It's good to get an inside look at both ends of it!

I'm going to check out your website!

Has been my only "Job" for about 22 of the last 23 years of house ownership.
Find what it is that you like about Halloween and pursue that aspect of it.
Personally I don't enjoy scaring some small child half to death and I most enjoy entertaining people and making get a good laugh going because then I laugh with them.
I guess I most enjoy startling someone, seeing their reaction then seeing and hearing them laugh about what just happened.
I have been accused of being a very believable actor and my act scares many without me even realising it, often times.
Maybe this happens like this because it is not an act?
If someone had the absolutely scariest house ever , wouldn't they go broke from scaring everyone away?
That seems like a very good survey question.

gdfreak has worked in a professional haunt, and i think front yard fright is going professional. i would love to do a professional haunt, but more for the showcase end of it. i'm not so big into the scares as the decorating.

I have only worked one night at a charity haunt. It was fun just too slow.
Scare someone
wait.....
scare someone....repeat.

I would love too work on building sets.

noahbody made the comment on he/she would love to work on buliding and setting up and that's actually alot of fun. You don't always have to act for the haunted house. I prefered setting up over acting. It won't kill you to miss one Halloween. I say give it ago if it's something you really want.

I have done quite a few pro haunts.when you are doing a set up of one you have to concider a lot of things,fire exits,suppresion systems-how and what does the fire marshal want the main water line ran in to the structure?then you deal with the electrical feeds..the exits have to have hand rails,steps have to be code..its a real head ache!unless you have a builders lic.and even if you know all the laws-they change them on you.take my advice stick with acting or yard haunts.

Originally Posted by hallorenescene

gdfreak has worked in a professional haunt, and i think front yard fright is going professional. i would love to do a professional haunt, but more for the showcase end of it. i'm not so big into the scares as the decorating.

That's kind of where I'm at with it. I'd rather help with the set up and that type of stuff. But it seems that they always need actors and have everyone else they need for the other stuff.