Thread: Haunt advice

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I tried to do a search for similar threads but it wasn't working so I hope I'm putting this in the right place. I am running a haunt for the third year in a row. Normally I run on a budget of about $500. We usually do a pretty awesome haunt for such a small budget. This year however my budget has tripled and I'm now working with $1500. Our biggest problem is that we only have about 4 days to set up due to the location of the haunt. What are some good props that I can build and store so that I can get started now.

My second area of advice that I need is on throughput. It's about 12-16 room haunt depending on how I set up my walls. How long should a tour of that size take if I'm having small skits or interaction in many of the rooms? I want to be able to get many people through the haunt as we get a large turnout each year. I know you can't give an exact number but an idea of how things have worked for you in the past would be great. Thank you so much!

I wrote a small Haunt 101 type of post for my Blog. It might help you with some ideas and all for setting up and running your haunt. Maybe it will help you

The Hauntary: Haunt 101

To determine the time length of your haunt, why don't you pretend walk through (don't even need walls) and imagine every detail of where a guest would notice your decor and skits. Add a bit of time to that and there you go !

Any prop is easy to store - if you build it to store. A lot of people like to run head first into a project, forgetting that for 364 days of the year, it will be taking up storage space. I'd say check out some of the tutorials and props here on the forums and modify to your needing - most probably won't be that hard!

timing is everything. Pretty much what Zeltino said. Keep in mind, you can never do wrong with webs, sprider, bats, rats, and dead leaves.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Sure.
The first room here might take ten minutes in October. It can take 45 min. to much more the rest of the year.
The house is an 1870 Italianate with cupola, huge wine cellar, secret doors, passageways filled with mostly my own original artwork and devices spanning 5,000 sq. ft. and usually requires 90 minutes for a tour of it's seven levels, backyard and 130 foot exit tunnel.
Being located 3 hours from Chicago I have always felt the need to impress anyone coming here so as to create a "buzz" that they won't be muteing as they meet neightbors, friends and relatives..and this has seemed to have worked. (for 23 years)
When in season the house tours usually require 60 min. and I do have helpers then to be able to make it happen.
I am entertaining people much moreso than scaring them, but of course when I have the same people under my control for such long periods I sure can lull them to make any surprises seem more powerfull!
I have always felt it takes a certain amount of plain old "Time" to relate, communicate and entertain people. Almost nobody I have ever met is content being just a number rather than a name..unless their social security number happens to also be their winning lotto number they just played!
"I'm legally changing my name to 334089345!" hahahah!
If you are accomplishing what you either need or want to accomplish, then don't change any time considerations in your floor plan.
Income, value,time,entertainment factor, ? Where do you define your own satisfaction with your haunted effort?