What is the "theme" of your haunt/decor?

**Regions Beyond** · 09-13-2010,11:00 AM

I hadn't seen a thread like this, so figured may as well start such...apologies if I just missed it along the way!

What are the basics of your setup? Theme, space used, intended audience, paid/professional or not, how many years current setup has been operating, share a few representative images, etc etc...I am curious about what everyone gets up to and sure other folks would like to see as well! Be interesting I think to have sort of an ongoing thread about member's setups.

I will get the skull rolling, as it were....

Porcupine Gulch will have it's third year of operation this October, gradually adding to it and expanding each year. It is a backyard Western themed haunt, with just a few indicators out front we are "Halloween nuts" so to speak, plastic lit pumpkins on top of the fence. Scenery includes a western town front, a jail, a graveyard/boot hill, a train layout with scale decorations and "ghost train", and for this year, potentially adding a collapsed mineshaft structure. We get very few trick or treaters in our NorCal neighborhood, so it's pretty much by invite or for the big party, or for folks in the know.

Here are a few images to give the general idea:

So, who is next? Please do share as you are so inclined!

**witchiepoo** · 09-13-2010,11:21 AM

As I'm from the Uk - we're only starting to get into Halloween properly over here.
I decorate the entire downstairs of the house for my own benefit, at first i just used to grab anything halloween related i saw & stick it up - but now that i have been doing this for a few years I 'm a little more organised. The kitchen is a witches kitchen with loads of potion bottles, broomstick etc. hall & living area I try to create a victorian gothic haunted feel. Downstairs toilet is a dungeon, hanging corpse, shackles, dungeon khttp://www.halloweenforum.com/members/witchiepoo-albums-halloween-2008.htmleys etc i have some pics in my album here

**Rikki** · 09-13-2010,12:06 PM

I throw a large party every year that works as an Open House for my Mixed Martial Arts gym. I block off the doors leading to half of the gym and completely decorate the other half and the hill in front of our section of the building. It's a costume party for the 18+ crowd. This will be our 6th year (5th in this location).

I don't particularly do a theme but it's mostly cemetery and Victorian inspired items. Two years ago I decorated the front office as a Victorian parlor and last year it doubled as a Cabinet of Curiosities.

**Shebear1** · 09-13-2010,12:29 PM

Very cool entryway and fence, Rikki. Where did you pick it up?

**Rikki** · 09-13-2010,12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Shebear1

Very cool entryway and fence, Rikki. Where did you pick it up?

Thanks! The arch came from Target a few years ago and my husband and I made the fence.

**UnOrthodOx** · 09-13-2010,12:40 PM

We're kinda in between themes this year. Was planning a full change to a new one, but budget issues when one car died and another needed serious repair scuttled that plan.

Soooo....

We're making this up as we go this year. Some theme may emerge, who knows.

**trentsketch** · 09-13-2010,12:52 PM

For my entire home haunt career (going on eight years, I think), I've changed themes. I've done circus, witches, the sea, gardens, and even Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. This year, I've cemented a theme that works for me. It's a movie-theater themed haunt. I can change out the featured attraction each year but keep the lobby the same to make my life easier. This year is just the movie theater, complete with screening room (it's a static prop, not a projected video, but the lighting design should give pause). Starting next year, the ToTs will enter the movie being screened that night in the walkthrough.

I also do a cemetery (prison cemetery, technically) for my brother and a classic Halloween/pumpkin patch for my grandmother.

**Regions Beyond** · 09-13-2010,03:49 PM

Originally Posted by Rikki

I throw a large party every year that works as an Open House for my Mixed Martial Arts gym. I block off the doors leading to half of the gym and completely decorate the other half and the hill in front of our section of the building. It's a costume party for the 18+ crowd. This will be our 6th year (5th in this location).

I don't particularly do a theme but it's mostly cemetery and Victorian inspired items. Two years ago I decorated the front office as a Victorian parlor and last year it doubled as a Cabinet of Curiosities.

Very cool photos, nice work there, I like the archway in particular...thank you for sharing!

**Regions Beyond** · 09-13-2010,03:50 PM

Originally Posted by trentsketch

For my entire home haunt career (going on eight years, I think), I've changed themes. I've done circus, witches, the sea, gardens, and even Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. This year, I've cemented a theme that works for me. It's a movie-theater themed haunt. I can change out the featured attraction each year but keep the lobby the same to make my life easier. This year is just the movie theater, complete with screening room (it's a static prop, not a projected video, but the lighting design should give pause). Starting next year, the ToTs will enter the movie being screened that night in the walkthrough.

I also do a cemetery (prison cemetery, technically) for my brother and a classic Halloween/pumpkin patch for my grandmother.

That does sound cool, the haunted theater idea, gives some flexibility while keeping a certain amount the same. Thank you for sharing!