Wholy Crap... from small time to the BIG SHOW !!!

Wow Bart, congrats on the recognition. Guess it's put the petal to the metal time for you. I'm hoping that this organization has the volunteers who can really come through and help you make this a huge success. Be a good delegator. Love the idea of Haunted High BTW. Stay in touch when you can and see if someone can be a historian of sorts and take pics along the way. A video at the end would be cool for everyone to have and great for promoting the event next year if there is one planned. I know that in the rush to get things done that is something that gets left in the dust many times. We'll be here to cheer you on. Rah-rah-sis-boom-bah-BOO! (oops, hope that's not too cutsie, but cheerleaders can be a scary bunch, keep that in mind).

BTW I liked the suggestion of filling a large space (auditorium or gym with normal kind of decorations for a prom from the past), the music for it could be flashback and played eerily so you immediately knew this isn't your time or place but from some time long ago. If you get someone to work on music to be played, let them also work on pulling together any PA announcements if the school has a system in place that is still working. The flashback time could be helped along with signage from Class of 19-- and old altered B&W photos promoting events at the school from then. In fact I'd suggest taking lots of crate paper streamers and such and setting them out in a sunny place where they could start fading now. Same with any posters you want to hang on the hallway and class room walls so you can achieve that aged look. Dead carnations for guy prom goers and dead nosegays (think that's what they were called) for the girl zombies. See if some local flower shop can save flowers like this that they would be tossing out and let them decay so you'll have them when the time comes to add the final touches to the zombie props and prom tables. A nice mention of the flower shop in the sponsors list for the event should get you cooperation I would think. Of course funeral homes might be the next best choice for dead flowers.

If the school is meant to look abandoned for years, maybe collecting dead fall leaves now could be useful in spreading them in some of the entrance hallways. I wonder if that fake spray snow might not also be useful in changing the look of mirrors giving it some texture that could be colorized for a dirty brown aged dust look.

Here's a link to some props that Improvements Catalog is carrying that might spur some ideas. Last year I think they had different dancing ghouls but they seem to be sticking with the theme.

One of the ways were hoping to differenciate ourselves from other local Haunted attractions is the idea that it is completely indoors. No waiting in line outside etc.

The old Gymnasium is the entry point to the event, with admission, food and merchandising. One section is dedicated to the serpentine stand-in-line area to finally enter the Haunt.

For our first year, Its just a Gymnasium, but Year 2 will have a pre-gala kickoff of a mascarade, Haunted Prom for the community.

Because of the size of the building we actually have 2 mazes. and haunted hallways, classrooms, offices, and the auditorium in between the two mazes.

There was so much stuff left over in the way of tables desks file cabinates lunch tables, etc. that were using them all over the place.

Plenty of area to be creative with this theme.