Haunted House Ideas for Adults

Creating a haunted house for Halloween is a popular activity, whether for neighborhood fun or for a group's fundraiser. If you have a large space, such as an empty building, barn, trailer, tent or even a corn maze, it's time to populate the soon-to-be-haunted space with ghosts, ghouls and otherworldly creatures.

Before you put up the first spider web or purchase a scary sounds CD, come up with a haunted house theme. It can be as broad as "Ghost Forest" and "Mummy's Revenge" or as specific as a "Mad Scientist's Lab" or "Haunted Circus." Picking a theme will help pull the haunted house's story and decorations together. Brainstorm for haunted house ideas using materials you have at home or can purchase at little cost.

Don't underestimate the power of a creepy atmosphere; the right ambiance will make a good haunted house really memorable. A frightening backdrop will go a long way towards establishing believability and heightening the tension. Use red, orange and purple lighting to enhance each spooky scene, and have plenty of black and purple material, such as table cloths or garbage bags, on hand to create shrouded doorways and halls.

When it comes time to populate the haunted house, choose props that will make the maximum impact. Try using stuffed dummies, skeletons, bones, ghosts, spider webs and coffins to fill up empty spaces between scenes. Spooky jack-o-lanterns are another haunted house idea; they light up dark corners and cast an eerie glow.

When the atmosphere is ready for haunting and the props are all in place, it's time for the costumed helpers to turn a good haunted house into a frighteningly great one. The best results are found when actors blend in with the other props, causing guests to wonder about whether or not they are real. It only takes a sudden movement to send guests shrieking away. Another effective technique is for an actor dressed as a ghost or ghoul to quietly sneak up beside guests and wait to be noticed. Looming ominously and then staggering after guests can be just as scary as the surprise jump-and-shout.

The focus should be on the fun of being scared, but also keep safety in mind. While lighting should be dim and eerie, make sure that it's still light enough to prevent accidental trips and falls. Another important legal issue is that actors should never touch guests as they go through the haunted house-it keeps both guests and actors safe. Finally, don't scare little children. Instead, let actors know when a group of young children are coming through and they can remove their masks and pass out candy instead.