# Help...200 year old house that I want to make haunted :)



## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

firsttimmer: all I can say is WOW, you are lucky, lucky. That house is awesome.

Not knowing anything about landscaping or lighting, I guess my first step to your first goal is to find pictures of haunted houses that you like. From movies, posters, illustrated books, etc. Look and see what they are doing and then try and copy that. Or, if you have big bucks, a landscaper in the area might be able to plan it for you (one with a sense of humor anyway).

As far as the second goal, which in my mind seems the bigger one, I guess you need to start planning. There are lots of ideas here, just take the time to read the archives, and of course, look at the Monster List of Links:

http://markbutler.8m.com/monsterlist.htm

Decide what you can build, brainstorm what scares you want, enlist friends to help you, let them help you, start collecting materials, costumes . . .


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## Lurks in the shadows (Mar 12, 2005)

I will always have a "no scaring allowed" rule for my actors and a "no gore" zone for the smaller kids. 
(Usually the side yard for the wee ones!)

A terrified four tear old is not going to laugh about it later. 

That's one loud vote for a kiddie trail!


How about placing the lights too close to the house, and pointed upward, so that they cast stark high contrast shadows?


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

After seeing the pictures of your house, I suggest that you have some dimmable lights pointing up along the outside of the house and some lights illuminating the tree-line with a brighter setting. 
If an alternating relay could be hooked up to control both the tree lights and the house lights , or just make the house lights fade away every so many seconds to effectively make the whole house dissappear!
The trees being more brightly lit would help this illusion.
The dimmer for the house lights could be played with to give just a glow of light making the entire house look very much like a hallucination or a dream.
Some life-sized plywood cut-outs of human figures could be right behind the tree line and backlit on a random circuit schedule so just when someone thinks they have it all figured out, it changes alittle.
Anything to make them "wonder"?


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Gym is onto something. Two sets of illumination will really play mind games with the viewers. Toss in a handfull of well-paved sillouhettes and some creepy theme music, the little ones will stay on the sidewalk. Lots of potential there. Nice house, BTW.


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## firsttimmer (May 4, 2005)

Wanted to say thanks for all the suggestions...and the thought of creating an illusion that the house disappears is great....I would like to set that up for year round....  Now the key is to do it correctly. 
Gym...I have been checking out link after link after link looking for lights, timers, dimmers, etc.....any suggestion as to who may have all the supplies needed?


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Most of the items are commonly found in any store selling harware/electrical items. The automatically controlled fading control, I don't know, but someone doing haunts makes one I am sure that I have read about them before on-line.
when lighting I always try to make it more subtle. i think "subtle" right on the edge of people's perceptions does alot more to play with their minds.
"Was that real? Or did I just imagine it?" This is where the fun begins for me in my house--hauntedravensgrin.com


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## Guest (May 7, 2005)

here is some good info lighting your yard haunt

http://skullandbone.com/tutorial_01.htm


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## widowsbluff (Nov 2, 2003)

Firsttimmer,
The kids will already think your house is haunted because of the age, ours is 100 years old and everybody thinks it is haunted! My advice is to create a story to go with your haunt. We live on the bluff of a river and use a story of a woman a waiting the return of a lost love, "the lady of the bluff" the kids believe every word and swear they can see and hear her, add a few tomb stones and props and you are set. Work with what you have. DC; 200 years ago I would go with a rev. war story or Lewis and Clark, but build a back ground, set the stage and your mood will be set. Check out my humble 100 year abode on the banks of the MO river.


http://halloweengallery.com/thumbnails.php?album=lastupby&uid=199


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Behenthere, I had no idea that you live in a house with such a, ahem, "Character". You don't, by any chance, live at the end of a dead end street, do you? Kinda like the Radley Place from "To Kill a Mockingbird", that house would be scarey any night of the year, it's almost like you picked it with Hallowe'en in mind.
Curious- How many TOT's do you guys get?


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## widowsbluff (Nov 2, 2003)

Wolfman,
My husband and I have always loved old houses and when we saw this one we did buy it with antiques and ghosts in mind. The first halloween we just lit the windows with candles; thinking that would be enough, we live on a pretty busy street but the first year we did not have too many TOT's; the sidewalk ends about two blocks from our house. Then next year we had about 3 TOT's, after that we decided to start decorating with props and this year we had about 75. The school I teach in draws from our neighborhood and now when the kids walk in to my classroom in the fall they say "Cool, I got the halloween lady for science this year"


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## firsttimmer (May 4, 2005)

I wanted to thank everyone for their ideas....I am currently tying to collect different types of lighting to see what will work well in different areas of the yard/house....

I check out the site that Randaz metioned and it is great....now to tie that in with the an illusion to make the house disappear would be killer. So far, the only solution to making the house disappear is to use DJ lighting where the costs of the controlers etc seem to be pretty expensive. (you can't use low voltage with a dimmer, is what I have found) If anyone has an idea on this or even a link that would be great. I would really like to have the house set so that year round the illusion of the house disappearing would run, and at Halloween, have something set up like Skull and Bone's Haunt.

Randaz, any idea on how to get in contact with Rob over at the Skull and Bone site? I went to contact and there is not a link....

Once again, thanks to everyone and I hope that what I come up with will help others. I will continue to keep up with what I find and hopefully we will be working on effects in the next few weeks.

Don

www.locustgrovehouse.com


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

*In a different light*

I envy your delemna, 
There are a couple of ways of going at your problem, you can do the dimmer route, which you have already been looking into, the other way may show my age, but, way back in the 60's and 70's we used color wheels, a color wheel is basically a disk with different color gels that a light would shine through, with the light being stationary, the disk rotates so that the color change position in front of the light. Now just because we originally used colored gels on the wheel doesn't mean that you have to, you can use a clear or colored gel to tint the light, and have the gel material fade from clear (or color tinted) to solid black, the solid black doesn't let the light go past, so the house goes dark, or "disappears". With the joys of modern technology, making the gel that fades from clear to black is easy, infact, you could do it with a can of krylon spray paint. The rate of fade depends upon how you do your painting, or digital printing on the clear acetate, the speed of the color wheel can be varied to meet your needs, and the light source can be as strong or mild as you want. If you use something that produces excessive heat, you can use glass instead of acetate for the color wheel. The options for a motor to turn the color wheel are fairly large. From an old turntable motor, a dryer motor, or just about any motor for that matter. It's not like you have to move any massive weight or load. You can make a false headstone that is a little deeper than the typical one, make it hollow so that you can use it as the housing for your light source. If you want to go to automated lighting for fading, on and off, etc., you may want to check out lighting systems for swimming pools. 
The other effects you might consider are things like using a strobe light to give the lightning effect, or using a Gobo or sillouette of a skull, the Grim Reaper, or some other recognisable shape placed in front of a strobe. When the strobe flickers, the image appears and dissapears on the house, and because it is a shadow that is projected from a distance, it will be fairly large.
Sounds like a fun project to me.
FontGeek


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## firsttimmer (May 4, 2005)

Hey everyone....I am getting there....there is another pic on my website, where we have thrown some light on the house.....www.locustgrovehouse.com also, I have purchased an Acid Spitter, and Creature in a box....now, comes the other stuff.....

Some things I really want to do, but really don't have a lot of time to invest in "making the props" so if anyone knows someone that sells some of these items, "ready to go" that would be appreciated.....

Crank Ghost with Black Spotlight--- to be hung in a tree above the kids as they walk to the house. I have seen some on e-bay that seem to be cool...any other suggestions?

2 Pepper's Ghost set ups...I can get the glass, I am trying to set something up in the yard, as well as one in the Foyer of the house. (I would like to get the "ghost" to appear fairly life size, without actor, so may need some additional Crank Ghosts or Ghosts with a Fan) I have a great place in the house where I can get the 90 degree angle from an adjoining room that would be perfect in the Foyer...

A hangman that twitches...I have seen one on a site but it was "all the money"...anything out there that is "relatively cheap"?

I am also going to put a manniquin in the window of the upstairs and was considering putting something in the window next to the front door, where it gives the impression of a ghost trying to get out...it would have to be automated, but I think that could be cool too...



Please check out my website...it can give you an idea of what I am dealing with....the previous owner, that was older, never answered her door on Halloween, and I feel its my civic duty to do it right! lol 

Don


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## rod spain (Aug 27, 2002)

*heres another couple of ideas*

het firstimmer,how about a couple of Bucky skeletons in the windows(if you can afford them),I have two in my picture window.Last year I had blue and green small spot lights positioned to shine on the cemetary that was next to my house.(my fake corpse cemetary).If you have a beauty school close to u then you may want to get some used maniquinn heads and create your own corpse heads(they may just give them to you free).


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## Marksin (Sep 18, 2004)

That house is amazing!.


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## Marksin (Sep 18, 2004)

Hey first timmer,how about an update,how is the project going?.


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## firsttimmer (May 4, 2005)

Hey guys....feeling behind but not lost....

I am having a big shindig at the house in about 2 weeks where 200 people will be there so I was a little distracted getting things ready for that.....as soon as thats over, we go into full tilt halloween mode!! I added a pic on the last page of my website...(Summer heat) where I picked up a manniquin and she is already in the window. I think she will be there year round...check it out if you have time.

OK....I still have a list of items to purchase which should be done in the next week. That way we can start getting things together in plenty of time. I am putting a crank ghost above the driveway to welcome and bring the trick or treaters in. We are going to hang her the Saturday before Halloween to get some attention. Also we have an Acid Spitter, and one of those boxes that go nuts when its activated. We wanted to do a Funeral on the front porch...where the kids come down the driveway...seeing hangmen from the trees, as they come to the front door I wanted to get something that was beating from the inside of the window to look like a ghost that wants out of the house...they ring the door bell....the door opens and they see a Peppers ghost in the foyer......then, from the side porch, they hear someone tell them to pay their respects to the dearly departed...where there will be a casket, body, several dummies in chairs, and various stuff going on......in the dummies sitting in the congregation we will have an actor. We are also considering putting an actor in the casket.....then as they leave, the candy bowl will be placed on "the box" (the box is where the dearly departed's dog is).....depending on age of the kids will depend on if we activate the box. When the kids get to the bowl, we will activate the box and the bowl should shake off the box, with candy flying everywhere.....noise, fog, etc.. all happening at the same time.....then they would exit the side of the front porch. Not too sure what to do with the spitter....I may put him in a area where its blocked off, where if someone gets too close to take a look at him, or try to go past a barrier....they get spit on. 

OK.....if its cool...I need some help with the Peppers ghost, and the "ghost that beats on the window"....also, with the grounds...I think it would be cool to have lighting effects going on around the yard.....maybe in 3 different locations, where it appears the lightning and sound of lighning/thunder is coming from all around them. 

So to sum it up....

I still need

A cool crank ghost
A peppers ghost
A ghost that bangs on the window
A casket
4 different light controllers with sound -3 for the yard and 1 for the porch

If anyone has a any of these props for sale, or would consider helping me make these I would be very greatful. Or if someone has experience with the Peppers Ghost or the Ghost that bangs the window and would consider assembing the parts needed for puchase, that would be great., please feel free to e-mail me directly at the e-mail below. Please know I am trying to keep the frustration factor down to a minimum. 

Don
website: www.locustgrovehouse.com
e-mail: [email protected]


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Your house is fantastic......wow !!!


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## Neodreams (Aug 22, 2005)

Aamazing house! It would be a great place to do about anything to so your choices are endless. It would be awesome to be able to find a place like that. You are very lucky.


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## firsttimmer (May 4, 2005)

Hey everyone...just jumping back on for some last minute details.....but wanted to give everyone a heads up on the status of the Haunt. We have done a Funeral on the Porch....old time like...with a story....

Basically we will have a crank ghost welcoming the kids....as they walk up the driveway, they will be greated by a talking skull that tells the little ones where to go and the older ones where to go, followed up with a story of the last funeral at the Locust Grove House...they will then proceed down the walkway to the house. While from a distance and proceeding closer, they will see a peppers ghost in the foyer....and getting closer to the porch, there will be another Peppers Ghost in the dinning room. They will then turn to the right where we will have a full sized Church Bench, a full sized "real" coffin, along with various other details...candle opera's, a lecturn, and old framed picture of the dearly departed etc.....now...a part of the story is that the owners Dog died at the same time as he did, and is in the box next to the Coffin on display....after the kids see the coffin, and continue walking through the porch, they will see the box on the floor. The candy bowl will be placed on the box, and as they step (on the pad) to get the candy...the box goes nuts, throwing the candy bowl and candy all over the place. Now, after that, they will then exit the porch to the side, where there will be 3 55 gallon drums piled up....one of which will have an acid spitter, so as they pass, he will hit em with the spray. They then will exit back up the driveway, where they will each get a light stick bracellet and the real candy.

The cast and props I can remember are....

2 fog machines..one low, one regular
3 lighnting stropes with controller
5 spot black lights
6 regular strobes
6 pin lights
3 florescent black lights
10 "landscaping lights"
1 dimmer controller for the inside of the house making it look like the electicity is going haywire in the lamps
3 different CD's...lightning..spooky music...funeral music
14 ghouls
1 talking skull
2 skelitons
7 gravestones
1 crank ghost
1 maniquine
6 heads
1 casket
1 creature crate
1 acid spitter
2 peppers ghosts......
oh yeah...and about 100 yards of fabric to black everything out.

I hope this turns out well....now its time to put it all together.

here's a pic of the house at night...on a regular night...
http://locustgrovehouse.com/_wsn/page2.html

best of haunting this year to all....

Don Kraper
Locust Grove House


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