# Garage Haunt, anyone?



## killerhaunts (Jan 6, 2010)

I am sorry if there is already a post about this but does anyone do a garage haunt? I see people do a yard haunt, home haunt, back yard haunt. The weather where I live does not allow for a 100% outdoor haunt (we got snow this year). I LOVE doing a garage haunt because it allows me to break everything down and not have to take it that far. PLus, it is MUCH warmer than just my yard haunt section (the scareactors always want to be in the garage haunt :O ) I usually use my 10x10 pop up tent as an entrance.
















It is amazing how I managed to make the tarps look like cave walls. I looked so cool. I changed out th egarage light with a simple blue bulb and put on the cover and it looked like moonlight.








My HAUNTED MINE will be in the garage and the cemetery will be out in the yard haunt section.


----------



## Kimber53711 (Sep 22, 2009)

Yep, I do a garage haunt. We actually build a maze type walk through in the garage. The walls are plywood and then we hang black plastic from the rafters down to the plywood so you cant see other sections until you get to them. It usually has 3-4 larger open rooms with scenes in them and then smaller rooms and hallways with minor decor. We use live actors as well as props and decorations. We have discussed making it larger by extending it outside the garage but our weather is also a factor. We haven't had snow in many years but it is usually cool and sometimes rainy so we like the indoor factor. I like the idea of the tent as an entrance though, makes it longer and still keeps it covered. 

Nice pics!


----------



## maleficent (May 20, 2007)

We've done a garage haunt for 12 years. We added the cemetery just 2 years ago. This year I am hoping to add 2 EZ Up tents to the front to add more space.

Halloween 2008 pictures by scubawidow - Photobucket
Halloween 2009 pictures by scubawidow - Photobucket


----------



## Mr_Chicken (Nov 30, 2008)

I've set up a scene in the garage the past 2 years. It's great to be able to have the animatronics set up way early and just have to open the door to start the show (and have them protected all the while).

here's 2009's garage scene:


----------



## rockplayson (Jun 7, 2008)

To much clutter in our garage. However I have been to a few garage haunts that were very nice.  Nice pics everyone.


----------



## propboy (Sep 23, 2006)

This year was our 1st maze type garage haunt, usually it is a yard display. From the reactions, guests comments and our actors (brother-in-law & me only) we had a blast. 
I had people volunteer to help us next year. Thank goodness as this year almost didn't happen. 
I will be expanding out of the garage into the driveway in a covered tent/building of some sort. Looking forward to the expansion and scarier haunt

-PB


----------



## csusb44 (Apr 9, 2009)

I do a garage haunt every year. Well actually garage/front yard. But the main attraction is in the garage. I use giant cardboard as walls and it allows a lot of vulnerability to move the walls where i want and bend them in the shape i desire. It allows me to make it a very confined space to walk but ample room for my actors to hide and blend in. My haunt has been successful for about 8 years now in my garage and I continue to bring success. Garage haunt is the way to go!


----------



## Dr. Dark (Aug 6, 2009)

We built 2" X 2" wood frame walls, sheeted them with 1/4" plywood, and screwed them together. The whole thing is free standing, and is pretty solid once you cross brace it. The best part is that I designed it so I can open, and close the overhead door while it's set up. It was a bit of an investment, but we have used them for the last tree years. We've had to build a couple of new ones here and there, as we change it up every year, and there are always new things I want to try. This year, we managed to fit nine rooms in a two and a half stall garage, with five actor scares, and a pneumatic prop that got 'em every time. The next thing we want to concentrate on is a facade. There are some pics on my profile page, if you want to check it out.

Mr Chicken, that scene looks awesome!!!


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

i did 2 years in a garage, then i went to a garage and basement combo 1 year. then i moved and went 6 years in a trailer. then we moved and i went 3 years in our basement. and this year i did it in our garage. it was so cold, windy and rainy i was glad it was in the garage. this is the first year i didn't put up the cemetary. it was to nasty outside, and besides i didn't get everything in the garage done. but every year i never get done.
it is a 2 stall garage, and i had plastic for walls, a wood facade for a wall, cardboard for walls, black plastic tarp for walls, and some cloth material for walls. i had a hansel and gretal theme. next year i am planning on it being in my garage again and it is going to be a western theme


----------



## bamtunebam (Jan 1, 2010)

Out of curiosity what sort of tot numbers are you seeing?
I've only been getting 80 or so, even though my feedback is great. I believe it is due to the type of neighborhood. A lot of elderly. 
Since then I moved and I hoping the new local is much better. To top it off the new place is literally across the street from a real cemetery. 

Keeping my fingers crossed!


----------



## dionicia (Nov 5, 2006)

I have been doing a garage haunt every year. Last year, I upgraded my haunt walls to blue foam so they will last. I framed them up with the measurements I do every year and they turned out great. They even stored really well. The nice thing is because I left the foam attached to the framing, I just need to put up the 2X3 studs, attach the frames and I am ready to go. Assembly is going to be a lot faster. I can focus on getting other parts of the haunt done. Like lighting as my lighting under the pergola wasn't so good last year. I could barely see anyone.


----------



## ihauntu (Nov 8, 2009)

ok I have to comment on the not doing an outdoor haunt because of climate... you live in Reno Nevada.. i'll trade you one day of Northern Canadian halloween for your trouble in paradise..and one day of -10 celcius with a -15 windchill or 20 farenheit for you ..your lowest temperature ever recorded was -16 farenheit ours -61 so brr im cold at your haunt. like what you did do in your garage ,but no sympathy for being as you say "cold"


----------



## mementomori (Aug 19, 2009)

I do a garage haunt every year. This year i bought large black sheets and filled in the places it didn't cover with weedblock fabric. i got a great response, about 135-150 people. Still not sure what i'm doing for this years theme, I would love to do a peppers ghost.


----------



## Trinity1 (Sep 5, 2009)

Awesome pics everyone! I wish we had a garage to work with. The thing that REALLY sucks is we used to have a garage that would have been PERFECT for having a small haunt. We had thought about expanding our house at one point and the contractor doing the work said that the garage had to go. Low and behold the hubby and some friends took it down, against my wishes because at that point we weren't still 100% sure that we were renovating.

Well, needless to say, we ended up not renovating. But we lost the garage  At some point we will be putting a new one up...but man, the one we had was absolutely perfect!


----------



## Dr. Dark (Aug 6, 2009)

bamtunebam said:


> Out of curiosity what sort of tot numbers are you seeing?
> I've only been getting 80 or so, even though my feedback is great. I believe it is due to the type of neighborhood. A lot of elderly.
> Since then I moved and I hoping the new local is much better. To top it off the new place is literally across the street from a real cemetery.
> 
> Keeping my fingers crossed!


We have had about 300 TOT's the last three years. Always wish it were more, but we're happy with the turn out. Your new digs sound spooky. That should help your numbers.


----------



## bamtunebam (Jan 1, 2010)

300 would be awesome!
So another question. Who uses guided tours verses self guided? With 300 tots it would seem some organization would be needed, i.e. guided.


----------



## Dr. Dark (Aug 6, 2009)

bamtunebam said:


> 300 would be awesome!
> So another question. Who uses guided tours verses self guided? With 300 tots it would seem some organization would be needed, i.e. guided.


We have guides that follow people through. They're less likely to touch anything if they know they're being followed.


----------



## halloweenbarb (Jun 9, 2008)

In London On where I am, you are never sure about the weather. you have a 50/50 chance of rain or sometimes snow and occasionally you get dumped on. But the way I figure it, the trick or treaters are outside anyways, so whats the difference if they are out for 5 minutes in your yard. we do have 4 large 10x20 canopys and connect 2 of them together with a seperate tarp for 50 feet of covered space, but not all of our haunt is covered.
it takes almost 15 minutes to get thru our haunt so the people that wait for the brave ones that are going thru get wetter that the ones going thru lol.
we do not do guided tours because we have an actor or sometimes 2 in every space, so the victims er I mean tot'ers get rushed or quided thru by the actors in the different areas. I hope i wrote that so its understandable. 8)
p.s. we get about 300 to 600 tot'ers depending on if its a friday or saturday


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

i do a guided tour. i don't have that many tot's, but i still guide. this year instead of having them just follow me, i had them hold onto a rope and follow me. that really worked well.


----------



## bamtunebam (Jan 1, 2010)

The rope is a good idea.

My smaller haunt was really not large enough for a guide in years past, but with my stepping it up to the next level this year I might be forced to use a guide. Seems a grim reaper might fit the bill!


----------



## killerhaunts (Jan 6, 2010)

I really live outside of the city so we never have had more than 50 TOTs. No thanks on the Canada winter weather :O I do not guide them through, it would take too long for our small garage haunt. Plus, we have many scare-actors watching everything. This year we will have someone out front letting a few at a time and see how that goes (time for resetting the crawling girl prop mostly  )


----------



## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

Lots of forum members use garage space for their whole haunt, and often it sounds like amny people have space in the garage as well as a yard haunt. Either way, the more decorations the better!


----------



## halloweenbarb (Jun 9, 2008)

*numbers*



bamtunebam said:


> Out of curiosity what sort of tot numbers are you seeing?
> I've only been getting 80 or so, even though my feedback is great. I believe it is due to the type of neighborhood. A lot of elderly.
> Since then I moved and I hoping the new local is much better. To top it off the new place is literally across the street from a real cemetery.
> 
> Keeping my fingers crossed!


A good idea to get more tot'ers is to let the neighbourhood schools announce it for you. the first year we called the schools around here we started getting over 300 every year. Now I get the schools and make up my own posters (flyers) and I get everyone I know to put them out for us.


----------



## Tiny Terrors (Sep 25, 2009)

I have a slightly different issue- I live in an ampartment complex, I don't have a garage.
Instead, I use both my walkway and my patio as haunt spaces. The walkway is munchkin TOT friendly- don't need anyone tripping or freaking out. I get about 20-30 TOTs, mostly munchkins and the occasional teenager who wants to talk about my display. 
The patio is small but covered and relatively secure so I can set up more complex scenes/ props without too much fear of weather issues or vandals. The patio is for the adults and the feedback has always been positive.


----------



## Conman (Aug 7, 2008)

I do a garage haunt. if you'd like to see it check out my YouTube vids. I just put up our 09 haunt. we use tarps to create a maze that our visitors walk through. we probably got a couple hundred toters this last year.


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

i liked your haunt. the twilight scene was real different and refreshing. the kid banging on the door was cool. overall, you haunt really rocked. i see you used pool noodles hanging, i used them this year too.


----------



## Mortissanguine (Aug 13, 2007)

I do a garage haunt as well. This last year we built the OSB walls that professional haunts use because we have been building unique sets for the past few years and then having to tear them apart each time. The walls are heavy, take being run into, can be braced and we have some really cool drop panels. We do a new theme each year because we like our actors to be entertained.

As we play with the stuff we keep finding new things we want to play with. If you can find a local home haunt group in your area that networks and shares techniques and ideas I HIGHLY suggest it. I just found one this year and have met a lot of really neat people who have a wide variety of skills and interests.

We take over my front yard but I focus a lot on the interior of the haunt because it never rains there  The front yard is now mostly set up to entertain kids with games set around the theme we are doing for that year.

I love doing a garage haunt.

here's some stuff that I have done in years past.

Nightmare Playgrounds Home Haunt

These below are what we did last Halloween.

YouTube - Nightmare Playgrounds 2009 Walkthrough

YouTube - Nightmare Playgrounds 2009 HD


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

mortiss, fantastic


----------

