# Circus themed haunted house



## Lady of Chamberwell Manor (Oct 16, 2006)

We're hoping to do a circus/carnival themed haunt this year also. One idea we have on our list that you didn't mention is a life size jack-in-the-box. We are going to build it by hand, paint it with flourescent colors, light the area with black lights, have that typical eerie jack-in-the-box music playing & have a live actor jump out as the kids go by. 

I also saw another idea on line (can't take credit for it). We're going to use one of our older pneumatic props dressed as a clown & making the stirring motion in a cauldron (painted as a bright colored pot) and label it "rotton candy" as a play on cotton candy. 

I'm anxious to see what other responses you get because I need help too! Good luck!


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## Lady of Chamberwell Manor (Oct 16, 2006)

Oh, and don't forget a disorienting hallway of fun house mirrors!


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## GhostMagnet (Jul 14, 2009)

I like the idea of having a tightrope walker- maybe he or she could be walking along something tall, a platform of some sort that isn't really narrow, but camouflaged. Can't think of how to describe it. And funhouse mirrors, yes! My daughter used to have a cotton candy machine, it was really fun and simple to use.


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## Beware of the Fright (Oct 8, 2008)

Hmmm just a random suggestion what if u have something that makes people jump in the gypsy room. I'm not sure what but yeah haha You know the eerie music then bam!! Haha For the ring leader thing dead animal skeletons kind of things obviously not real haha maybe painted styrofoam hmmm i don't know but it sounds like it will be awesome!!!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

The magician is a great add to a circus, decorate with bunnies and cards, make it as pleasant as possible, but make the magician evil, that will mess with their heads!

The gypsy room needs mysterious things "floating" about, like in those old movies. Lots of scarves, tambourines, spectres, with them moving mysteriously.

And is there anything scarier than a clown?


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## Screaming Demons (Sep 15, 2008)

Tustin Haunt had a clown prop an a bicycle on a tightrope a few years ago: http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/...onal Photos/?action=view&current=_DSC2480.jpg

This would be fairly simple to make the bike roll back and forth. A trapeze artist would also work. Maybe have one dummy hanging onto another - or just her arms, like they fell out of the sockets.

Do a search on here for Circus and Carnival. There have been tons of great ideas over the years, with whole threads dedicated to the theme.

I like the Clown Tower Scarefactory came out with this year (bottom of this page: http://scarefactory.com/New_for_2011.html) It doesn't look like it would be that hard to make.


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## natascha (Jul 21, 2004)

We did this theme a couple of years ago, and one of the things that we did that I loved was, my husband was a sword swollower, and I found a 'trick' sword that worked Great on ebay.


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## diajoh (Sep 25, 2010)

If you're not talking real people, please tell us why you think insurance would nix a tightrope walker? I was going to suggest a trapeze artist instead, but it would basically be the same thing -- a prop on a rope, so that would also be a no-no.
It's easy to mix up carnival and circus. Carnival is easier -- freak shows, midway, etc. Circus is little harder. when I think circus, what do I think of?
Three rings. Performing animals: elephants balancing on tiny platforms that look like upside-down KFC buckets, lions (trainer's head in mouth), seals balancing balls. Strong men. Dog and pony show. Midgets getting out of a car. The ringmaster. Colorful tent. Posters. Bareback riders. Contortionists. The movie Freaks. Something jumping through a hoop. Someone shooting out of a cannon. Circus wagon (like the side of an animal crackers box). Unicycles. Human ladders or human pyramids. Peanut shells on the floor. Sawdust. Candy apples and popcorn. Tickets. Great typefaces in red and gold. Calliope music. Movie The Greatest Show on Earth (was Charlton Heston in that?)
How to spook it up? Lion ate the trainer (headless corpse) with recording of ROAR going off every 11 minutes. Skeletal seals or elephants, or zombified. 
Freak show/human oddities: snake girl, wolf boy, tallest/fattest/shortest person, geek
I don't know. Half-baked thoughts that maybe someone can work with.


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## diajoh (Sep 25, 2010)

Oh, FWIW, several members have posted Haunted Circus music.


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## combatmed1 (Sep 28, 2010)

I think you might like this.....I am using it in our holding area this year

http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/103394-greatest-show-unearthed-singing-pumpkins.html


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## Phe_03 (Oct 24, 2010)

Thanks for the great ideas! Some of the things mentioned I hadn't even thought about. (shame on me) I have several real people participting, so the circus freaks/shows would mostly be portayed by them. I will, however make at least two props to hang, 1 the trapeze artist, and 1 the tightrope walker. I really dig the arm out of the socket idea and will have to use it  Thanks guys, this is great. I will absolutly post pictures when I get things going.


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## Wolfbeard (Sep 22, 2008)

I've posted some of these photos before, but you might find a couple of interest.

Here's an inexpensive killer clown prop made with a pvc frame, wig head, cheap kid's clown costume and tag sale kiddie car for under $20:



















The triplets...ummm Twins:










The tightrope walker. It looked better without camera flash, but this shows construction. I used metal wire conduit for the rope (painted white):










Eric


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## diajoh (Sep 25, 2010)

Found a great item on eBay called Fold-a-way Circus. At 600 dollars, you are unlikely to buy it, but check out the pictures. It's fro 1915 or so, and has some great ideas for either decorations or acts. I forgot about the jugglers juggling those bowling-ball things (were they medicine wands? I forget).
http://cgi.ebay.com/c-1915-Fold-A-W...t=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item1e63760485


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## plglaserna04 (Jun 1, 2011)

Phe_03 said:


> Hey guys. I work a police dept. and last year I got suckered into making a haunted house. We did it at the Town Hall and it was free of charge for the Community. Last year it was tough because it was a spurt of the moment thing without funding. We did pretty good for the short time and cheap ideas
> 
> This year, we're doing a haunted circus. I've got quite a few ideas, which I will list, but I could use a few more, possibly details?
> 
> ...


As with the gypsie, I once saw in a movie/TV show that inside her crystal ball is a head. The head is the one giving the fortune. You could perhaps place a mask over a mannequin's head. This'll really be creepy!
The magician could also be a sinister one wherein he performs a dispappearing trick on the audience but the participant will fail to return (choosing the participant will be staged, of course).


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## diajoh (Sep 25, 2010)

Might I suggest playing a movie? The Marx Brothers "At the Circus" is kind of funny, old enough to not detract from the rest of the festivities, yet because of the theme and the gags, enough to distract bored guests.


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## mrock12079 (Aug 7, 2008)

This was the entrance to our circus themed party a few years ago. Good Luck!


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## DannyY (Jun 12, 2011)

One word, blacklight. It goes oh so well with circus themes!


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