# Help needed for charity haunted hayride



## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

II am in need of your help! I have been asked by a local farm to create a haunted hayride for charity. I need everyone's help to brainstorm as many ideas as possible so that I can help these nice folks make a little money for local charities and civic groups. 

This all started last week when I was approached by a friend of mine that knew about my enthusiasm for the holiday, and he asked if I would help him plan this hayride for a local farm. For the last few years, these folks have had an autumn festival at their farm complete with corn mazes, rides for the kiddies, and a really nice 30 minute hayride around their farm (click HERE to see their website). They have always wanted to haunt their hayride in the evenings, but have never had the time to organize an attraction. And so, my friend and I have volunteered to organize the haunt. 

The idea is that we will take the existing hayride and haunt it using volunteers from local organizations, such as the Jaycees, 4-H groups, local high school clubs, the volunteer fire department, Boy Scout troops, etc, etc. Whichever groups show up with volunteers will get to spit the ticket sales for that night. 

And so, I need any and all ideas that you guys have. I know this group is always willing to help out, and I know that you guys have seen a good haunt or two. I don't have any real theme decided on yet; all I know is that I've got lots of space, and a really great farm family that is eager to put on a great show and to help their community.


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## Scattered Screams (Mar 4, 2008)

*Wrong Turn*

after seeing the movie Wrong Turn I would theme the Haunt after that. I would say that would get the blood pumping, and a few scares. With alot of in your face scares, jumping on the trailer stunts. That would be my idea


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well...

It's a corn maze. Great barn. Looks like a nice well there in one of the pics? 


My first thought going around a corn maze was "Children of the Corn" as a theme. Most the setting is already there, the barn can be done up pretty simple to fit. 

A second, rather unorthodox ( ) idea....

I see the Chief Whitehorse trail rides...what about a native american themed haunt? Chief Whitehorse's revenge or something. 

Indian burial ground. Some native american ghost stories/legends could be used. Bigfoot, deer woman, the snake tribe, spider woman, I could go on. If there are local tribes nearby, run it by their chief and you might even get them to help out, and donate the money to the tribe.


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## Biggie (Jul 29, 2009)

You could do something like the jeepers creepers monster, that has always come to mind on a haunted hayride. Werewolves, they would fit in if there is woods. Then lastly, maybe some pissed of lumberjacks. The chainsaw is a mighty tool.


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

Perhaps build large stages alongside the hayride and havethe tractor stop for actors to perform skits. Of course, you need loud noises for the scares. One that I went to had a "No Tresspassin" Siggn that you drove under, that tarted to fall towards the guests. Don't foreget to drive thruogh a barn. The sin was at te begining.


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## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

These are great ideas, guys. There is a small hay barn that we can drive through, and we are planning on having that barn stuffed with crazed farmers/zombies/whatever going nuts in there climbing all over the trailer. Pumpkin King, I like the idea of something falling on people. 

I guess I should describe the ride a little better. Basically, the hayride runs through a lot of really open terrain. At one point (about half-way through) it runs down a long stretch of dirt road with barbed wire fence down each side. The end, however, has a lot of promise: it runs through an area of fairly dense woods with a several good twists and turns. I wish I had more information, but I've only just found out about this place and have ridden the route once in a pick-up truck. 

Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. Keep the ideas coming!


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## HouHaunter (Jun 9, 2005)

Sorry in advance for this entry, and my sick mind. The second greatest gag I've ever seen on a hayride was a Santa and his reindeer - bullet ridden bodies - crashed into a cornfield, a hunters blind with smoking shotgun barrels (fog machine). I was the only one laughing...


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

If you could build a small outbuilding at the begining just large enough to fit the tractor and the trailor in it, you could close the gates on either end and read the rules in there, with mini stages on either sides, lots of lights, and several ctors. If you could build doors that close around them and do loud sound effects it would be even better. Just how much dough do the owners have?


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## Glass 'eye' (Jul 22, 2007)

I have to concur with Unorthodox the native american theme sounds great!! I love the idea of a old burial ground -pretty spooky!-


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## Eyegore (Aug 23, 2008)

One of the best, and perhaps the most low tech way to set the mood for each scene is to have audio effects/startles hidden under the riders cart. If you space the speakers at even intervals you can have panning effects that relate to the themed areas.

Examples of this would be a oncoming train, galloping horses (yet their are no horses), sirens, swamp sounds, etc. The neat thing about adding speakers and other effects into the cart is that you can startle your guest even during the empty areas of the ride. 

Some themes and effects to consider are: hillbilly cannibals, alien abduction by way of tracker beam, headless horseman, phobia area, water spray as blood, zombies climbing in cart, oncoming train, pirates fireing cannons at the passangers...and "hitting" the cart, witch scene that involves a "customer" being turned into a monster...etc.

If you're on a budget then cardboard is your friend...and so is lighting...it can hide flaws and illuminate the scenes.


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

However one theme for 30 minates - 1 hour could get old. How much money do you have.


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

Ah said how much money do you have.


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## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

I'm not sure yet how much the owners are willing to contribute. They have said that they don't mind buying some stuff that they can use year after year, but we've never discussed actual amounts. I've only met with the owners once. But I do know that we will be able to build some props. Also, they have lots of good "stuff" we can use: it’s a working farm, so they have several generators at their disposal, a fair amount of scrap building supplies, etc. 

I'm a little worried about the length of the ride. They said that the hayride lasts about 30-35minutes, and that they don't have any way to really shorten the length. I think that we have settled on not haunting the first 5-8 minutes (it consists basically of some paved road that runs along some of their fields), and then cranking it up once they get off the road. 

Thanks again for all the ideas. I like the hillbilly cannibals. Maybe cannibal farm workers....with arms and legs sticking out of hay bails.....oooh I like it. 

What else should I include?


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

Noise is your friend. It will be the best way to scare guests.


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## Eyegore (Aug 23, 2008)

yes...Noise is THE most important part. Hayrides are dark, and nothing is more scary than noise. 

Audio especially in dark areas forces the guests to use their own imagination, which greatly enhances the FEAR! It's the fear of the unseen that often frightens the most. 

Imagine...you just finishing the funny hillbilly cannibalism scene. The cart goes into a barn that's pitch black. Nothing is heard but a faint banjo playing. All of a sudden, the melodic banjo music starts playing jumbled as if the player is now having difficulty playing the song. You hear the sounds of footsteps, chewing and crunching sounds. A man scream is heard crying out from the pain. The sounds continues in total darkness. Finally, as you start to head out of the shack you hear one last juicy "Crunch" and then you get sprayed with what you think might be blood. As you make your wait out of the shack, blessed to be uneaten, you hear hillbillies in the back of the cart maniacally laughing "yall come back now ya hear... the ride moves on.

just an idea. Probably a little to gruesome for a _family_ haunted hayride. but still scary as hell.


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## halloweenscreamqueen (Jul 23, 2007)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Well...
> 
> It's a corn maze. Great barn. Looks like a nice well there in one of the pics?
> 
> ...


Now THAT, my friend, is an AWESOME idea!!! And, you could really get some cool props and scares in there!


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## the_great_gazoo (Nov 6, 2005)

Another idea different then the other ideas you could tie in together, when you turn off the road have a crashed ufo big greens spot lights, sliver custumes ray guns ties in with crop circles, the aliens turn the farmers in to flesh eating zombies you could us all the other ideas having the show play out as you go down the trail having the farmers fighting the aliens, lots of gore you could start the ride with 2 farmers and as time goes on have one turn into a zombie, lots of sound effects, lights, props use what the farm has them on tractors, in woods sheds the driver could play scared .


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

How about some witchy woods


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## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

Witchy woods, huh? I was thinking of having part of the story involve a witch. Here in the south, every corner has its own witch story. I guess I could find a local story, or invent one of my own. I would love to have a rig that would allow me to "fly" an actor at my hayriders, but I'm not sure how to do so safely. It may also be prohibitively expensive.

I've also thought about filling one part of the woods with spiders hanging everywhere from the trees. Maybe even some wrapped up victims....


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## Biggie (Jul 29, 2009)

Have a victim on the train, as an one actor who gets kidnapped. They can also through out the ride can add to mood. They can point into darkness and scream, then from behind comes another actor and jumps on the trailer. They could tell stories to people, like "I can't believe they did a hayride through here, this place is damned" And just add little comments "what was that", "Did your hear something", "OMG I saw something".

On that stretch of road have acouple of the actors or volunteers put there cars on the side with doors open and hazard lights on. Next to the cars dummy bodies, with little touches to the body to make people curious of what happened. Like scratch marks down the chests, missing limbs.

I've always wanted a random giant birds nest that is human sized with a huge bird that flys overhead.


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

That's a good idea.


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## GhostMagnet (Jul 14, 2009)

Thinking back on the haunted hayrides I've been on, I think you should use that long stretch to build anticipation. Get everybody nervous. Maybe some fog, distant howls or muttering voices. It's what I can't see that freaks me out the most. I remember on one hayride, we could see light around the bend or over a hill before we saw the actual scene and that seemed to build some fear. Someone working for the hayride getting pulled off the wagon or "killed" is always good for a scream or two. Or just riding along acting scared- because fear is so infectious. As for a theme? You've gotten some good original ideas from the others, the Indian burial ground- maybe make up a legend to feed the passengers. You could make up some background story, have someone say they remember that too, and have them build on the story. Etc. I'm just rambling now, anyway, good luck!


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## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

Just what do you guys think an Indian burial ground should look like? We do have some burial mounds in the area (40-50 miles downriver at Toltec Mounds State Park), but they just look like big hills. Some are laid in geographic patterns, but you can only see that from the air. What says "hey, that’s an old Indian burial ground" to you?

Right now it looks like I've got three main themes going in my head:
1. Cannibal farmers/hillbillies out for blood
2. Indian burial grounds desecrated and the natives are out for revenge
3. A witch in the woods that used animals and zombies to attack the innocent.

What do you guys think?


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## Eyegore (Aug 23, 2008)

> Right now it looks like I've got three main themes going in my head:
> 1. Cannibal farmers/hillbillies out for blood
> 2. Indian burial grounds desecrated and the natives are out for revenge
> 3. A witch in the woods that used animals and zombies to attack the innocent.
> ...


Seems like a winning combo! It doesn't have to make sense. It just has to be fun and scary. 
I still think a UFO alien scene would be dope! "Dope!" "I'm showing my age!"


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

Those are good.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

deadlypeanutboy said:


> Just what do you guys think an Indian burial ground should look like? We do have some burial mounds in the area (40-50 miles downriver at Toltec Mounds State Park), but they just look like big hills. Some are laid in geographic patterns, but you can only see that from the air. What says "hey, that’s an old Indian burial ground" to you?


Halloween Darksite of Uncialle, How to Haunt Page, Kid Safe


Or perhaps something akin to my little setup (though very African inspired originally)...

Picasa Web Albums - Cole - Nightfall

Better yet, some combination of the two, if you ask me.


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

Those are cool pic


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## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks UnOrthodOx...I really dig Flat Owl. BTW, how did you get the cool glow under your burial skins? LED's? Chritmas lights?


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## halloweenscreamqueen (Jul 23, 2007)

Some Native American tribes "buried" their dead on platforms that were about ten feet in the air... Could be a really cool scene if you had some turkey feathers and things to hang off the corner of the platform. Throw a skel up there and instant "Wow!" factor.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

deadlypeanutboy said:


> Thanks UnOrthodOx...I really dig Flat Owl. BTW, how did you get the cool glow under your burial skins? LED's? Chritmas lights?


A ton of $1 Christmas light strings. 

Most of my mounds broke, though. Rain is not a friend to monster mud and paper mache on a mound. (the Thompson's water seal actually worked quite well, but the weight of the water puddled on them snapped em all, then it soaked into the cracks, then mush...)


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## Biggie (Jul 29, 2009)

Well if the witch uses animals then I suggest a goat man, they look freaky and imply satanic happenings. Its a local legend from the county north of me, there is a really amazing haunted house called goatmans hollow.






















and you can make the actor digitigrade stilts, did a pair for last year. Great effect in my opinion, height and goat like. Thats not me btw
Asterpix Interactive Video - Arbiter Digitigrade Stilts test, June 2008.


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## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

WOOO, Goatman looks SWEET! I'll have to look around and see if I can find a good mask. Goatman will definitely need to make an appearance. Plus, axes, sickles, and other sharp implements of death are always a welcome addition. 

Thanks so much for your input everybody! I can't wait to get started. Part man/part beast abominations look like a good way to go. This really gets my brain a stormin'!

What other scares have you guys seen on hayrides in the past?


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## Pumpkin King (Jul 14, 2008)

How was it?

Did you end up using the native american theme? Did you scare people?


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

well, i guess i'm late but, maybe next year. the haunted hayride we went on, the 2 scares i remember were, a guy hanging from the rafters kicking his feet. you were talking about giving the rules inside a barn, that could be where he is hanging. you could have for the hillbillies a feud like the hatfields and the mccalls. he could be one of the hatfields. and the second scare was suddenly out of some fog came a lady in white. a wedding gown, headed for our trailor. i don't know why but that scared me. you could have her looking for her beau, the guy hanging. and then some grab her, one jumps on the cart, you saw nothing. then later some jump on, did you see something.


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