10/15/2013 UPDATE: A District Court of MD judge has determined that the Haunted Garden is in fact NOT a commercial event and is allowing The Haunted Garden to be open ONLY on 2 nights – the 25th and 26th of October.     10/5/2013 UPDATE:  The District Court of MD just granted a TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER requiring cancellation of The Haunted Garden in 2013.  They will be fighting this legal maneuver, but for now The Haunted Garden is canceled and not open to the public.     Back for its fourth year, The Haunted Garden is an over the top Halloween feast for the eyes.  Hosted by Donna Kerr and Rania Peet the Haunted Garden is located on a beautiful 1/4 acre lot in Silver Spring, Maryland.  This incredible yard haunt offers 8 exhibits total and utilizes a mixture of larger than life hand crafted props, special effects, and live actors all designed to force you to face your fears.     This is a neighborhood event, and parking is limited.  If driving, please be courteous to the neighborhood flow and find parking within the blocks surrounding the garden. Parking signs will be posted. Please do NOT park in No Parking...

It seems like I spend more time watching tutorials on how to carve tombstones than I do actually carving tombstones, and that’s ok with me, because it’s all part of the learning process.  Well a major part of that process comes in the form of the two video tutorials that S.K. Austin of The Haunting Grounds provided.  This two part in depth analysis of how to weather your tombstones properly is an invaluable resource for those of us interested in created the most realistic looking tombstones possible.     http://youtu.be/Owv7yyK5gno Shop These Materials on Amazon 5-Pack Foam RIP Tombstone Blanks for Carving Decorative Cemetery Fence Sections Rust-Oleum Flat Black Spray Paint 12oz Affiliate Disclosure: HauntersList.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to...

It seems like we can’t go more than a few weeks without a good spider tutorial here at Haunter’s List, but Rania Peet’s latest prop tutorial, The Build of a Giant Spider is way better than “good”.  This is one oversized arachnid that could not possibly have turned out any better. In her tutorial you’ll start off making your head and body out of tension wire covered with chicken wire.  The tension wire comes round but is completely bendable to get whatever shape you see fit to make, it doesn’t necessarily have to be round.  The base is a rounded sheet of plywood that holds securely in place the 8 pieces of pvc that will form your legs.  Once the base is complete and painted, the body of your spider can be connected to it via a piece of metal flat bar.   The legs consist of three sections of 1″ pvc, a 5′ section that comes off the 45 degree fittings at the base, then connects to a 3′ section at the middle of the leg, and finishes with a 2′ section at the end.  Once the legs are attached Rania wrapped the pvc with some burlap and proceeded to spray Great Stuff in the gap.  The Great Stuff pushes the burlap and expands through the tiny gaps creating an amazingly creepy appearance that look both bulbous and hairy (just as I suspect spider legs would look like if you enlarged them to 17 feet in diameter).  Once complete they legs were coated with flat black spray paint. The body is covered with several yards of two tone long pile fur that were applied in sections.  The fur can be costly, but you cannot beat the appearance it gives the spider, it’s creepy unto...

If you’re a fan of Disney’s Haunted Mansion, then you’ve probably already spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how to incorporate some of your favorite effects from it into your haunt already.    Some are easier to accomplish than others, but if you’re looking for inspiration, HalloweenAddiction has a great tutorial on how to create a bulging door just like the one that appears to be breathing as it bows in and out in the corridor of doors.  The great thing about his prop is that it’s really not that hard to build.  Of course, you’ll need an empty door frame and a variable speed motor to create the effect, but the rest is constructed using 4 x 6″ foam that is held in the door frame via tension wire used for fencing.     http://youtu.be/GfM8eUTCaig Shop These Materials on Amazon 12V Wiper Motor 2.5" Shaft 110 Degree (prop building) PWM DC Motor Speed Controller 9-70V 35A 45Kg High-Torque Waterproof Digital Servo Motor Affiliate Disclosure: HauntersList.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to...

If you have access to a sandbox, or even just have some sand and a box you can put it to good use in making some skulls using the sand casting tutorial that partsman at HalloweenForum wrote.  You’ll need some play sand, a box, some great stuff, and a foam skull (or whatever you chose to cast).   Once you’ve got all your supplies, you’re basically just pressing the skull into the sand and packing the sand really tight around it.  Once it’s packed, just remove the form and add some great stuff to the impression you’ve created.  As you can see the resulting product has a really great looking stone appearance to it.   Shop These Materials on Amazon Realistic Replica Human Skull Statue 6.5" 5.4ft Full Size Halloween Foam Skeleton Affiliate Disclosure: HauntersList.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to...

Ok, since September 19th was International Talk Like a Pirate Day, (and I was completely unaware of this fact), I thought I’d post the tutorial that fravak from HalloweenForum penned on how to make foam barrels.  The barrels are crafted using styrofoam blocks, the kind that are used to stack small flatbed trailers, and while these may be hard to come by, even if you don’t need barrels and have access to these, they are gold, take them. Since the foam blocks start out square, fravak utilized the lid from a 5-gallon bucket to outline the round shape you’ll need.  From there the corners were cut off using a hot wire cutter and the entire block was sanded down using a drywall rasp to round it out.  Once this is complete the detailing of the barrel will actually begin.  A soldering iron will be needed to carve out the individual pieces of wood on all sides of the barrel.   Once this is complete you can add some finer detail by adding graining to all the wood planks with the soldering iron.  Fravak utilized paper mache for the straps around the barrels and a piece of blue foam for the plug.   Once all of these steps are complete it’s time to paint it up.  The base is a browish color while the top he top is covered with a black wash that fravak rubbed all over the barrel to make the color more uneven. The end result is phenomenal, these barrels look completely realistic they don’t cost much, and they’re light as a feather.  So next International Talk Like a Pirate Day, don’t forget to grab one of your barrels as you strut around town saying “Ahoy, me hearties, let’s see what crawled out of the bung hole.”, it’ll just make a lot more...

The Kingsbury Cemetery Haunted House is back for more scares in 2013 and they’ve got an all new location in the Galleria of Shops (the old Ames plaza) in Painted Post, New York.  This attraction sets its sights on being a traditionally scary, Victorian themed haunt, as opposed to the stereotypical “blood and gore” houses that are a dime a dozen.  The haunt relies on superior storylines, special effects and actors to provide an immersive experience that promises to raise the hair on the back of your neck.   This year’s attractions include: Kingsbury Manor – The Phantom Opus:  Young, creative, and sensitive to the supernatural, William Kingsbury discovers an heirloom organ that soon consumes his days. Regrettably, it’s a musical instrument of doom when angry ghosts are drawn to its power…note for note, and an eye for an eye!   The Cabinet of Curiosities: Thaddeus Ortch is the owner of the Cabinet of Curiosities, a museum of bizarre and grotesque oddities that otherwise would be flawless except for two things: his Egyptian sarcophagus needs a mummy, and he needs something from the Kingsbury family. When one of those things falls into his possession, his quest for the other has dire consequences! Some doors should remain locked...

The Midnight Terror Haunted House started as a small yard display in 2000 and has grown into the full walk through haunt that it is today.  Completely rethemed for 2013 the Midnight Terror Haunted House beckons you to enter “The Asylum”.  This charity driven home haunt is located in Oak Lawn, Illinois and showcases a majority of hand crafted props.  Coming off a strong 2012 showing in which they were rated 6th in the visitor’s favorite Halloween event by Hauntedillinois.com, the Midnight Terror Haunted House is looking forward to another year of fear.   Donations from this haunt benefit the Autism Society of...

Scream Xtreme and Great Country Q94 are getting set to bring back the Halls of Terror in Prairie Du Chien and have added two days to this years event.  Located in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin they’ve got a completely redesigned layout this year featuring new scares and effects, including outdoor elements as well.  While this haunt is not recommended for children under 12, there will be a special kid friendly haunt on October 26th from 2pm to 6pm.  For only $2.00 the kids will get a lights on trek through the haunt with friendly monsters and candy handed out at the end.   Proceeds from this haunt go towards the Prarie du Chien Fire Department, Parks Department, and other various...

After expanding their operations three years ago, the Asylum Haunted Scream Park has quickly become a must see haunted attraction.  Located in Louisville, Kentucky this haunt offers visitors 4 unique and separate attractions all located on a forty acre site.  All of the attractions here are completely immersive and give visitors the opportunity to experience a world overtaken by alien zombies and hillbilly freaks.   More than just a quiet stroll through the woods… Be prepared to face your darkest fears on this hellish mile long trek through frightful indoor and outdoor displays of terror.   You’ve seen zombie movies, now come live one!  Zombie City is a live action interactive haunted attraction unlike any you’ve ever experienced before.   Think you can stop an invasion of killer zombie aliens?  This fully interactive first-person shooting experience offers a 9,000 square foot arena of doom filled with zombie aliens.   Open every Friday and Saturday night this full carnival and freakshow showcases the talents of the Human Pincushion, a Fire Eater, Fortune Teller, Games, Prizes, Food and more....

A drop panel prop is great for some quick and easy screams, and building one is a pretty easy process as long as you can cut a hole in a wall.   Ok, it’s a little more involved than that, but if you’ve ever wanted to build one for your haunt, check out the tutorial that Brad of Bradsboobarn made.  There are a lot of videos out there on how to build this prop, and they’re all pretty much the same, but I really like the way Brad has incorporated his kids into this video, really cool....

I’ve wanted to build every prop I’ve come across lately, but none as much as I want to build this one.  The Gravedigger that Mizerella at 102 Wicked Things To Do created for her cemetery is amazing looking and doesn’t seem that difficult to pull off (said the guy that’s never created an entire person out of paper mache). The head of this fellow will take the most care and attention to detail when creating.  It’s made using a foam skull that’s a blend of paper mache, mache pulp, and Creative paper clay.  The features of his face including the nose, ears, tongue, teeth and eye brows will need to be built up with the Creative paper clay which is where some basic sculpting abilities will come in handy.     Once you’ve got the head done you’re almost done.  The rest of the prop is a pvc frame that’s been heated and bent to give him a warped stance.  The pvc frame is then covered in chicken wire and paper mached numerous times.  The arms and legs incorporated pool noodles to build them up before coating them in paper mache.  The final piece of the puzzle when creating this fellow were the hands, which were a mixture of wire, cut straws and many layers of paper mache and mache pulp.   Once all of the pieces of the puzzle are complete it’s just a matter of dressing this guy up in your favorite old clothes and finding a final resting spot for him.  Mizerella’s gravedigger looks incredible and I’m a little skeptical on whether I can make one that looks as nice, but I will definitely be giving this guy a shot. Shop These Materials on Amazon 5-Pack Foam RIP Tombstone Blanks for Carving...

I’m going to be honest here, I’m not sure exactly who is making all of these chicken wire ghosts for their haunts, but I’m guessing that their hands and arms are covered with tiny little red spots from where the chicken wire pierced their skin.  Seriously, though, I’ve noticed that a ton of people lately are searching for the chicken wire ghost prop, and while it’s not something that I would ever consider doing, they sure do look cool when they’re done right.  Shawn and Lynne Mitchell have put together a pretty concise DIY tutorial on how to make these.  You can make them with or without the cheesecloth dressing to get the look that’s best for you.   Items needed to complete this include: semi-transparent fabric S-hooks thin wire mannequin head roll of chicken wire with 1-inch cells roll of chicken wire with 2-inch cells wire cutters cheesecloth scissors wire hanger work gloves Shop These Materials on Amazon 1/2" Hardware Cloth 19-Gauge 48"x100ft Galvanized Roll Aviation Tin Snips 3-pc Set (straight/left/right) Affiliate Disclosure: HauntersList.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to...

Originally created by Scott Axworthy in 1988, the Axworthy Flying Ghost prop is a great effect that is pretty easy to understand conceptually, but always seems to elicit some really hard to follow tutorials.   The prop features ghosts that zip along on a tie line along the path of your choosing.  It’s proven to be a time consuming prop that is prone to bogging down if things don’t go just right, but when it’s working and the ghosts are chugging around your line, it looks awesome.  The Haunted Driveway has done a great job of putting this prop into an easy to understand tutorial that just might inspire someone to give this prop a shot this year.     Items needed to complete this include: Gear motor around 1/8 hp and speed around 110 RPM Wheels made for V-belts, 5 inch diameter Threaded metal rod that will fit the wheels Locking nuts that fit the threaded rod Wood or angled steel to attach the threaded rod Black tie line Fishing line to hang the ghosts Hot glue gun Ghosts   http://youtu.be/K0EU_0IjNEY Shop These Materials on Amazon 12V Wiper Motor 2.5" Shaft 110 Degree (prop building) PWM DC Motor Speed Controller 9-70V 35A 45Kg High-Torque Waterproof Digital Servo Motor Affiliate Disclosure: HauntersList.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to...

I suppose you could settle for a plain old latex mask this Halloween, but if you really want to put some fear into the kids this year, try utilizing the Burnt/Two Face tutorial that Mel Rose made.  It’s a really easy effect to accomplish, though you may need some help applying the makeup since you’ll be working with only one eye.  The cost is minimal and it will look more realistic than any mask you could buy without breaking the bank.     Items needed to accomplish this include: Red Cream Makeup Black cream makeup Card stock (for teeth) Liquid latex Eye popping latex appliance Spirit gum Toilet paper Textured sponge...

Back for his 5th year of fear, Dr. S. Cary is now accepting victims, er, patients.  Dr. S. Cary’s Haunted House, located in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin features two unique haunted attractions. The Dungeon of Terror haunt features over 30 rooms including 10 new rooms & 10 newly re-themed for 2013.  If you survive the horror in the Dungeon you can try your luck at Pandemonium, the Dr’s all new attraction.  Pandemonium is a Haunt where you will be scared and terrorized from within.  It is intended to confuse and disorient you,  you will experience total darkness, intense strobe lights, heavy fog, offensive odors, loud music, and have very limited vision.  You will also have to choose between multiple paths if you are ever going to find your way out....

Scream Acres Ct is back for its 10th year of fear, and this haunt just keeps getting better and better.  This haunted attraction in Covington, Kentucky started as a home haunt and has grown into an awesome haunted attraction offering four incredible themes.     Do you have what it takes to climb into a real wood coffin and be buried alive?  Come test your fears in this chilling attraction! In 1940 Dr. Boron opened up Castle Hill Funeral Home in Latonia, Kentucky.  Three years later the funeral home was shut down and Dr. Boron was charged for the murder of 42 local residents. On the night of the incident Dr. Boron was nowhere to be found.  He’s still missing.  The old funeral home has been boarded and locked up until now… In the backwoods of Latonia, Kentucky lies an abandoned funhouse.  During the 1940’s the funhouse was a popular attraction, until it unexpectedly closed.  Come experience this 3D attraction. Afraid of the dark?  Not to worry, this attraction isn’t dark, its pitch black.  Navigate your way out of the haunted house in complete darkness.  What’s worse, what lurks in the dark, or your imagination?  ...

“Sinister is built and ready to tear down your psyche.”  Let the 2013 haunt season begin!  Sinister Haunted House in Utica, Michigan offers visitors a journey through a highly detailed and overtly creepy house.  Scenes packed with gruesome props and freakish occupants help to keep you on your toes as you wind your way through.  And that’s where this haunt really excels, because the actors that work this haunt have historically been top-notch making for a completely immersive and interactive experience.    ...