Tips to Survive Any Haunted House

Now that October is in full swing I’ve been thinking a lot about the fall and Halloween season. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays for as long as I can remember. The colors, mainly orange and black against the collage or changing leaves on the trees, the crispness in the air that marks the official change of the season and those little butterflies I used to get just before Trick or Treating seem return no matter how old I get. The anticipation of Halloween seems to have heightened for me in recent years due to time spent volunteering in a local haunted house. I’m not truly sure why I enjoy doing it so much other then it’s fun to participate in creating Halloween memories for kids the same way adults did when I was younger coupled with the fact I’m actually good at it.

This year I believe will mark my 5^th or maybe 6^th year participating with the same group and our haunt has grown from very modest beginnings to one of the biggest haunted attractions in the area. It has taken the blood, sweat and tears  (no pun intended) of many people who are more dedicated then I to make this happen and feeling when we meet each year is comparable to that of a family reuniting. All the mushy stuff aside, I have decided as an haunted house insider, to provide some tips for those of you who want to survive your local haunts this year.

SPOILER WARNING!! Some of these tips will reveal things about a haunted house that will make them a less scary experience. If you WANT to be scared stop reading HERE

Tips For Haunted House Guest

1.       Always Go In A Group – You’d think this would be a no-brainer but you’d be surprised just how many brave souls come through haunted houses each year all alone. Frankly as a scare-er it kind of shocks me when I  come upon a lone visitor because I immediately think “What kind of psycho-bad-ass would show up and come through this scary hell by themselves?!!” But unless you are willing to get all of the attention of those monsters inside, make sure you come with friends as they make perfect shields during those difficult moments. ALSO, the best place to be if you DON’T want to be singled out is actually the FRONT of your group as most scare-ers will target the middle and the back of your group because usually the person leading is the protector and the hardest to scare.

2.       Never Say Names  - Haunted House actors are ALWAYS listening for identifying information because personalizing what they say always has a greater impact. Most guests will be dumbfounded if an scare-er says their name forgetting that their friend has been screaming it the whole time they’ve been in the haunted house

3.       Adjust Your Eyes – Some of the best haunts will be designed in such a way to constantly move you from lighted to darkened areas as a way to keep your eyes from ever fully getting adjusted to your surroundings. One way to counter this is to close your eyes for at least 10-15 seconds when first entering a dark area. When you open them you should be able to see a little better then you could before. However strobe lights and other devices make even this technique useless.

4.       Always Look Behind You ­– A well designed haunt will make great use of misdirection, that is, using a device or another actor to draw your attention one way while another actor with the REAL scare sneaks to the side or behind you. Just like in scary movies, when the visitor thinks nothing is going on or the scare has already occurred is when they are most vulnerable.

5.       Keep Moving – This is fairly obvious but seems counter-intuitive when you are scared. Keep a steady pace when moving through the haunt. Don’t stop or slow down (don’t run either) because this just gives scare-ers a chance to scare you again and again. If you move at a steady pace through the haunt this will force them to scare you once and move on.

6.       Prime Yourself – Know that when you enter a haunt there will be loud noises, scary people jumping out, bright lights, and other things designed to scare the pants off of you. Remind yourself about this just before and as you travel through the haunt. By priming your mind to expect these events you will find they are much less scary, because you will be expecting them to happen.