While it may be true that anyone can design a haunted house, what sets a great haunted house apart from an okay haunted house? Learn the process that leading attraction designers use to develop an attraction that is on the cutting edge on haunt design in this quick paced seminar from veteran Haunted Attraction designer Leonard Pickel. In this thought provoking session Pickel will explain how he uses his Architectural education and 35 plus years of professional haunting experience to design terrifying Haunted Attractions, and how you can use these methods to strike terror into the hearts of your patrons. Take your attraction to the next level by taking this exciting class. Check out www.hauntrepreneurs.com for more design tips!

1. By Leonard Pickel
Hauntrepreneurs® Haunt
Design and Consulting
www.hauntrepreneurs.com
972-951-5100
hauntrepreneurs@gmail.com
Tweet Your Notes and Questions to #itsjustahaunt

2. The Goal of Any Successful Business is…
To Make OBSCENE Profits!To Make OBSCENE Profits!

3. Great Sets
Great Acting
Great Creativity

4. Great Marketing
$2-$3 Per Person Spent in Advertising
Television 30%
Radio 25%
Cable TV 15%
Internet 10%
Billboards 5%

5. Great Capacity
Throughput Equals Profit
Design for Maximum Capacity
Plenty of Ticket Sellers
Scare Forward
Ease of Access
Plentiful Parking
Multi-Element
Timed Ticketing

6. Great Experience
Show Quality Equals Customer Satisfaction
Complete Environments
Well Trained Actors
High Detail
Big Props

7. “A Haunted Attraction is a Play That You
Walk From Scene To Scene!” - Leonard
Pickel
Why is This Place Haunted and By Whom?
Create Your Own Characters
Why Are We
Going in?

8. Form Follows
Function
Designing From the
Inside Out
It’s All About The Scare!
Uncomfortable Spaces
Harsh Lighting

9. How Do You Scare a 21
Year Old Male?
HIGH STARTLEHIGH STARTLE

10. Eminent Injury
Dropping Ceiling
Falling Barrels
Chainsaw

11. Menacing
Line Entertainment

12. Camouflage
Dot Room
Camo Monster
Hockey Masks
Shadows

13. Misdirection
Crypt
Animations

14. Illusions
Bottomless Pit
Endless Hallway

15. Don’t Forget the End
of the Group
Actor Separation

16. Drop Panel
Portrait
Door Panel
Wall Panel
Brick

17. Slap Down

18. Crash Doors

19. Pop Up

20. Twists and Turns Cut Down Sightlines

21. Egress Pathway/Actor Substitution Route

22. Enter And Exit in the Same Area

23. Best Scares First and Last

24. Darkness is your friend
Use Practicals and LEDs
Soundscape for the Whole Haunt
Specialty Noises for Rooms
Scare Track For Actors

25. Zoning
Entertainment
Agriculture

26. Special Amusement Building Code
Mandatory Sprinkler System
Hard Wired Smoke Detection
Alarm to Stop All Confusing Lights and
Sound

27. Assembly Occupancy Requirements
“A” Rated Flame Spread All Surfaces
Perimeter Egress Corridor
All Doors Swing in the Direction of Travel
Emergency and Exit Lighting

28. Electrical
All Wiring by Licensed Electrician
No Romex
Metal Boxes
No Extension Cords

29. Electrical Solutions
Electrical Drops
Open Wiring
12-3 SJO Cord Harness
Low Voltage
Externally Lit Exit Signs
Add a Switch to Your Emergency Lights

30. Modular Construction - Taller is better
Thin Wall Panels
Triangular Grid
Props as Walls
Bracing

31.  Step 1 - Create storyline that defines the characters, setting and room
themes
 Step 2 - Designate each scare and what is needed to facilitate them.
 Step 3 - Logically order the rooms to tell the story; best scares first and
last
 Step 4 - Design each room with backstage area and variations
 Step 5 - Draw building/location to scale/locate entrance and exits
 Step 6 - Layout perimeter egress pathway and set the wall grid
 Step 7 - Place rooms to maximize travel distance (less hallway
towards the end)
 Step 8 - Redesign for better order, better fit and/or longer travel
distance
 Step 9 - Sleep on it and repeat step 8 until the best compromise is
reached

32. “Today’s teen and young adults are not easily frightened. “
Not Scary
 Classic Monsters
 Witches
 Ghosts
 Bats
 Insects
 Rats
 Snakes
 Skulls and skeletons
 Sci-fi
 Gore

33. Scary
Very Realistic Images
High Set Detail
Outlandish Images
Weird people lurking or staring
Characters suddenly appearing unexpectedly
Sudden Disappearance was also disturbing
Not Feeling Safe
Fear of the Unknown
Scary Music
Sound and Noises
Scent and Texture

34. Thanks For
Listening!
Leonard Pickel
Hauntrepreneurs® Haunt Design and Consulting Firm
Hauntrepreneurs@gmail.com
www.hauntrepreneurs.com
972-951-5100