# Yard Haunts



## hallloweenjerzeboy (Mar 3, 2009)

Other than Vandalism, how come people only put their haunt up for one night? I have my haunt up for 6 weeks, I put a majority of it up and then add to it as the days and weeks go by. I would not have it any other way, I love having it up for so long and so does everyone that comes and sees it, especially my neighbors. I live in Nutley, NJ which is a very nice town in northern nj, about 5 mins from the new york city, but newark nj is only 2 towns away. I do not want to jinx myself but I have yet to have real vandalism done. Here is a video of it at roughly 80% done in late September of last year.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Nice haunt work Jboi.....I'm with you on starting early....I start putting things out Sept. 1....In fact I already have structure work out for my haunt NOW...Hey slow the camera down this year...I want to see more of your work....thanks..B


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

I start setting up the last weekend of Sept., and put out a prop or two a day until I have the whole display together. The haunt is lit around mid-Oct., but animated props are only out for Halloween and on a sneak preview night the weekend before. I take everything in the garage at the end of Halloween night (around 11:00).


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## Frankie-s Girl (Apr 5, 2009)

I have never had so much as a pumpkin smashed, just some minor damage to some foam toppers on my fence columns that looked like kids testing the surface.

That being said, there are two reasons why I don't put my display out early. One is the temptation of vandalism, the other is to maintain the mystery and magical nature of the night.

We put out the cheapy tombstones, crypt and the cemetery fence and columns and cobwebbing and change out the lights around the first part of October, but the full on setup doesn't go out until the big day, and everything comes in that night.

I like that it's only one night and then gone... like an apparition.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

For me.....the reason is theft. I don't think we have much problem with vandals. But we definitely have a problem with theft.


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## Bone To Pick (Oct 23, 2007)

It's no longer called theft, it's now "borrowing-challenged behavior."


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Bone To Pick said:


> It's no longer called theft, it's now "borrowing-challenged behavior."


There's nothing borrowing challenged about it. It's low life criminal behavior - theft.


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## kallen (Jun 23, 2008)

I agree. we star putting ours out a little at a time also, but the foggers, special props and of course the buckeys are put out only on the the night of our party, we live outside of town so no streetlights.....lots of smashed mailboxs though.


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## HauntDaddy (Apr 14, 2009)

I have been doing my yard haunt for about 5 years and have never had anything done to it. I start setting up the 1st week of oct. Anything earlier my wife would kill me. I do however take it down asap!!!


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## KINGS CRYPT (Mar 22, 2009)

I been thinking about sleeping out in my graveyard this year and if someone tries to steal something I'd scare the living hell out of them. Typical highschool kids like me think it is so fun to screw with peoples decorations , but I would turn them into a decoration if they screwed with my props. Maybe not but a real kid, that would make an excellent prop!:googly:


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## zombiehorror (Apr 7, 2009)

I do my short display for atmosphere as well as thwarting any vandalism. I just think there is something creepier about kids going off to school in the morning and then coming home and finding that a graveyard has erupted out of their neighbors lawn. Tot's only have time to see just a little before they have to get home, eat and get ready for tot'ing so they really don't get to see anything in the safe light of day. I've just recently begun to put my fence/columns up day before Halloween which is only because my display is growing and it usually takes me all of Halloween day to get it set up the way I want it. Then after the last Tot's it comes down and gets hauled into the garage and put away within the week.


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

Nice job on your haunt Jerzeboi! I try to put my display out a couple weeks before Halloween. I enjoy seeing the local families walk by and check out the display. It is just too much work to put out just for one night. The only thing I don't display unless I'm home is my Gemmy's. This year I got my new shed so I'm going to put a display in the shed and just lock it when I'm not at home.


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## smileyface4u23 (Apr 1, 2008)

We put out some lights, cobwebs, a few tombstones, the giant spiderweb/spider a few weeks before Halloween. The rest of the display comes out on Halloween day. Last year we were very brave and set up a large part of the cemetary a day early...then stayed up until 2 or so keeping an eye on it. Everything comes down on Halloween night. We have had problems with theft in the past so that's my main reason for not putting the stuff out until Halloween day.


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## Munster56 (Jun 4, 2009)

With my display I usually set it up on halloween then take it down that night. I wish I could set it up earlier in the month but I have a couple of reasons why I don't. First is vandals. After building(slaving) over props I would be just a little ticked off if something was broken or stolen. Second I usually finish my latest prop additions on halloween. LOL


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## hallloweenjerzeboy (Mar 3, 2009)

Joisey girl will agree I'm sure that in jersey, at least north nj, its a pretty big thing to go around to different haunts in the weeks n days before halloween. I know my own haunt gets over 3k visitors cause I live right next to a popular park in town, so everyone knows about it. I do keep an eye on it every night for the 6 weeks its up till I go to bed. I am going to set alarms this year because I probably jinxed myself with this thread lol. A few years ago someone did steal a big strobe light but they paid a price. I just so happened to be looking out the window when they were taking it. I didn't have enough time to catch them but I did throw a brick through their back windshield and followed them in my car till they get on the highway scared as hell . Maybe a lil extreme but nobody messes with my stuff, I'm a jersey boy comon now .


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

I put all my stuff out the first weekend in October and the neighbors start asking me when I am going to start setting up in the middle of Sept. All my props that could easily walk I bring in every night and I have signs up saying the yard is under video watch and I keep two lights on all night. Before I did that I did have some people come and take 7 tombstones I made and some cheap skulls and that pissed me off till I found out the hold neighborhood went on a search and recover mission looking for my stuff. The news came out a did a story about it because one of the news people lived in the area and found out about it and wanted to help. None of the stuff was found or returned but it is nice to know that the neighborhood likes what I do. It all comes down and is packed away November 1.


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## dasjman (Sep 10, 2008)

Yeah, the yard gets started in late September and gets added to until I get done. I work on the garage after that, but my wife will only leave the car out for me on Halloween or perhaps a day after also. That means the garage does not premiere until Halloween. Maybe, as I grow and expand, I can convince her I need the room!


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## MotelSixx (Sep 27, 2008)

I used to start end of august, but moved it up to beginning of august due to the lady down the street running a daycare, and brings the kids by everyday to find whats new. I'm fortunate to have alot of neighbors who go on their porch to smoke (free security) along with the fact that all the neighbors dig the display and keep an eye on it. Take dwon occurs all night after Halloween , thus preventing any TOTs who walked my haunt from thinking about coming back after dark to snag something.


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## The Archivist (May 31, 2009)

*What I've done is to erect a light framework and black tarp to prevent people*



Frankie-s Girl said:


> That being said, there are two reasons why I don't put my display out early. One is the temptation of vandalism, the other is to maintain the mystery and magical nature of the night.
> 
> We put out the cheapy tombstones, crypt and the cemetery fence and columns and cobwebbing and change out the lights around the first part of October, but the full on setup doesn't go out until the big day, and everything comes in that night.
> 
> I like that it's only one night and then gone... like an apparition.


from seeing what lays beyond, drove people nuts especially when I was evasive when giving out answers to what I was up to.


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## Moon00 (Oct 7, 2007)

Frankie-s Girl said:


> I have never had so much as a pumpkin smashed, just some minor damage to some foam toppers on my fence columns that looked like kids testing the surface.
> 
> That being said, there are two reasons why I don't put my display out early. One is the temptation of vandalism, the other is to maintain the mystery and magical nature of the night.
> 
> ...


Same here, It seems like it's more exciting and mysterious for the ToT since they haven't seen the display up all month long. It just appears one night and then gone the next. That's our main reason for not setting up until the big day, next to the fact that alot of our props are not weather proof so I don't want things getting damaged by sitting out in the wind and rain for a long time.

This year though I do plan to set up part of the display early on, probably the first or second week of October. Since lighting plays a big part of it and our ToT times are really messed up here (ToT ends before it even gets dark out) I want people to be able to enjoy it by riding by the house at night throughout the month of October. As well as build up excitement for the rest of our haunt on the big day.


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

Cemetery (columns, fence, tombstones and lights) and facade goes up 1st weekend of Oct. or last weekend in September just depends on how it falls. 

Ground breakers, fog, gargoyles and any other props don't get added till halloween night. The neighborhood has gotten used to this and I think helps build anticipation. 

The rest of the month I work on the garage and finalizing the porch (behind the facade) and the front part of my apartment that leads to the garage.


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## bloodfire9 (Oct 4, 2008)

I start setting up at the end of september and leave the haunt out all of october. The only things I keep for the big day are some of the bigger more expensive props and of course I activate all the triggers so formally static props now become animated.


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

Hey nice Haunt. I put up the fences and inside props (like my FCG) a few weeks before. I let the grass grow long and drag out a bunch of dead branches and tie them to the fence to simulate a run down graveyard with dead trees and fallen branches. but my animatronics do not go out until Halloween. The weather is one reason, and theft is another. I have put too much work into my props so that someone can just take it.


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## mandodude (Aug 31, 2008)

I put my fence and tombstones up in Mid October and then add on as the month goes by. I bring in the mannequins from the porch each night. I also save the animatronic stuff for halloween night. So far, I've never had anything taken which is amazing since I live in a midtown area. Hopefully that is because even adults and teenagers appreciate it.

Based on what I've read here, I am going to start the first weekend in October this year.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

I had the only good prop stolen the night before Halloween one year. After that, nothing went out until 10/31. At that time I was in a quiet neighborhood near the back with no through street near me.

Now, I live on a very busy through-street with an easy escape out of the neighborhood, with lots and lots of traffic.

BTW..your yard haunt is fantastic. I am seeing ways to improve my little yard this year. Thanks for posting the video.


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## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

hallloweenjerzeboi said:


> Joisey girl will agree I'm sure that in jersey, at least north nj, its a pretty big thing to go around to different haunts in the weeks n days before halloween. I know my own haunt gets over 3k visitors cause I live right next to a popular park in town, so everyone knows about it. I do keep an eye on it every night for the 6 weeks its up till I go to bed. I am going to set alarms this year because I probably jinxed myself with this thread lol. A few years ago someone did steal a big strobe light but they paid a price. I just so happened to be looking out the window when they were taking it. I didn't have enough time to catch them but I did throw a brick through their back windshield and followed them in my car till they get on the highway scared as hell . Maybe a lil extreme but nobody messes with my stuff, I'm a jersey boy comon now .


The windshield probaly cost more than the strobe that's karma!


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## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

I set up 10-1 because I live in the country so word of mouth to get more tot.I have never had anything bothered but I bring in my big ticket items everynight.


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## Kaoru (May 6, 2009)

Becuase of what happened to our Xmas decorations in 2006. Hubby, Terrormaster and I thought it be safer to have the delicate props up or expensive ones up the night before. Some of the background is up about 3 weeks before halloween.


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## Adam I (Jun 16, 2007)

We start setting up the last weekend in September and just keep adding.
The delicate and expensive ones come out for Halloween.
Our only problems have been the wind.


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