# How Can I Get Older Crowd



## Metaluna Mutant (May 18, 2008)

How do I attract an older crowd and keep little kids out? I'm thinking of putting a pg13 sign out this year. Is this a good idea? Last year we had too much trouble being able to tell how old our trick or treaters. Most of them were so young that we didn't want to scare them. This year I'm working on a simple animatronic that abviously can't tell if they are too young.


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## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

do you have a maze? if i were you i would just warn people that it is scary and not for young children. maybe put up in a different part of the yard something less scary for smaller children. Like the person(from this forum, i forget your name) who is doing the peanuts halloween wood cut outs.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

Put out a sign that says "Free Beer"

Seriously, I have a walk through and I have someone at the entrance. They warn the parents that the walk through is scary. If they just want to look at stuff and not be scared by someone they are welcome to go in the back yard and look at the graveyard. If they enter the haunt they are fair game. 

Getting the older kids and adults to attend can be tough. I live 2 blocks from a high school, so I do get some high school age kids. Maybe a flyer or two near a high school might help?


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## GraveStalker (Apr 19, 2006)

*First Impression*

If you work on a very daunting facade at the entrance, it will sort most of them out.


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

If you have any fliers I suggest the PG13 icon in the corner of it.
And have a few posters/fliers at your haunt that say "Not intended for small children."
Also, you could try and be open a few nights besides Halloween.
Last year our haunted house was "empty" (No actors) and we allowed the children to walk through if they wanted.
Then, on the other nights, we had all our actors in there to scare the people who came to get scared.
Another thing that worked awesome for us was that we had walkie talkies for our actors...
So if we noticed some small kids going in, we notified all our actors to tame it down.
Hope some if this helps.
.


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

If you're only planning one pneumatic prop, you could consider triggering it with a wireless remote, so you are in control of it and you can (or someone else) can decide if the kids coming through can handle it or not. I did this with one prop last year.


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## Beth (Sep 27, 2005)

Usually when the smaller children hear the screams coming from the inside they choose not to go in. HOWEVER, there are usually a few little "brave" ones and we try to group them together and warn the cast when they are going in. Even with that, most of the time they do not make it through.

Also on our flyer we encourage parents to accompany their children. Then it's their decision as to whether or not they should go through it. We do the best that we can.

Good luck.


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

Prune Juice, free prune juice! Or put out an Early Bird sign


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

The Greeter is a good idea. That person can give treats and invite older people in.

I don't think he wants THAT old of a crowd Budman....boy your head is really up......
Prune Juice, indeed! LOL!


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

Hey I only go on what I hear. I don't think my Dad's missed an Early Bird since he retired......hence the prune juice!!!!


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## HibLaGrande (Sep 25, 2005)

wear blue eyeshadow and spandex!


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## tonguesandwich (Oct 13, 2006)

Play a scream track for your line , like a laugh track. Have it come from your haunt, it will get them to scared to come in and get the older kids ready to be scared.


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

An outside neon sign like this would probably do the trick


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

That'd draw teens for sure! LOL


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

joker said:


> An outside neon sign like this would probably do the trick


 I'll Be there!!!!!:googly:


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

OMG...where is this thread going?

Ohhhh Budman, don't encourage them. LOL!


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## Metaluna Mutant (May 18, 2008)

I'm worried that we will lose a lot of people that came last year.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

I'm sure you will have new ones this yr along with the return crowd.. like FYF said put a flyer up at the school or a place kids hang out ..then just suggest to parents with young children it may be too scarey for them and let them decide.


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## Bloodhound (Oct 16, 2007)

*Haunted House Flyer!!*

Oct 31 2008
This haunt to scary for little ones!
Must Be 18 to ENTER and 21 to DRINK


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## DarkShadows (Feb 6, 2006)

The little kids are the best! Thats whats halloween is all about, getting scared. They come into my haunt, there getting scared for sure. Isn't that why they came there in the first place?


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## ubzest (Jul 1, 2008)

I like the comment "free beer" lol. 
We tell people that there is "no mercy after 7oclock." "We WILL scare you" It doesn t matter how old they are, very young or very old they all get the same treatment after 7. During the week up to halloween I let people go thru our haunt with no actors, no lights, no music. Its a whole different story when you know your safe.


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## Metaluna Mutant (May 18, 2008)

HalloweenZombie said:


> I have a walk through and I have someone at the entrance. They warn the parents that the walk through is scary.


My mother does that but instead of warning them, she yells at us that a kid is coming through that does not want to be scared. I keep explaining to her, but she doesn't listen. Even when we don't try to scare them they cry or wet themselves (This has actually happened) and hold up the line. We also lose a lot of potential scares because kids are mixed in with those that want to be scared.


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