# When does it all come down?



## autumnghost (Sep 12, 2009)

I keep reading of people taking stuff down the night of (OMG too tired for that) or the day after Halloween.

We've decided to leave everything up and at least semi-operational until this coming weekend. Our darling daughter missed the party and Halloween but she'll be home from college this weekend and wanted to see everything.

To tell the truth though, after all the hard work, I'm REALLY hesitant to take anything down. Can I leave it there until Halloween '11?


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## Scarey Old Man (Oct 15, 2010)

I would love to leave props up and operational year round. 

With the threat of pranksters nearly all of the props were removed by 10 pm halloween night.

Just the items close to the house were left up slowly being taken down this week to be packed away for next year.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Leaving it all up 'til this weekend. Had it lit last night--people stopped by. I am always too damn tired to even think of taking it down the next day. I think I'm tired cuz I spent all day outside and it was very cold. I keep stuff up as I like to make sure my pics came out before I take stuff down (I don't have digital pics yet..need to get them developed).


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

I started taking down stuff yesterday, but I'm not sure if I will have everything down before I go to Fields of Screams on Friday. I'm staying over in PA, so I would like to have everything in by than, but I'm not sure if I will be able to.


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## SKAustin (Dec 12, 2009)

Everything that could be destroyed by kids was taken down right after trick-or-treating on halloween night. We've had a lot of problems with kids destroying stuff in my area this year (and recent past years). I think next year I might keep it up a bit longer . I dont think I really got enough video of the display this year, and it would have been nice to add a few extra days to get the video and photos I needed.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

I would love to leave things up longer but I trust no one. I disassemble my graveyard on Halloween night along with the other unique props that might disappear over night. The things like fencing and house items that people wouldn't normally take I leave for another day. But if it rains everything is taken inside the garage and disassembled over the next week.


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## randomr8 (Oct 24, 2009)

Depends on the weather.


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## SuperCreep31 (Nov 22, 2009)

i take absolutely everything down the night of because of the threat of pranksters-it's hard work but I'd rather do that than getting things stolen


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## autumnghost (Sep 12, 2009)

Wow. I'm always surprised and really po'd when I hear about things being destroyed. We've never {crossing fingers here} had anything stolen or destroyed. Then again living on a very busy street and a block from the police station helps with that - A LOT.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Most came down Sunday night. I'll bring in the spider web and graveyard fence this weekend.


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

We have a friend coming in this weekend and she wanted us to leave it up until then so she could see it. However, my dear friend Blackcat called and advised me that there is rain due Thursday and Friday and snow showers Saturday. The kids and I will be outside taking down all the electric today and bringing in any of the higher end stuff that I don't want to risk getting ruined. After that's all in, I guess I may as well take the rest down too. The concession stand has already been disassembled along with the display in the driveway where the guests were waiting in line. I may bring in the headstones too....I made all new ones this year, and for the most part, they were a huge hit...I'd rather not have to make all new ones again! I wish I could just leave it all up though...it would be SOO much easier, although I'm guessing having a cemetery in the front yard is not a selling point to non haunters!


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## GPSaxophone (Sep 6, 2007)

You seem to have a good reason to leave it up, so go for it.

I take down all important items before going to bed on Halloween night (foggers, anything that moves, etc). The rest comes down over the next few days. This year we haven't had snow yet (and it's even supposed to hit 70° this weekend!) so weather hasn't been a factor. Most years, I try to get stuff down between storms as stakes are hard to pull out of frozen ground.

The neighborhood kids know we give out good candy (full size candy bars for teens) so they tend to keep watch over the display so we don't stop doing it. Still, it only takes one brat to ruin a lot of stuff. Better safe than sorry by bringing stuff in ASAP.


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## avarax (Aug 18, 2010)

This weekend. I'm too busy to take anything down, and when i have the time, I'm too lazy! One funny thing about packing up though... The crawlspace runs behind our bed, and I'm a little iffy about putting my bucky in the toe pincher for storage behind my bed. Skeleton in coffin in the wall behind my bed! 

I've seen too many horror movies.


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## Plastic Ninja (Sep 30, 2010)

Stuff the damn teens might swipe go's inside after the last TOTs. Everything else the next day.


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## The-Haunter (Sep 24, 2009)

My haunt was in the back yard so I have some time but first I need to build shelves , too much stuff got broke between one year and the next. Plus I'm not really sure what all I have so need to sort


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

I wanted mine down by now, but it got rainy so I'm waiting until the weekend.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

I guess I didn't know how lucky I am not to have a problem with kids destroying stuff. I live in a lake resort area and this time of year there are few people around and almost no children. I do a private party anyway so no toters is not an issue. Most likely I will take most of it down by Thankgiving. Although one year the tombstones stayed out all winter and were taken in early spring. We got an early snow an they looked so peaceful out there I just left them for the winter. The indoor stuff will come down next week as I get to it.


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

On Halloween night, most of my props are back in the house. I took down the outside decorations on Monday including the cemetary fence. I stared the inside yesterday. I should have all Halloween packed and put away by this weekend. However, when the Halloween stuff comes down, I put up the autumn decorations. I love the colors of autumn so it's like an extended season before the Christmas crap goes up.


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## dominic81 (Nov 3, 2010)

The only thing left standing is the 8ft walk way. Thinking about putting white cotton on the top of it, making a drop floor on the ceiling and putting a Santa Claus with a rope around his neck on top!!! Just kiddin I mentioned that but got the look if you know what i mean. Taking it down this weekend


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## goneferal (Sep 8, 2010)

I took mine down Monday. The corn stalks and pumpkins will remain as long as they last.


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## Evil Queen (Mar 8, 2008)

Everything outside gets put in the garage the night of, then the next day everything is packed and put away.


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## Darkwalker (Jul 4, 2010)

I brought in all the props and tombstones at the end of Tot'ing.
Next day the fencing, lighting, crypt facade and caretakers shack came down. And all the electrical wiring was rolled up. Monday I took down my sign and columns.
What a sad day that was. I still have five pumpkins out front. 
They'll probably be taken out back into the woods for the animals this weekend.

Still not even close to having everything packed away.


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## Aquayne (Sep 1, 2008)

Everything goes up and down in the same day. Everything I make is modular and stores small. It takes hours the next day to sort the piles out in the garage but it is safe.


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## Night Watchman (Aug 15, 2009)

Everything but the fence came down after the last ToT's. Need to pack it all away this weekend and than the fence will come down and put in storage.


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## Spartan005 (Mar 13, 2007)

I'm guessing by Christmas. 





And unfortunately I'm not joking.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Tombstones, small props and animatronics go to the garage Halloween night for safe keeping. I just finished packing the rest away yesterday. Still need to transport 6 wall panels off site to a friends garage but the house is now "void" of Halloween stuff. It takes three days to put it all away, which as I get older, seems way too long.


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## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

Halloween Night starting at 8pm


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

ASAP! The deal is I have to have Halloween completely packed away before bear hunting season which is in mid-November. We have quite a bit torn down already. We take almost as much pleasure in packing away the yard display as we do putting it up. We've had several people stop by and wonder if this was the 'Halloween house' because they didn't see the cemetery.


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## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

I wanted to wait until this weekend, but colder weather, rain and wind were coming in on Thursday, so we took in all the figures and tombstones Wednesday night. They are all just huddled up in the garage for now, though. This weekend, we will actually start putting it away.


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## Spooklights (Jul 4, 2006)

I usually take the day after Halloween off of work so I can get all the outside stuff put away. Then during the following week, the inside stuff comes down.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Everything was put in the garage the day after but the shipwreck & mast was moved 2 days later. Then everything gets packed up and put away by the following weekend.


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Spartan005 said:


> I'm guessing by Christmas.
> 
> And unfortunately I'm not joking.


LOL! Same here. Although it's going better this year than in the past it's still a huge job.


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## mic214 (Jun 22, 2010)

We had some friends that didn't get a chance to see our display on Halloween, so we have left it up for a week for them. I also had a friend who is a professional photographer come over on Wednesday to take some night times shots for me.

So we are starting today to break things down....it will most likely take two to three days to get it all packed away.....


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## randomr8 (Oct 24, 2009)

*Halloween cleanup*

They wanted to say goodbye before they got put away.

goodbye


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## Dead Things (Apr 4, 2009)

I took 2 days off after Halloween, It all comes off the lawn Nov 1. It took 2 days and I am happy to say it is 99% put away, but there are always stragglers that keep cropping up.


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## SpectreTTM (Aug 22, 2005)

We usually have an After Halloween Open House the Sunday following Halloween. That way friends and family get a chance to see all the new stuff that usually is not finished until the day of Halloween.


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## highbury (Nov 5, 2009)

All the outdoor pieces go up early Halloween morning and then come down immediately after Trick or Treat is through. It's almost like it was never there. Everything else gets packed away the following weekend. Which is what I'm off to do now. In the rain...


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

When I was doing a display, it all went up the day of Halloween, and came down that night. Now with 1128 square feet of interior castle plus cemetery, and TOTers still showing up after 10:00 PM, it's not so easy. I took off a week before Halloween to set it all up. Then I took the day after Halloween off, and carried in everything that wasn't the castle proper. This weekend begins the taking down of the castle itself, then comes the job of resorting and packing all of the totes. Still a week or two of work ahead.


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## EvilQueen1298 (Jul 27, 2007)

Everything comes down near 10pm.
I am like many on here.....I trust no one.
Even at our party at our club, all the centerpieces were off the table and expensive props were put in the back room (that could be locked) until morning.


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## Zombie-F (Apr 12, 2004)

If we have the threat of rain, we will start tearing down at 10 PM on Halloween night. This year, we had no threat of rain for a few days so we started the day after. All in all, it took two-and-a-half days to get it all put away neatly.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Awww....takin' it down today.Cemetery, fence & electricals all gone. So sad. Packing it all up very well cuz we decided to not do it next year...that's gonna feel weird: to not have stress at Halloween.


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## Kaoru (May 6, 2009)

Same with us, everything came down the day after Halloween. Although hubby TM has not put everything inside completely away, the basement needs to be cleared up and the halloween boxes need to go downstairs.


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## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

as of now, it's all down... all buttoned up, and stored in it's proper place. I started at about 10:30am, finished at 4:00 including sweeping out the garage and putting the extra cars back in the garage and driveway (were hiding out back) well, one exception. the fcg is still in my front room... not in a big hurry to put it away. Maybe tonight, maybe next month. Funny, it takes about a month to put it all out and 6 hours to put it away. Last year I had it put away the next day. Year before that it was all piled in my garage till Jan. (!)


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

Last year it took 6 weeks to put up and 10 long hours to take down. This year, I had 75% down on the day after, but I'm still working on taking the rest down. It's just too depressing to see it all go away. With that said, I'll finish packing tomorrow with a tear in my eye.


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## Eeeekim (Aug 14, 2009)

It's all finally down today BUT some of it is still lurking around the house. I need to put a little stuff back in storage containers. Then I can start thinking and dreaming about getting it all back out again next year. YAY!


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Some of it never gets put away.


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## robp790 (Jan 8, 2008)

Most of mine was taken down and in the garage Halloween Night. Today we spent four hours boxing it up to take down to the crawl space.


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## randomr8 (Oct 24, 2009)

Hauntiholik said:


> Some of it never gets put away.


Saw this house today.... I think they are fighting it. I also now realize that a purple house makes the purple spider webs look cool.


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## Hellvin (Jul 6, 2008)

Like most here - our "valuable" pieces get moved to the backyard after 10 pm on Hallowe'en. By valuables, I mean anything that is hard to replace and/or easy to destroy. I think every neighborhood has the possibility of pranksters, so it is only prudent to do so. The rest of the items come down the day after then everything gets packed away in the garage.


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## mic214 (Jun 22, 2010)

We got the majority of our set up down yesterday before the rain started! All of it is stacked in my garage for now. We need to get the storage boxes down from the attic and get everything properly stowed away.

We are planning on taking all of the large props down next week when the weather clears....

We added a few more props this year, so I am going to have to get several more Rubbermaid boxes for storage.....!!!


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## trentsketch (Jul 27, 2009)

I have to have it all hauled off the lawn by the end of Nov. 1 or risk seeing someone in my family take a sledgehammer to it. And no, that's not an exaggeration. I've witnessed it in the past and saw it again this year when some props were "accidentally" broken. Yet, to them, it's the neighborhood kids that will ruin everything.


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## autumnghost (Sep 12, 2009)

Heavy sigh. Everything from the yard is down and almost everything is put away. Now I have to start on the inside of the house. That comes down a little at a time. I have to wean myself away from Halloween or I get the DTs.


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## Night Watchman (Aug 15, 2009)

It all got packed up and put away today.


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

It is all down and packed up and put away on Nov. 1. my neighbors always joke to me about I push a button and all my stuff will flip and go under ground. They knew that when they got off work on the first it would be all gone.


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## autumnghost (Sep 12, 2009)

Oooh. Can I get the button thingy installed in my yard? Talk about your million dollar idea.


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

I wish i had that button thing it would come in handy.


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## tcass01 (Aug 20, 2010)

We had it all put in the garage by 11:00 that night. After all of the time and $ put into it, I didn't want to risk it "walking" away. It would be nice if we all lived in the "Leave It to Beaver" where kids have respect for your property. I am glad I did, My neighbor had all six of his pumplins smashed all over his front walk.:jol:


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly (May 7, 2009)

Usually I take it down the next day, depending on weather. This year was so nice I left it all up for a couple more days. Took advantage of that fact to get some nice nighttime shots to make a PhotoSynth Panorama... All is down but the fence, atm, since I've either been busy or ill during daylight hours. That's today's job once I get home from work


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

Well, since it started raining on November 1, and continued for 3 days, I had to leave stuff up for a few days after the rain stopped so it could dry. Also, a friend was coming last weekend to check out what was left in the yard. She was here Sunday afternoon and my plan was to start taking it down Monday. WELL...like Mother Nature always does, she had other plans. Winds of 60 MPH gusts on Monday took down two tents and completely destroyed them. They were staked AND sandbagged! Tuesday was the same but today it was nice and I was able to get the tombstones in, the drive-in semi-disassembled, and some of the creatures from the cemetery put into the garage. I left some of the larger "people/creatures" outside in the front yard just because I really like how they turned out and I'd like to keep them there a little longer. I pushed the fence over because it's going to get cut up for scrap or burned in the fire pit. We have to empty the shed of all the stuff we haven't used in 3 years or so, fill it with mouse poison and then repack all the stuff that we are saving to use again once we move. The rest of it, even the tombstones, are history...I can always make new ones. The only ones I think I may keep are Heather O'Rourke's and Julian Beck's. Now that it's all in the garage, I have to find the time and ambition to sort through it all and repack it. I HATE that part.


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## BloodyHarry (Nov 11, 2010)

well your covered for nov and dec just buy some pilgrim hats and santa caps put them on your props and tell others its thanksgiving/christmas decorations. only reason i tear down soon after is because there are alot of people that wander through the neighborhood at night and i dont want them grabbing any of my babies it breaks my heart taking it down though...hey has anyone tried the discoball trick to make a dummys head spin around? how was it if so?


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

Last year the haunt was torn down the following weekend of our last night. This year I have till the end of November. 6,000 sq. ft. of stuff and 200 panels is more than I want to deal with in a weekend.


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## Darkwalker (Jul 4, 2010)

I just got a storage building setup out back wednesday. I moved everything into it yesterday so I got the blues all over again.


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## HauntCast (Jul 25, 2008)

All the electronic props and some static props come in doors that night. The rest comes down over the following week. The graveyard is the last to go.


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## Undertaker (Mar 22, 2006)

I just took the lights off of the house on New Years Eve


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