There isn’t a Halloween costume mask in creation that can look as realistic as a good makeup job.  However, getting that special Halloween undead look can be a trick for anyone that hasn’t used costume makeup or prosthetics before.  I know in my youth I had spent numerous hours sticking icky sticky stuff all over my face.  Desparately trying to get the desired ghoulish look for my costume and always ending up looking more like a circus clown gone bad than the horrific ghoul I had invisioned.

The problem isn’t that you don’t have the correct  costume make-up or materials, it’s just that no one ever explained how to apply the make-up.  Directions on the back of bottles and the prosthetic makeup packages leave just about everything to the imagination.   It doesn’t matter if you’re making a tiger, pirate skeleton or an undead zombie face, sometimes a little direction goes a long, long way. 

This first video is without prosthetics and just costume makeup.  Using a simple costume makeup kit you can make one creepy undead zombie.  I will be listing more halloween how to videos on using prosthetics, so stay tuned.  Be sure to let me know of your halloween costume worries and I’ll try my best to help you out.

Nothing says Halloween like creepy aged tombstones.  Buying a single tombstone at any Halloween store can easily cost over $20 and to be honest they just don’t look all that good.   They tend to be thin and flimsy. 

In the video below you will be shown exactly what you need to make fantastic looking tombstones and how to do it cheaply.  If you are planning on decorating your yard or haunted event for Halloween, then this is a must see Halloween video. 

Just because you are not a little kid doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Halloween. You do not have to go trick or treating or even go to haunted houses if you are not up to it. You can always throw a costume party to celebrate the occasion.
 
A costume party is a great way to allow yourself to be creative and enjoy Halloween’s most appealing aspect, which is to be someone else for the day and set your inhibitions free for a couple of hours. Well, my first costume party was quite fun. The theme was “Imaginary and Mystical Creatures.”

The party had a contest for the most creative costume. I decided to dress up myself as “The Queen of the Damned” a vampire queen.  I had on fake fangs and blood on the corner of my mouth which ran down my cheek. My face was as pale as I could make it along with dark and shadowy facial makeup. I had on a jet black wig with the hair in a tight bun on the top. I was also wearing a deep dark crimson color dress it was fitted at the top and it formed to my body all the way to my waist then it begins to flow losely. The costumes at the party were very creative and everyone looked horrifing.
 
The party area was well decorated with candles to light the room with numerous props such as a witch’s caldron with the fog rising from it rapidly. There was howling and other typical halloweeen noises being played along with great party mixes. The food was named in accordance to it’s appearance, with spagetti molded into the shape of a brain and other disgusting looking (but tasty) food.

In one room, there were clips of scary movies playing such as “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Jason”, and many more classic horror films. The night continued until sunrise when the guests began to disperse. My adventure at my first costume party had came to an end.

Buy Queen of the Damned Costume

Well, as you know Halloween is not just for teens, it can be a family event for all ages a great place for families in Michigan is the Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mills. They have numerous activities that can keep anyone entertained. These activities includes a petting farm, hay rides cider, pumpkin craving, and story telling, or you can visit their store which contains a variety of products such as jellies, jams, honey, spices, and other specialty food made in Michigan. There is also the possibility of purchasing homemade pies or cider to enjoy outdoor or in an indoor lounge. On specific days live music is played by local artists.

The hayrides are pretty entertaining for everyone including teens. The wagon is pulled through the beautiful orchards. The scenic route that is viewed on this ride leaves you relaxed and amazed. The sight of the gorgeous autumn colors is joyous to those nature lovers. The U- Pick Pumpkin is great for the younger kids. It allows them to ride the wagon to the personally grown pumpkin patch. So, they are able to choose the perfect pumpkin for them to crave. Pumpkins are available for sale if you enjoyed the carving and would like to do some more at home.

The true kid’s favorite is the petting farm. Located on the petting farm are several animals including pigs, horses, chickens, goats, calves, ducks and the beautifully colored peacocks. You can attend the petting farm free of charge. In general, the activities at the Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mills are wonderful for a family to spend quality time together while celebrating the occasion. The hours of operation are convenient so that even the busiest person could find an opening in there schedule for this lovely change of scenery.

One of my more recent experiences with Halloween activities was my trip to Kennywood Amusement Park. Kennywood is located in Pittsburgh, PA. As we got closer to the entrance I got more excited, we began walking through a tunnel filled with fog and noises coming from every direction including the ones that were created by my friends. It was quite entertaining.

Then we had a variety to choose from including roller coaster rides, haunted house, haunted cemetery, and many more. I did not know where to start but I decided to go to the haunted house that was located in the back of the amusement park by the wooded area. The haunted house was not scary at all but I have grown pretty hard to scare. It was enjoyable watching my friends scream and jump at any sudden movement, and screaming at random moments just for the heck of it.

After we were finished with the haunted house we headed to the next one. The line was extremely long but we were patience and were entertained by the clown named BoBo with corny jokes and an annoying laugh. When we finally entered there was nothing but pure darkness and out of a hidden door appeared a man in a mask with a knife in his hand. We continued through the house were we ran into several other characters none of them were notable enough for me to remember anything special about them. When we all emerged from the house we agreed that the haunted house was not worth waiting in line. So, we decided to split up because a group of us wanted to go on a roller coaster ride and the other wanted to go to the food area.

The roller coaster group decided to get on the “Phantom’s Revenge” that was the best decision we made the whole night. The ride was so much fun. The drops were intense. It was all around exciting and gave me an adrenaline rush. I wanted to go back on the ride again but the line was too long.

The “Volcano” was our next stop, which was also a lot of fun. I was skeptical about going on it because it just went in circles but once I got on I was glad. The feeling of fling took over my body as if I was floating. I enjoyed it so much that I went on it a second time.

And the final ride I went on was the “King Kahuna” that was also funny you would be lifted up into the air and the seat would spin around it was comical. I was laughing the whole ride. Overall, my experience at Kennywood for the Halloween was rather fun although it was not the scariest place it make my night amusing.

Known as being the most expensive building built in the U.S. at the time, the Eastern State Penitentiary became a prototype in design to 300 prisons. The facility was operated under the Pennsylvania System from 1829 to 1913. This system, used by the Quakers, was designed to force the incorrigibles sent there to look inside themselves and find God. In reality, this system placed inmates in complete solitude drove many sane men mad. Prisoners of the Eastern State Penitentiary had to undergo extremely brutal and austere punishments.

Inmates who broke the simplest rule received the harshest castigation. Hence, the Water Bath, this is when inmates are dunked into a tub of ice cold water, and then are hung from a wall for the night. In the winter months, this was the common chastisement used. It was reported that the water on the inmate’s skin would form a layer of ice by the morning time.  Next, was the Mad Chair. It was named such because it was not uncommon for an inmate to go mad before his punishment ended. Inmates would be strapped into the chair with leather strips, so tightly that it was impossible for them to make the smallest of movements. They would sit for days, without food, until the circulation in their body almost stopped from the tightness of the straps and the lack of movement. One would think that with these two punishments that there would not be a need for anymore, however, this was not the case. In fact, they had two more unconventional penalties for their unfortunate prisoners. The Hole, dug under cell block #14, was nothing but a pit in the ground where the incorrigible inmates would stay locked, sometimes for weeks. There was no light, little air, and those thrown into its tortuous grip would receive water and a slice of bread, if they got to it before the rats and roaches. Lastly, there was The Iron Gag. It was the most deadly punishment known and was specifically designed for those inmates who refused to obey the no communication policies. An iron collar was clamped onto the tongue of the inmate, and then chained to his wrists which were strapped high behind their back. Any movement resulted in the tearing of the tongue and severe bleeding. Many inmates who suffered this horrendous torture died from loss of blood before their torment ended.

With all of the cruelty that was being done at this facility, it is no shock that there have been findings of paranormal activity. One major paranormal episode reported occurred to a locksmith doing restoration work in cell block #4. According to the tale, he was working to remove a 140-year-old lock from the cell door when a massive force overcame him so powerfully he was unable to move. Some believe when he removed the key it opened a gateway to the horrific past and offered the spirits caught behind its bars a pathway out. The man spoke of experiencing an out-of-body state as he was drawn toward the negative energy which burst through the cell.

Today the penitentiary is opened to the public. In a typical year, maybe two dozen paranormal investigations take place in the cell blocks, and according to Assistant Program Director Brett Bertolino, they almost always find evidence of activity.

So, do you need help finding the perfect haunted house for this Halloween season? If so, here are some tips to make your search a little easier.

Are you the type of person that is looking for a good scare without all the blood and guts?

1. Well, maybe you should try Haunted Hills Acres in Belleview, MI. It is over 100 acres of haunted family fun. Hayrides are really eminent for being a place of laid back enjoyment.
2. Also, there is Ypsilanti Jaycees: Studio of Scares. Here they show scary movies and give out tasty refreshments. Now, if you think you’re a tad bit bolder and want to test your boldness, there are several haunted house attractions for you.
3. First, is The Fear Factory in Warren, MI. this haunted house attraction has a few scares, but is not that intimidating.
4. Also, there is The Haunting at Mt. Fright in Brighton, MI. This haunted house is basically very standard as far as the concept, but is very amusing and entertaining.

These following haunted houses are only for the daring and fearless.  The next haunted house reaps of blood, guts, and gore.

1. Urban Legends of Clinton Township is by far one of the scariest haunted houses in Michigan. Their content is so graphic and appalling that they are banned from thirteen cities in Michigan alone. The use of real bugs, live animals, and state of the art animatronics has made this haunted house a real fright to audiences.
2. The last attraction that is really good for haunted house fanatics is The Haunting located in Adrian. MI. This is the real deal people! This haunted house does not allow children under the age of 15 admission in to the haunted house. The Haunting has 20,000 square feet and 40 rooms of doom.

There you have it, several tips on haunted attractions that will simplify your search for the perfect haunted house.

I still remember the haunted house like it was yesterday, I was about twelve years old and my cousins and I went to a premier haunted house in our town. The Realm of Darkness was its name however, once you were in its presence there was hardly any impression of “darkness”. It was more like “The Realm of Cheesiness”.

While we were waiting in line they had replicas of movie villains like, Michael Myers and Freddy Cougar taunt us. I guess by doing this they were trying to build up an undefined fear before we actually entered the poorly adorned structure. Yet in the end, all they did was create a feeling of doubt that the haunted house would be freighting at all.

As we entered the haunted house, they made us all stand as a group of about 10 or so. While standing there they showed us an extremely fictitious short film about a woman being killed. According to them, this is why the house is “possessed”. After the movie, they broke us up into groups of three exactly; this was done purposely so that there would be one person left alone at the end. Fortunately, I wasn’t the one left alone, but I was separated from my cousins. Five of us came on this excursion together; therefore it was split up three and two. I was a part of the twosome. Maretha (my cousin) and I were not the closest of relatives, so immediately I felt that I was going to have a horrible time with her. She seemed really calm and collected, but that soon change when a guy came running after us with a chainsaw. I never thought I could run fast but when I heard (because I actually couldn’t see) the chain saw I was amusingly surprised. My cousin grabbed on to my hand and held on for dear life.

Let me fill you in, this is the cousin who is supposedly afraid of nothing and claims that everything is afraid of her. Well, that night it was just the opposite. She was terrified of everything that came our way and nothing at all was scared of her. Finally, we came to the end of the haunted house and it was time to leave. We all started talking about what the coolest parts were and the lamest. Then I began to ponder to myself how much fun I actually had. See in the beginning, I did not want to come. The only reason I did go was because I was made to by my mother. I thought that I would have a dreadful time because I could not stand the cousins I was suppose to go with.  But on the contrary, I had a blast with my cousins, even Maretha.

The haunted house was a great way for all of to bond, and I will always remember how The Realm of Darkness brought all of us together.

the haunted woods of boogerman road Asks:

We would appreciate any help you can send our way from where to look for the music to costumes and volunteers. And anything in between. This is our first time on our own and alot of our volunteers are high school kids and younger. (With parents permission of course) These kids said they were willing to try anything so any ideas or projects would be greatly appreciated. All our profits from this will go back to the families that volunteered in a Christmas Fund.

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Here are some quick tips:

Music. Run cheapy outdoor speakers throughout your event. Music can really set the mood. Go for scary sounds – not Halloween music. Hearing creaking doors, howls, and screams while roaming around in the darkness can really set the mood. You can find CD’s online, or even in Wal-Mart that will work just fine. You should have a powerful amp/receiver to push the speakers you set up — but a cheap CD player with repeat is fine.

Sound effects. If you can find loop tapes like the ones used in old answering machines you can pop them into boomboxes and set them on electrical switches for quick bursts of sound. We’ve ripped sound effects from horror movies, recorded our own, and used clips from CD’s to make each scene have it’s own effect.  You can of course use digital sound effects, just make sure any device you choose can be set to deliver the sound effect on a moments notice.  Sound effects at each scene will require electricity (or lots of batteries).

Volunteers. Try to keep them spread out. 2 per scene maximum. Typically they will all want to be “roamers” and then they will all congregate into one small area. You should do all you can to get them to stay in their scenes and keep the scenes around 30-50 yards apart.  Roamers can detract from the event and annoy your paying guests.  Roamers should only be adults with authority over the event – or possibly paid police security.

Costumes. Don’t go overboard here. Make-up and old clothes are the essential part. Masks should be uncomplicated and easy to wear for long periods of time. It should be dark and confusing for maximum scares – so the costumes won’t get any scrutiny.

Lighting. Dim string lights work great. Keep them on one side of the trail/event and tell visitors to keep the lights on their right (or left).

Scenes. Short and sweet. Anything complicated will likely not produce the desired effect. Plus volunteers will get worn out. A slamming door scene, a clown scene with honking horns, pop up scares, graveyard crawlers — stay simple, get actors/volunteers to keep it simple too. Try to direct attention to the desired effect without giving it away. Surprise and loud noises are your friend. Scenes that go for a ‘creepy’ effect should have barriers between the actors and the visitors. Slow moving ground crawlers are often a target for abuse.

Visit construction sites for scrape materials to build with. Visit junk yards and yard sales for prop furniture.

Safety. There is too much to consider to cover in one post. Just keep in mind that you can never be too safe – once you think you’re safe, then get lots of insurance.

Lastly – beg and plead for handymen and electricians to volunteer. These services are indispensable. If you have to pay for these services in the first few years, you’ll run at a loss.

We’re looking for U.S. college students to write articles about the haunted houses, haunted hayrides, and other Halloween events near them.

If you enjoy Halloween and have checked out some of your local scary events, let us know.  All articles must be haunted /Halloween related and must be your original content.  Articles can be submitted using the Review Form.

We’re also interested in the best costume parties / contests, and other holiday related events.