Halloween. Dick Durland

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      Ratcheting up the overall horrific feel of our haunted castle yet another notch, this creepy crawler is carefully positioned with lit bedroom doors purposefully left slightly ajar on her left (by her butt), as well as on her right (by her face). With no other light available but from the static on the TV behind this gruesome little goulette, and the bedroom doors cracked open just so…offering but a glimpse of her butt, face, and hands…she looks quite intimidating, stopping every one of our partygoers in their tracks before they ever reach their destination—the bathroom, halfway down the hall.

      We even recall an actual screech or two from some of our weaker guests, adding yet another dimension of sound effect throughout the castle’s chambers. This prop always proves to be quite the attraction and well worth the investment as at least initially each of our partying peers gingerly approaches one by one to ensure its artificial nature. But better still, the closer you get, the more real she seems to become! This particular addition to our haunted castle serves as yet another reminder that you need to keep an eye out for what really works when it comes to populating your available party space. Although I never pictured being able to incorporate a “hall of horror” with such great success, as soon as this prop caught my eye, I envisioned immediately how I could display it to ramp up our dungeon party another degree or two. For parties past, the hallway was simply a passage to the bathroom. This little creature not only makes the hall part of the event but remains our single biggest attention grabber. I have to admit, this one wasn’t exactly cheap, but was it worth it? Collectively, our garbed guests all scream YES!

      This was truly a one of a kind find as there was only one available in the store, and the owner did not know of another to be had. So lesson learned…remain alert! Keep your creative mind in tune and your eyes wide open! This particular purchase changed the “dead space” at the end of the hall into one of our most desired attractions!

      The Bathroom

      Speaking of idle space, it turns out that NO room is safe on this “All Hallows’ Eve.” The main course for Frankenstein’s feast (come to find out our frolicking friends have all been invited to a wild boar roast) provides for a double whammy of excitement after just getting over the creepy chick crawling down the hallway. Have a seat and relax, the boar’s head only twitches once in a while!

      Again, you never know when you’re going to come across the perfect prop for your available space! This boar’s head may have been a little steep for our budget also, but how were we supposed to pass on this one? Wrapped in a homemade bloody sheet, the main course for tonight’s feast looks right at home. This is yet another example of “the closer you get, the more real it looks!” When’s the last time crowds of people gathered in YOUR bathroom? Frankenstein doesn’t have that problem as ghouls and goblins alike flock to see for themselves this most grand of props adding to the growing list of extravagant items on display throughout Frankenstein’s haunted castle (and once again, using up zero party space). At least where this effect is concerned, the best is usually saved for last. After the initial excitement of the tub’s contents wears off, some attendees show up later after most have moved on from any associated shock factor. Inevitably, at some distant point in the night, a shriek will be heard from the restroom area as some unfortunate soul gets introduced to our boar’s head for the first time—unannounced! And we simply adore the addition of realistic screams to the halls of the “house of Frankenstein” mid-party!

      Now that you’ve gotten a feel for the types of things we look for when selecting the more significant props (as well as their presentation), before we move on, let’s take a closer look at some of the details we left out along the way starting with what we might term “filler” items we may have missed through our initial tour.