Jaycee Haunted Houses 1975

There is nothing better for me than to get that warm, fuzzy feeling of Halloween days gone by. The nostalgia of my childhood trick-or-treating is something I reflect upon frequently when I now set up my annual yard haunt, trying to capture that magic to share with my neighborhood today.

Growing up, my parents took me to my first haunted house back in the early 80s, put on by a local Jaycee chapter in Parma, Ohio. By today's standards, it was pretty silly, but it was that moment that changed me forever! I HAD to go to other haunted houses!!

I came across this amazing video last year, but somehow never posted it. It's a mini documentary about those first haunted houses that were put on by local Jaycee chapters. It's a wonderful and hilarious look back at where the haunted house industry first got its start nearly 50 years ago.

If you're a fan of Halloween and haunted house history, this one will should give you the warm fuzzies, too. Enjoy!

Haunted Overload, 2016

This past weekend, Mrs. Highbury and I snuck away for a mid-October weekend trip to Salem, Massachusetts (more on that coming soon!). We couldn't think of a better place to go to celebrate all things Halloween. And while we were in the planning stages for the trip, a strange thought popped into my head: how far was it from Salem to Lee, New Hampshire?

A quick check on Google Maps revealed that it was only an hour's drive. BINGO. We're going!!

I was about to make the journey that would enable me to cross off the absolute number one on my haunt bucket list... Haunted Overload.

After spending the morning roaming the streets (and cemeteries) of Salem, we hopped into our rental car and headed north. Lee was just over an hour away and the trip felt like three hours, due to my haunt-induced giddiness. I had seen the photos and videos, watched The Great Halloween Fright Fight, and listened to owner Eric Lowther intently when he was on an episode of Haunters Hangout. I was ready.

When we arrived at the DeMeritt Hill Apple Farm, I sprang from the car with camera in hand. Of course, photography was prohibited past the cue line, but I snapped what I could...

It was all there. The giant timber skulls, the giant jack-o-lanterns, the giant train, the giant house, the giant pumpkin figures and the brand new giant circus tent. I could barely contain my excitement as we made our way through the haunt. Without a doubt, this was the greatest haunted attraction that I had ever been through (for the haunt bucket list record, I had been through the original House of Shock in New Orleans, so Netherworld, The Dent Schoolhouse and the 13th Gate now top my list). The warm and calm weather even made the fog settle ominously throughout the entire haunt, giving it an added sense of unsettling creepiness. It was perfect. Every scene was richly staged with absolutely gorgeous lighting. The atmosphere for each scene was off the charts. It was unlike other haunts, which relied on actor-based scares. I could have walked that haunt for hours...

After finishing the haunt, I was completely blown away. It really was a feast for the eyes and had such a different feel from other haunts that I had been to. Everything was built on such an immense scale and the attention to detail was incredible. As someone who is a home haunter, I really appreciated the care that was given to every inch of this haunt.

As we walked back to the car, Mrs. Highbury and I only half-joked about getting back in line and going through it again. It really was that good. I don't want to give away too much more, because I want everyone to go experience this haunt for themselves. Haunted Overload deservedly sat at number one on my haunt bucket list, and after grabbing an Overload t-shirt and a surprisingly delicious, homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Covered Twinkie, I was the happiest man in Lee...

Haunted Overload 2016 Time Lapse Trailer from Artifact Images on Vimeo.

So There's This...

It's now official...

Number one on my haunted house bucket list will be getting crossed off this October! Mrs. Highbury and I will be taking a trip to Salem, Massachusetts (right in the middle of build season, I know), and seeing as though Lee, New Hampshire is ONLY and hour away, how could we NOT go!?

And now I just have to wait until October... Good luck with that. I'll be sure to snap as many photos as I can and post them up for everyone to drool over. Is it October yet??

  

Help Resurrect The House of Shock

Last October, I had the fortunate luck to be in New Orleans and I was able to visit The House of Shock, consistently one of the country's best haunted houses, in it's final year. Without a doubt, it was the best haunted attraction that I have EVER been to. I was completely blown away by the show and walk-through that was presented (you can read my original write-up on The House of Shock here). I was glad that I was able to see it before they closed the doors for good...

But the story didn't end there. The owners have now decided to resurrect the House of Shock for 2015. And they need your help! After a loud public outcry, they have decided to start up a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the haunted attraction's reopening:

Visit their Kickstarter page and chip in to help support one of the best haunted houses in the country! #resurrecthouseofshock

And for some added fun, check out Goatwhore's killer video for "Baring Teeth For Revolt," which was filmed at The House of Shock!

The House of Shock - New Orleans

It's funny, sometimes, how things just work out. Mrs. Highbury and I were planning a trip to go blow off some steam in our favorite city of New Orleans. As we were going through the itinerary of what to do, I came upon a most pleasant surprise. During our 4 day trip, The House of Shock, New Orleans' most infamous haunted attraction would be opening its doors to kick off their final season.

Being in an incredible city that houses one of the greatest haunted attractions in the country and having that attraction start off the season while we were there?? Yes, please!!

On Friday night (opening night!), Mrs. Highbury and I took an only-somewhat-sketchy cab ride down to the warehouse district. We were met with a long, but fast-moving ticket line, and before we knew it, we were headed down the gravel road, between semi trailers and armed police officers to The House of Shock...

Upon entering the grounds I noticed 2 separate bars, a food stand, a stage with a band playing, a merch trailer and a queue line that sat in front of a large, multi-level stage...

While we sat in line, three large monitors at the top of the stage played clips from various horror films. Time passed quickly as I engaged in a game of "Name That Horror Movie" as each clip played.

After a few rounds of "Name That Horror Movie," and a few puzzled glances at the pregnant girl behind us who was smoking, the stage show began. An incredible live-action battle between the forces of good and evil, showcasing the new secret weapon of evil, a 9 year old boy. The 20 minute battle played out on the stage, complete with lighting, video, pyrotechnics and fireworks. And this all took place before we even entered the haunt itself!

After the stage show ended, we entered the highlight of the night: the haunt itself. To say that I was blown away is a complete understatement. Absolutely beautiful and detailed scenery throughout with many actors at each scene. This is honestly the best haunted attraction that I have EVER been to. Mrs. Highbury loved it as well, noting that there were at least 2 scenes that were so scary, it almost "made her cry." I almost ignored all of the actors, as I was trying to take in every last detail in each scene. But every actor (and even the actor who said that I had a Beatles haircut...) was top notch, especially the young boy who played the side of evil's secret weapon. He appeared at the end of haunt and never broke character once. It's unfortunate that I was not able to take photos inside the house. But then again, if I could, I'd probably still be there, snapping away.

After the roughly 30-minute walk-through, we exited out and made our way over to the bar to grab a New Orleans staple - an Abita Amber - as we waited for a taxi back to our hotel. As we waited, something caught my attention on a side stage, so I went over to investigate...

Of course, it was someone getting hooks embedded into their skin for a little bit of suspension. It was fascinating to sit and watch the procedure being done. He barely moved as the hooks pierced his flesh. The true highlight was when he was tethered to a girl with a set of hooks in her back and they engaged in a tug-of-war...

When we reached the bottom of our Abitas, I had just enough time to visit the merch trailer. As with everything else on the evening, there was an array of great shirts and hoodies, making it a tough decision as to which one was coming home with me...

So I bought two!

Getting to experience The House of Shock on my mini-vacation during their final year was absolutely amazing. It was the highlight of my trip. It is without a doubt the greatest haunted attraction that I have ever been to. A tip of the skull to everyone involved in producing this incredible haunt. And rest in peace, House of Shock, 1993-2014...


  

And So It Begins...

Happy October 1st, group! It's the day we've all been waiting for! The official start to the Countdown To Halloween. And unfortunately for us, it starts with a bit of a thud...

I was all set and ready to make the drive down to Columbus today to go see my new favorite band of the moment, Ghost, when the unthinkable happened. They will not be playing tonight. Apparently they had some trouble securing their visas to come from Sweden and spread their ghastly greatness and had to drop out of their entire U.S. tour. I can't tell you how gutted I am...

I REALLY, REALLY wanted to see these guys and I've been listening to their release, Opus Eponymous for days straight.

But after taking a step back and thinking about it, a famous quote comes to mind:

"When life gives you lemons,
find a person whose life gave them vodka."

I can't remember where I heard that quote (possibly Stevil from All Hail The Black Market?), but we are going with Plan B. We're still going to Columbus, but instead I think we'll go check out The TerrorFest, Columbus' biggest and best haunted attraction. No sense in wasting an opportunity when things don't work out. The TerrorFest has made many "Best Of" national lists, so I might as well check it out. I'll just have to listen to Ghost on the drive down...

And as a small treat for those that haven't heard or seen Ghost before, or for those that are sharing my sense of utter dismay that the tour has been canceled and won't be seeing them in their city either, here is a two-part show from July in Nijmegen, The Netherlands:

So there you have it. Simply amazing! Hopefully they get things straightened out and reschedule their U.S. tour asap. I will be waiting patiently...

So a slight letdown, but October has begun and we couldn't be any more excited. We have got a full month of posts lined up from a few of the Highbury Cemetery regulars as well as a few new faces, so be sure to check back daily. We'll have posts on all things Halloween, from a slew of new prop how-to's that will be going into this year's home haunt, prop inspiration, music, film and even a few freebies to help celebrate the countdown to the big day. Only 30 days to go! And be sure to check out all of the other participants in this year's Countdown To Halloween, too, because there are some heavy hitters on the list. This is going to be one hell of a celebration! See everyone tomorrow!