October 10 – National Haunted House Day

Haunted House Day is Today!

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HOW TO CELEBRATE HAUNTED HOUSE DAY STEP-BY-STEP

•  Use the ScareFactor Directory to find a haunted house to visit.
•  Watch the Amityville Horror movie.
•  Decorate your own house to be haunted for the season.
•  Purchase and play haunted house music.
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FEATURED ITEM ON HAUNTED HOUSE DAY

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of walking through a haunted house. All the cobwebs, dark corners, and creepy decorations add to the excitement and anticipation. If you’re a fan of all things spooky, celebrating haunted houses is the perfect way to indulge in your love for the macabre. Whether it’s a fully-operational haunted house or a DIY version in your own home, there’s something truly special about the experience. It’s the perfect activity for those who love to be scared in a safe and controlled environment. So, gather your friends, ready your nerves, and get ready to celebrate all the chills and thrills of haunted houses!

HAUNTED HOUSE DAY:   A BRIEF HISTORY OF HAUNTED HOUSES

Throughout history, haunted houses have both fascinated and frightened people all over the world. However, some of these houses have been around for centuries, which makes them particularly intriguing. The oldest recorded haunted house is believed to be the Tower of London in England, where countless executions and tragic events have taken place since its construction in the 11th century.

100 WAYS TO CELEBRATE HAUNTED HOUSE DAY

1. Haunted House Tour: Explore a local haunted house attraction, braving scares and surprises as you wander through spooky corridors and eerie rooms.
2. Pumpkin Carving Contest: Host a pumpkin carving competition, where participants can showcase their creativity by carving jack-o’-lanterns with spooky or intricate designs.
3. Ghost Storytelling Circle: Gather around a campfire or dimly lit room to share ghost stories, tales of hauntings, and spooky legends to send shivers down your spine.
4. Horror Movie Marathon: Host a movie night featuring a marathon of classic horror films or recent releases, providing thrills and chills for all who dare to watch.
5. Costume Party: Throw a haunted house-themed costume party, where guests can dress up as their favorite ghosts, monsters, or spooky characters to celebrate in style.
6. DIY Haunted House: Transform your home into a haunted house with DIY decorations, creepy lighting, and eerie sound effects for a frightfully fun experience.
7. Trick-or-Treating: Go trick-or-treating in your neighborhood or at a local event, collecting candy and treats while enjoying the festive atmosphere of Halloween.
8. Escape Room Challenge: Test your wits and bravery by tackling a haunted house-themed escape room, solving puzzles and uncovering clues to escape before time runs out.
9. Scavenger Hunt: Organize a haunted house-themed scavenger hunt, where participants must search for hidden clues and solve riddles to uncover spooky secrets.
10. Haunted Hayride: Embark on a haunted hayride through a dark and eerie forest or haunted trail, experiencing scares and surprises along the way.
11. Witchcraft Workshop: Attend a workshop or class to learn about witchcraft, potions, and spells, exploring the mystical side of haunted house folklore.
12. Ghoulish Game Night: Host a game night featuring Halloween-themed board games, card games, and party games for a spooky good time with friends and family.
13. Paranormal Investigation: Join a paranormal investigation team or participate in a guided tour of a haunted location, searching for evidence of ghostly activity.
14. Creepy Carnival: Visit a haunted carnival or amusement park, where you can enjoy spooky rides, carnival games, and haunted attractions.
15. Fortune Telling Booth: Set up a fortune-telling booth at your haunted house celebration, offering tarot card readings, palmistry, or crystal ball predictions for guests.
16. Zombie Walk: Participate in a zombie walk or flash mob, dressing up as zombies and staggering through the streets in a horde of the undead.
17. Gothic Tea Party: Host a gothic-themed tea party with dark decor, elegant teacups, and spooky treats like finger sandwiches and blood-red punch.
18. Séance Experience: Attend a séance or participate in a simulated séance experience, where you can attempt to communicate with spirits from beyond the grave.
19. Spooky Art Class: Take an art class focused on spooky or macabre themes, where you can create your own haunted house-inspired artwork to display or take home.
20. Vampire Ball: Attend a vampire-themed ball or masquerade party, where guests can dress up in elegant attire and dance the night away in a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere.
21. Halloween Baking Party: Host a baking party where guests can decorate Halloween-themed cookies, cupcakes, and treats with spooky designs and decorations.
22. Graveyard Picnic: Have a picnic in a spooky graveyard or cemetery, bringing along blankets, snacks, and ghost stories to enjoy in the shadow of ancient tombstones.
23. Dark Tourism Expedition: Embark on a dark tourism expedition to explore haunted locations, abandoned buildings, and sites of tragic events with a group of fellow thrill-seekers.
24. Midnight Cemetery Walk: Take a guided tour of a historic cemetery at midnight, learning about its haunted history and legendary ghostly inhabitants.
25. Haunted House Dinner Theater: Attend a haunted house-themed dinner theater production, where you can enjoy a meal while watching a spine-tingling performance full of suspense and surprises.
26.  Ghostly Hide and Seek: Play hide and seek in a dimly lit area, with one player as the ghost seeking out the others hiding in the haunted house.
27. Skeleton Scavenger Hunt: Hide skeleton decorations or pictures around the house, and have players hunt for them while keeping an eye out for spooky surprises.
28. Witch’s Brew Bingo: Play bingo with a witchy twist, using cauldron-shaped boards and spooky-themed markers to match numbers called out.
29. Mummy Wrap Relay Race: Divide players into teams and have them race to wrap a teammate in toilet paper to resemble a mummy, with the fastest team winning.
30. Haunted House Pictionary: Play a game of Pictionary with a haunted house theme, where players sketch spooky scenes or creatures for their team to guess.
31. Vampire Tag: Play a game of tag where the “vampire” tries to tag other players, who then become vampires until only one remains human.
32. Ghastly Charades: Act out spooky scenes, monsters, or horror movie titles in a game of charades, with players guessing the answers within a time limit.
33. Zombie Apocalypse Obstacle Course: Set up an obstacle course with challenges like crawling under “barbed wire” (limbo sticks) and dodging “zombie” obstacles (pillows).
34. Witch Hat Ring Toss: Toss rings onto witch hat cones or hooks, with players earning points for each successful throw in this Halloween-themed game.
35. Monster Mash Freeze Dance: Play music and have players dance like monsters, freezing when the music stops, and the last one moving is out.
36. Halloween Trivia Quiz: Test players’ knowledge of Halloween facts, spooky movies, and scary stories in a trivia game, with the player with the most correct answers winning.
37. Jack-o’-Lantern Bowling: Set up bowling pins or bottles as targets and roll a pumpkin or ball to knock them down in this Halloween twist on bowling.
38. Witch’s Hat Ring Toss: Toss rings onto cone-shaped “witch’s hats” in this ring toss game, with different point values for landing rings on different parts of the hat.
39. Spider Web Maze: Create a maze with yarn strung across doorways and furniture, with players navigating through without touching the “spider webs.”
40. Frankenstein’s Monster Relay: Divide players into teams and have them race to assemble a cardboard cutout of Frankenstein’s monster, piece by piece.
41. Goblin Bean Bag Toss: Toss bean bags into holes or buckets labeled with different point values, with players aiming to score the most points.
42. Witch’s Cauldron Cornhole: Play a game of cornhole using cauldron-shaped boards and tossing bean bags into the “cauldrons” for points.
43. Haunted House Memory Match: Play a game of memory match with cards featuring spooky images like ghosts, bats, and pumpkins.
44. Werewolf Whispers: Sit in a circle and whisper a Halloween-themed phrase or story to the person next to you, with the message getting passed around until it reaches the last person, who shares what they heard aloud.
45. Halloween Bingo Blast: Play a fast-paced version of bingo where players mark off numbers as they’re called, aiming to be the first to complete a row or pattern.
46. Witch’s Broom Limbo: Play limbo using a broomstick held by two players, with others taking turns bending backward to pass under without touching the broom.
47. Spooky Scavenger Dash: Set up a scavenger hunt with clues leading to spooky items hidden around the house, with players racing to find them all.
48. Ghoul Guess Who: Play a Halloween-themed version of Guess Who, where players ask yes or no questions to figure out which spooky character their opponent has chosen.
49. Pumpkin Patch Toss: Toss small pumpkins or bean bags into a target area marked with a pumpkin patch design, aiming for the highest score.
50. Monster Mash Musical Chairs: Play musical chairs with a Halloween twist, with players dancing to spooky music and scrambling for chairs when the music stops, with one chair removed each round.
51.  Spooky Mason Jar Lanterns: Transform mason jars into eerie lanterns by painting them with ghostly faces and adding LED candles inside.
52. Creepy Spider Web Wreath: Create a spooky wreath using black yarn or ribbon wrapped around a wire frame and adorned with plastic spiders.
53. Haunted House Terrariums: Make miniature haunted house terrariums using small glass containers, spooky figurines, and faux moss or plants.
54. Ghostly Floating Candles: Craft floating candles by attaching LED tea lights to white tissue paper cutouts shaped like ghostly figures.
55. Bone-Chilling Skeleton Wreath: Construct a bone-chilling wreath using plastic skeleton hands and arms arranged around a circular frame.
56. Sinister Shadow Puppets: Design eerie shadow puppets by cutting spooky shapes out of black cardstock and attaching them to wooden sticks.
57. Glowing Ghostly Bottles: Create glowing ghostly bottles by painting recycled glass bottles with glow-in-the-dark paint and adding ghost faces.
58. Witch Hat Luminaries: Make witch hat luminaries using black cardstock or felt and placing LED tea lights underneath for an eerie glow.
59. Haunted House Dioramas: Construct haunted house dioramas inside shoeboxes using miniature props, spooky decorations, and LED lights.
60. Eerie Eyeball Orbs: Craft eerie eyeball orbs by painting ping pong balls with spooky eyeball designs and hanging them from string.
61. Sinister Spell Books: Transform old books into sinister spell books by painting them with spooky symbols and adding faux leather accents.
62. Ghostly Handprint Wall Art: Create ghostly handprint wall art by painting white handprints on black canvas or paper and adding spooky details.
63. Ghoulish Potion Bottles: Decorate empty glass bottles with spooky labels and fill them with colored water or faux potion ingredients.
64. Haunted House Birdhouses: Design haunted house birdhouses by painting wooden birdhouses with spooky designs and adding miniature ghosts.
65. Wicked Witch Broomsticks: Make wicked witch broomsticks using twigs, straw, and black ribbon or twine wrapped around the handle.
66. Glowing Ghost Balloons: Craft glowing ghost balloons by inserting LED lights into white balloons and drawing ghost faces with markers.
67. Sinister Spider Web Coasters: Create sinister spider web coasters using black felt or cork and painting spider web designs with white paint.
68. Eerie Eyeball Wreath: Make an eerie eyeball wreath by attaching plastic eyeballs to a foam wreath form and adding spooky accents.
69. Ghostly Handprint Window Clings: Design ghostly handprint window clings by tracing handprints onto white contact paper and cutting them out.
70. Haunted House Lanterns: Transform paper lanterns into haunted houses by painting them with spooky scenes and adding LED tea lights inside.
71. Sinister Spider Egg Sacs: Craft sinister spider egg sacs using white yarn or cotton balls wrapped around plastic spiders.
72. Glowing Ghost Garland: Create a glowing ghost garland by cutting ghost shapes out of white fabric and adding LED lights inside.
73. Spooky Silhouette Votives: Make spooky silhouette votives by cutting spooky shapes out of black paper and wrapping them around glass votive holders.
74. Haunted House Luminary Bags: Design haunted house luminary bags by cutting spooky house shapes out of black paper and placing LED tea lights inside.
75. Ghostly Footprint Doormat: Create a ghostly footprint doormat by painting white footprints on a black doormat and adding spooky details.
76.  Spooky Spiderweb Pizza: Prepare pizza topped with black olive slices arranged in a spiderweb pattern over tomato sauce and cheese.
77. Creepy Eyeball Pasta: Cook pasta and top it with mozzarella balls and black olive slices to resemble eerie eyeballs floating in sauce.
78. Haunted House Sandwiches: Assemble sandwiches using cookie cutters to create shapes like bats, ghosts, or tombstones from bread slices.
79. Ghoulish Graveyard Dip Platter: Arrange a dip in the center of a platter and surround it with breadsticks or crackers, decorating with edible tombstone-shaped cutouts.
80. Wicked Witch Finger Cookies: Bake finger-shaped cookies and add almond slices as nails, with red icing for a gruesome touch.
81. Spine-Chilling Skull Cake Pops: Form cake pop mixture into skull shapes, dip in white chocolate, and decorate with black icing for bone details.
82. Eerie Eyeball Deviled Eggs: Prepare deviled eggs and place a slice of olive with a red pepper center on top to resemble a bloodshot eyeball.
83. Creepy-Crawly Bug Snacks: Serve snacks like pretzel sticks with raisins, or gummy worms on a bed of crushed cookies to resemble dirt.
84. Mummified Hot Dogs: Wrap hot dogs in strips of crescent roll dough to create mummy-like appearances, leaving gaps for “eyes.”
85. Ghostly Grilled Cheese: Make grilled cheese sandwiches and use a ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut out spooky shapes.
86. Witch’s Cauldron Soup: Prepare a hearty soup in a cauldron pot, filled with vegetables, beans, and broth for a warming meal.
87. Zombie Finger Pigs in a Blanket: Wrap cocktail sausages in crescent roll dough, leaving an exposed area for a “nail,” then bake until golden.
88. Haunted House Veggie Platter: Arrange a variety of cut vegetables on a platter to resemble a spooky haunted house scene.
89. Blood-Red Beet Soup: Cook beets into a soup with onions, garlic, and broth, blending until smooth for a vibrant and flavorful dish.
90. Witch’s Brew Punch: Mix together fruit juices, sparkling water, and dry ice for a bubbling and spooky beverage.
91. Monster Macaroni and Cheese: Prepare macaroni and cheese, adding green food coloring and topping with monster face decorations made from cheese slices.
92. Graveyard Chocolate Cake: Bake a chocolate cake and decorate it with cookie tombstones and gummy worms crawling out of “dirt” frosting.
93. Bat Wing Chicken Wings: Season and bake chicken wings until crispy, then serve with black barbecue sauce for a spooky touch.
94. Skeleton Veggie Tray: Arrange a variety of vegetables on a platter to resemble a skeleton’s body, with dip cups for the head and joints.
95. Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers: Carve faces into bell peppers and fill them with seasoned rice or quinoa for a festive and healthy dish.
96. Witch’s Finger Breadsticks: Shape breadstick dough into long, thin strips and add an almond slice for a fingernail before baking.
97. Spiderweb Dip with Tortilla Chips: Spread bean dip or guacamole on a plate and use sour cream to pipe a spiderweb pattern on top, serving with tortilla chips.
98. Ghostly Rice Krispie Treats: Make rice krispie treats and shape them into ghosts, adding chocolate chip eyes for a cute and tasty snack.
99. Candy Corn Fruit Parfaits: Layer pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, and whipped cream in glasses to resemble candy corn colors.
100. Vampire Bite Cupcakes: Bake cupcakes and use red frosting to create “bite marks,” adding candy fangs for a vampire-inspired treat.

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Do you have any ideas about how to celebrate Haunted House Day?  Please share them!