Five Tips For Securing Your Haunted Attraction This Halloween
You've put hundreds of hours (and plenty of cash) into creating your haunted attraction in preparation for the Halloween season. You've got glowing eyes in the darkness and frights around every turn – but if your haunted house is broken into after-hours, you'll be the one screaming. Here's how to keep your haunted attraction safe from the real monsters who seek to destroy all that you've created.
Lock It Up Tight
Since most haunted attractions are housed in non-typical buildings (think warehouses, barns and temporary structures), you may need something that goes beyond the traditional keyed entry doorknob. A professional locksmith, such as Suburban Lock, can evaluate your haunt and suggest tips to keep the ghosts inside and the vandals out. There's no structure your locksmith can't secure so act now, before your paying customers (and their unsavory counterparts) start arriving in droves.
Post Your Hours Clearly
While you may experience some blatant trespassing, most people who try to access your haunt after-hours don't mean any harm. Post your opening and closing times at the entrance to your parking lot and again on the attraction itself. The phrase "Trespassers will be prosecuted" at the bottom of the sign can't hurt, either!
Install Temporary Lighting
If vampires and vandals have anything in common, it's their fear of the light. Consider installing temporary lighting at your attraction to discourage after-hours shenanigans. Available from your local construction rental stores, temporary lighting serves to deter vandals while making it easier for security patrols and passersby to spot their evil misdeeds.
Consider Staying On-Site
If you've got a motor home or travel trailer, you're in the perfect position to patrol the area on your own. Park your RV in a conspicuous area, preferably just outside the gates where it's easy for potential miscreants and monsters to spot. Make sure there's a light left on, even if it's just a lantern on the porch.
While this should be enough to deter most wrongdoers, some may be bolder than others. Don't take on any gate-crashers without backup. Call your local emergency number and wait for the police to arrive. Remember, your life is worth more than the props inside your haunt.
Have A Surveillance System
No matter how carefully you secure your attraction, the potential for real damage is always present. While a surveillance system won't protect your haunt from being vandalized, it will make it easier for you to identify and prosecute the person responsible. It'll run you between $500-$1000 for each camera you install but if you plan to keep the attraction running year after year, you'll recoup your costs in no time.
A haunted attraction can be fun and profitable but there's something about Halloween that really brings out the devil in some people. Secure your haunt to the best of your abilities through locks, signage, lighting, presence and surveillance and you'll reap the rewards long after the ghosts have retired for the season. Happy scaring!