Collaborative Haunted House

Collaborative Haunted House
Halfway To Halloween 2027
One haunted house. Multiple haunts. One massive collaboration.

The Collaborative Haunted House is one of the signature attractions of Halfway To Halloween, bringing together professional haunted attractions, home haunters, independent builders, actors, artists, and members of Michigan’s haunt community to create one unique walkthrough experience.

Instead of one company building the entire attraction, the haunt is divided into sections, with participating haunts bringing their own creativity, characters, scenery, scares, and style to the experience.

For 2027, we’re going back to summer camp…

Welcome to CAMPFIRE CARNAGE. 

Think 1980s summer camp meets old-school slasher movie—cabins, counselors, campfires, dark woods, missing campers, urban legends, creatures, killers, and everything that can possibly go wrong during one unforgettable summer at camp.

Participating haunts will be encouraged to take the overall Campfire Carnage theme and make their section their own. Your area should fit somewhere within the world of an abandoned and seriously disturbed summer camp, but we want each haunt’s personality and creative style to show through.

Your section could become a bunkhouse, mess hall, shower house, infirmary, counselor cabin, maintenance shed, nature trail, arts & crafts cabin, ranger station, lake scene, campfire clearing—or something completely unexpected.

THIS IS A COLLABORATION, NOT A COMPETITION.
The goal of the Collaborative Haunted House has always been to bring the haunt community together.

Professional attraction or backyard haunt. Large crew or two people building something insane in their garage. Decades of experience or an emerging haunt looking for an opportunity to show people what you can do.

We want the haunt community represented.

This is an opportunity to build alongside other haunters, exchange ideas, meet fellow industry members, introduce thousands of Halloween fans to your attraction, and help create something none of us could build alone.

Participating haunts are encouraged to proudly represent and promote their own attraction while contributing to the overall experience.

WHAT PARTICIPATING HAUNTS SHOULD EXPECT
This is a hands-on collaborative build.

Participating haunts should be prepared to provide the people, creativity, props, scenery, costumes, actors, and other materials necessary for their assigned section unless other arrangements have been made with the Collaborative Haunt team.

There will be approximately six days available for the collaborative build leading into Halfway To Halloween.

Your section must be completely finished, safe, operational, and ready for walkthrough/testing before the attraction opens.

Participating groups should also plan to provide actors for their section whenever possible. Haunts that need additional acting support should communicate that with us early so we can coordinate available volunteer actors.

Because every section connects to the next, communication and cooperation between participating haunts is extremely important.

PROMOTE YOUR HAUNT
We don't want visitors wondering who created their favorite scene.

Participating attractions will have opportunities to represent their haunt and connect with attendees throughout Halfway To Halloween.

This is your chance to introduce people to your attraction before haunt season even begins.

Show them your characters.

Show them your craftsmanship.

Show them your scares.

Then give them a reason to come find you again in October.

HOME HAUNTS ARE WELCOME!
You do not have to operate a commercial haunted attraction to participate.

Some incredible haunt talent starts in garages, basements, yards, barns, and driveways.

If you're a home haunter who has always wondered what it would be like to build alongside established attractions, this is your invitation.

ACTORS, BUILDERS & CREATIVE PEOPLE
Don't operate your own haunt but still want to participate?

We also need:

Haunt actors • Scenic builders • Prop builders • Makeup artists • Costume creators • Lighting & sound people • Queue actors • Set decorators • General haunt volunteers

There is a place for people throughout the haunt community to get involved.

THE CHALLENGE
You have one section.

One theme.

A building full of other talented haunters.

And thousands of guests coming through it.

What are you going to build?

CAMPFIRE CARNAGE 
Summer Camp. 1986.

The memories will last a lifetime.

Some campers never left.

HALF​​WAY TO HALLOWEEN 2027
Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds
5055 Ann Arbor–Saline Rd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Friday, May 7, 2027
Saturday, May 8, 2027

Interested haunts, home haunters, builders, actors, and crews are encouraged to apply and become part of the 2027 Halfway To Halloween Collaborative Haunted House.

Come build with us. Come scare with us. Come show Michigan what your haunt can do.

Contract for Participation in Collaborative Haunt
Halfway to Halloween
May 7 and May 8, 2027 | Ann Arbor, MI

This agreement (the "Contract") is entered into on this day by and between ("Participant") and the organizers of Halfway to Halloween ("Organizer"). By signing this Contract, Participant agrees to the following terms and conditions regarding participation in the haunted walkthrough during the Halfway to Halloween event, held in Building A at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, MI, on May 7th from 7pm - 11 pm, and May 8th from 12pm - 6pm.

General Rules and Safety
No Physical Contact: Participants must not touch customers or other actors.
Language Restrictions: Swearing or use of offensive language is prohibited.
Footwear: All actors must wear closed-toe shoes. Bare feet are not permitted to ensure safety.
Customer Path: Rooms must be free of trip hazards. No crawling areas or obstructed pathways are allowed.
Content Standards: No sexual innuendo, vulgar jokes, or revealing costumes are permitted.
Scaring Etiquette:
There will be a large range of people going through the walkthrough ranging from people that love haunts, to people that have never been to a haunt. Some discretion is advised to read the group and don’t go too hard if you see they are distressed. 
If a child or adult is scared and huddled in a corner, actors must disengage and focus on the rest of the group.
Actors must stay in their designated spots inside the haunt and are not allowed to chase customers into the previous or next rooms.
No Scares are allowed on the Vendor Floor, photos and interaction with attendees is encouraged.
 

Construction and Teardown
Haunt Areas:
Participants are allotted a space of 20ft x 20ft, the Organizers can accommodate a larger size if needed. 
Connecting hallways can be used/built, but are not required. 
Sketch and dimensions will need to be provided by April 1st, 2027. This is the overall concept of the Participant’s room and connecting hallway, if applicable. This must include dimensions of space. 
Photos and video will be allowed from the attendees walking through. If you have things that you don't want filmed it is advised that you not bring it to this event.
Building Materials:
Participants are responsible for supplying all materials needed to construct and operate their sections. A standard wall panel is a 4x8 sheet of plywood with a frame that can be screwed together to the other wall panels. We would like you to make this as portable as possible so that it can easily be built up and taken down.
Power is available for each Participant’s haunt area. Participants are responsible for bringing their own extension cords and/or power strips.
Lighting will be provided by the Participant. Overhead lighting will go dark one hour before the show begins.
If you have air powered props, please plan to bring a compressor to run it. 
Plan to bring all tools and building materials that you will need to build out your areas.
Timeline:
Application Deadline: March 1, 2027.
Sketch/Dimensions Deadline: These must be completed and emailed to Josh Sparks at josh@thescreammachine.com by April 1st.
Build Period: Daily 9:00 am - 8:00 pm Friday, April 30 to Thursday, May 6, 2027.
Completion Deadline: All sections must be fully constructed by 8:00 pm Thursday, May 6, 2025.
Tear Down: Must be completed by 8:00 pm on Monday, May 10, 2027.

Operational Requirements
Setup and Attendance:
All Participants must have their area and actors ready and in their spots 30 minutes before the show opening. This way a quick opening walkthrough can be done so that we can promptly open at the start of the show.
Tables and chairs will be provided for haunts to create makeup stations near each haunt section. Please plan to bring a small light for your table as the overhead lights may go out before you are completed with makeup. 
Breaks and Coverage:
Friday night’s show will not have a break period. Saturday’s show will have a one hour lunch break scheduled for 2:00 PM. Participants must have enough actors to cover their section throughout the day.
Organizers encourage Participants to arrange shifts, allowing actors time to enjoy the show floor (for example, 1 hour scaring, 1 hour break, with coverage throughout the day).
Promotion:
Actors may walk the event to promote their haunts but must not scare customers outside the haunted walkthrough section.
 

Haunt Vendor Booths
Vendor booths are located under Pavillion B.  Booth dimensions are 10x10. If Participants need larger booth sizes they must communicate with Organizers by March 1st .Participants may distribute promotional materials, sell haunt tickets, or merchandise.
Booths are limited and prioritized for Participants in the haunted walkthrough.
 

Liability and Compliance
Participants agree to abide by all safety and operational rules outlined in this Contract.
The Organizer is not responsible for injuries, property damage, or loss resulting from Participant activities.
Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Organizer from any claims arising from their participation.
 

Acknowledgment and Agreement
By signing below, the Participant acknowledges that they have read and understood this Contract and agree to comply with all terms and conditions. Copies of this Contract will be emailed to each Participant after signing. 

Participant Name: _______________________________________________________
Haunt Name: ___________________________________________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________________________
Date: _______________

Organizer Name: ________________________________________________________

Signature: ______________________________________________________________
Date: _______________