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Frankenstein’s Castle

The Grounds

Halloween time prompts the average residence to display appropriate decoration, mostly in the form of scarecrows, skeletons, pumpkins, and the like. While our house may be a little more elaborately adorned, it still blends in quite well with all the others in the neighborhood…at least from the outside. Thus, we feel the need to draw added attention to it for the sake of the party, so we position our official “Greeter” down at the end of the driveway assuring our guests they’ve indeed arrived at the right address.

With glowing lantern swinging to and fro, our interactive street-side cloaked friend is sure to stand out, gaining the attention of both our anticipated costumed companions, as well as any passing motorists who happen down the road on this spookiest of nights.

Nothing like whetting our partygoers’ appetites for a hauntingly good time by tingling the right nerve endings even before they officially arrive. We begin the night’s journey by leading our select visitors through a landscape of surreal sights as they make their way toward the front entrance…such as this poor lost soul, hanging from the cherry tree in our front yard surrounded by numerous assorted oversized cocoons no doubt housing some delicacy to be consumed at a later time by their rightful owner.

Meanwhile, with lantern in hand to better view his most recent work, our resident Gravedigger ensures that our masquerading masses are getting off on the right foot…strategically placed directly off to one side of the front entrance.

While the items you see here work in concert to create the perfect graveyard scene, they become all the more enhanced when just the right amount of light is cast outward from above the front entranceway. When properly accomplished, appropriate spacing of the headstones gives the illusion of a cemetery with no end.

With our “Greeter” flagging down invited guests at the end of the driveway and a walk up to the front door that runs past a creepy enough graveyard to warrant a second look, the stage has been well-set for things to come on this most special of nights. One thing’s for sure, if you’ve arrived not quite sure if you were in the mood for a Halloween costume party, all doubt is about to be removed!

Entranceway

Speaking of entrances, upon arrival, our halloweening houseguests become instantly aware they’re passing through a veritable portal as they become immediately confronted with a second suspended, cocooned corpse…this one being clambered over by a number of oversized spiders. Our arachnid’s prey is an excellent use of this particular space. Not only does the manner in which it’s presented serve to instantly grab the attention of new arrivals, but it’s strung up directly over the handrail such that it doesn’t interfere with stairwell traffic, not to mention being a focal point of the party remaining clearly visible from up on the first floor where Frankenstein’s Castle will rock on into the wee hours.

Note the castlelike walls, twelve feet high here in the split-level entryway. In fact, the entire first floor of the house is transformed into a “haunted castle” each Halloween by covering the walls of every room, halls and all, with appropriately patterned reams of wallpaper, completing the perfect atmosphere for the annual gathering of all our favorite ghouls and goblins.

Of course, the decor has been known to change as events have come to pass, in this instance, swapping out our spider’s prey with perhaps even a more sinister presence.

No matter the individual props that are brought into the mix at any given event, as we delve further into our journey you’ll discover two distinct ongoing themes—the eye-catching nature of the displays themselves, and the degree of detail and thoughtfulness that goes into the presentation of the final selections.

NOW we’re talking…addition through subtraction! Under “game conditions” no matter the decoration/prop, the surroundings take on more of a macabre feel. Here we see our hanging friend captured under castlelike “mood” lighting. Once the party begins, all lighting throughout the house is either accomplished via orange-tinted light bulbs, strings of orange LEDs, lit candelabras, or flame pots…adding eerily to the overall haunted castle effect.

I’m not going to lie…the wallpaper takes a number of hours to hang (longer the first time as you’re measuring to length, cutting out holes for light switches, etc.). But once you get past the initial time investment and bag up the custom-made, labeled sections by room, this seemingly massive task goes much quicker than you’d think after the first undertaking. The bottom line is for OUR Halloween playground, this is the single most important step toward creating the perfect environment, a backdrop against which all other additions/props gain depth and eye appeal. For the boorish, it may seem like overkill, but to those looking to escape the nuances of everyday life and be shown a good time, dedicating sufficient prep time makes ALL the difference.

Common Area

Reaching the top of the staircase, we officially welcome you to Frankenstein’s Castle! Not every prop makes the cut when it comes to populating our house of haunts with appropriate ambiance. As you’ll see, as you venture further into our castle, while a few fun-type decorations can certainly be found in the mix, most purchases are required to pass muster regarding degree of authenticity, horrific value, and appropriateness for the space available. With little exception, the items that find a place in our “house of Frankenstein,” each possess an element of creepiness and originality. Make no mistake about it, this party environment is not meant for little ones but instead attempts to instill a most appropriate horror-movie motif. As such, there remains a purposeful focus on what really “works” versus props that are “happy,” plastic looking, or just plain fake.

As mentioned, orange mood lighting is sprinkled here and there to “improve” visibility to an acceptable level once the houselights go out come party time. Here, our flying demon makes great use of the recessed bay window area, while gargoyles and remnants of past visitors adorn the fireplace. And who is that “Spectre” in the corner?

Not all props are “plug and play!” When shopping to fill our Halloween playground, we keep the creative juices flowing. Here, we see the marrying up of our uninvited Spectre with a surprisingly realistic 3-D coffin which, while purchased separately, work in concert to enhance the imagery. Get a good look at this guy…even in the daylight, he really is creepy looking.

Once the lights dim and mist starts running across the floor via a “fog” machine (on a timer) conveniently hidden beneath the dining room table, it helps to induce a heightened sense of eeriness to this setting. No, we don’t miss a trick! Both pieces of this display were discovered at different ends of the same store, making it easier to imagine them complimenting one another in our special effects-ridden-castle environment.

Hosts note: Removal of some of the bulkier furniture allows for extra space to create a greater variety of effects, as well as additional party space. The kids’ bedrooms (they won’t be home on this “All Hallows’ Eve”) make for the perfect storage areas for excess items.

Not being one to miss an opportunity to further promote the proper atmosphere, even the fireplace finds itself superbly involved through this simple yet extremely effective display of…postmortem ex-partyers? Regardless, we find the presentation awe-inspiring, making an already uninviting location…even more so.

Moving to the left of the fireplace, conveniently located in the “dead space” (pun intended) next to the hutch, we find what no haunted castle would be complete without…a life-sized, fully functioning Mummy!

You’ll also note that a liberal amount of webbing has been applied throughout our virtual castle, supplemented with the occasional length of undetectable thread taped to the ceiling dropped down to about shoulder height, adding yet another interactive dimension to the overall spidery effect.

Truth be told, there’s even a remote-controlled repelling spider (see “Effects/Illusions”) that can be found periodically dropping down from its virtually invisible nesting place in the ceiling strategically located in another section of our haunted house once Frankenstein’s Castle has been completely transformed. Oh yeah, good times.

As implied, this particular mummy is one of the more interactive participants found within these rather elaborately adorned chambers. Motion activated, once engaged, the eyes light up moving from side to side while a quite audible mumbling continually escapes its mouth, desperately crying out for “help” in an effort to free itself from its meticulously bound condition. A real crowd-pleaser! Note that even the main beam running across the ceiling has been wallpapered. A little over the top, but like I say…that’s what this party’s all about.

Below we have the finished scene after the lights go out, becoming dramatically more appealing to the average castle dweller’s eyes and, better still, their mind-set. Seemingly everywhere you look, there’s something new to soak in, adding to the general feeling that this party may yet prove to be somewhat “special.” Over the years, we’ve managed to gather together some extraordinary finds from some of the most unlikely sources. This Mummy is a perfect example, having been purchased from a home improvement center. Well, it certainly improved the house of Frankenstein! Talk about your impulse buys, but I knew when I saw it, we had to have it.

Our resident Mummy is centrally positioned on the far wall of the front-to-back living/dining rooms, allowing for a significant traffic pattern in close enough proximity to maintain his continued involvement throughout the evening’s events. After initial inspection, his near nonstop pleas for assistance tend to fade into the background, becoming just another element in the backdrop against which the night’s gathering takes place.

It’s also fun to note that our daughter doesn’t really appreciate this particular prop, insisting that it remain covered with a sheet right up until party time, and it’s no wonder…while clearly visibly stimulating, the audible is priceless as well!

As hinted at thus far, over the course of time, we’ve made it a point to expand our thought process to include every one of the senses in as many ways as possible. So far, we’ve combined “mood” lighting, cobwebbed accents, fog, and even “castle-ized” walls, all in an effort to create the perfect “playground” in which we perform an annual dance with our favorite demons. To this point, you may simply feel that all this is mildly interesting, but we’re just getting started.

Feast Room

Looking down from the living room into the dining area, the host of the party—Frankenstein himself—can be found seated at the head of our feast table. While bringing added authenticity (and a focal point) to the setting, this prop is nothing more than a mask and a stuffed suit. There continue to be attendees at every party we’ve ever thrown, who wait for the person inside the mask to move. They wait a long time.

Here, more detail begins to stand out. Check out the real candles burning in the skeleton-head chandelier, the hand holding a spidery invader, the ghoul in the cage hanging from the ceiling, and is that a piece of cake on the chair closest to us? To come clean, I was “Fat Elvis” one year, and that was a homemade prop for my costume. Not everything we have in the castle is store-bought. Over the years, we’ve done what we can to keep costs down. The biggest secret is to gradually add to its contents each time we throw the party. What you’re seeing in these pages is the accumulation of items gathered over several Halloween events. By adding each year, we attempt to make the party new for the die-hards that always attend, not to mention heightening the overall experience for any “newbies” that get thrown into the mix.

Under party-time lighting, Frankenstein looks more ominous than ever, making the dining room a great gathering place to load up with some tasty treats. Remember, he’s nothing more than a costume stuffed with rags (the bulkier, the better) with his outer clothing safety pinned together. A wooden post runs through his core from his seat to his head and he’s belted into position in his chair to guarantee sufficient rigidity. Sitting at the head of our food table, in this setting, he certainly looks real enough to warrant a double take.

Of course, we would never leave out the menu (see “Food” section) when it comes to adding an extra helping of theme to the event. Some of our favorites include different variations of what we lovingly refer to as “finger food,” bones and blood (appropriately shaped biscuits/marinara sauce), eyeball punch, graveyard cake, mummy dogs, and my personal favorite, the “litter box” (rectangular cakelike creation covered in sand-mimicking topping with “squirts” of Tootsie Roll sprinkled about with a serving spatula that’s an actual kitty litter scoop). Mmmm, yum!

The Dungeon

Wandering still further into our house of horrors, as promised, we’re running a fully operational castle here with all the trimmings! Welcome to the room that without which no castle is complete, the “dungeon!” While we’re certain most of our cloaked companions experience an exceptionally good time when playing in Frankenstein’s Castle, we can’t speak for those from past events who weren’t allowed to leave.

Somewhat exorbitantly demonstrating an excellent use of wall space, our virtual “dungeon” is appropriately outfitted with a “torture chamber” including victims, weaponry, hanging flame pots, assorted lengths of chain, etc., all of which can be located at most Halloween stores of significance. But when you bring it all together and present it in the proper context, it produces a clear-cut theme to this particular party room, one that plays to the castle’s inner workings. And yes, this room always proves to be another main attraction while also providing the perfect setting for some of our game time events (see “Games” section).

Same scene with the lights out. Now you’re getting the idea! It’s all an illusion, but a grand one indeed! Remember, there are two stereo systems playing simultaneously throughout the castle. Our dungeon features a surround sound system that booms out a thunderstorm throughout the night, adding yet one more level of demonic delight to torture chamber visitors. As mentioned (foot pedal activated) floodlights mounted outside directed at the windows add to this effect. Flame pots are of particular intrinsic value here, casting just the right amount of glow from the corners of the chamber. Mix in the thunderstorm and what you have here is one runaway party!

Here, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. As a guest, at some point in your journey through this night, it eventually dawns on you…that YOU, in whatever costume you’ve chosen for yourself, serve as just another prop in this most surreal of settings. You find yourself drifting much farther away than the two-block walk from your house. It’s then that you begin to lose yourself in this freak show of a party as the full transformation now begins to get underway. It’s all we wanted all along…for our guests to release. On this night to become a little separated from the norm, to rid themselves of worldly tension and ultimately…BRING THE PARTY!

Adding to our list of major props, the opposite wall of the torture chamber boasts a mourning widow who is seen here, facing all of eternity clutching a bouquet of black roses. Note the black lace draped over the existing curtains to assist in blending them with the decor. The castle’s walls are further adorned with a selection of artwork, portraits of family members/previous castle owners who (of course) change into ghouls and goblins as one alters their vantage point. Articulate positioning of weaponry over this particular piece of artwork adds to the overall feel of the dungeon. As mentioned, while some furniture gets removed for the sake of creating additional space, other pieces simply get rearranged…in this instance, not only to allow full access to the poor hanging souls on the torture chamber’s main wall opposite our widow…

……but with the center of the dungeon area opened up, this party space also doubles as our castle’s game room. It should be noted here that when it comes time to subjecting our masquerading mob to any one of our creative play time events (see “Games”), while the surround sound system continues to roar out a thunderous storm, the house stereo switches from an eighties hard rock theme to Frankenstein’s favorite castle offering, “Toccata in D minor.” Look it up! It’s classic haunted house organ music that when played against the backdrop of our thunderstorm, well, you get the picture…details…details! More on games coming up!

Below is another example of matching up props to produce a combined effect, as well as illustrating more creative use of available space. In earlier parties, we didn’t incorporate the TV at all (which is located at the far end of our “dungeon”), but it always seemed that it should be involved somehow. Then we came across a CD package that included a black veil that went over the TV screen behind which the heads of monsters/assorted lost souls seemingly float in midair while rambling on about this or that. And that was fine for one party.

But then we found this pretty horrific looking witch. So to complete the effect, we’ve positioned the witch behind/above the TV, looking down with arms and hands extended as if to be summoning up the head that floats beneath it. And the whole setup doesn’t take up any party room! Now that’s my idea of another great use of available space—not to mention the eerily ghoulish influence it brings to the chamber in which it resides.

The Hall

After partaking in enough refreshment, one eventually finds the urge to locate the castle’s restroom. But something or “someone” lurks in the (not too) distant darkness! What madness is this? Arguably the best prop in Frankenstein’s Castle, this frightful piece of rubber is the ultimate attention grabber under “game conditions” residing in our house of haunts down at the end of the centrally located hallway.

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.