20 Haunted House Ideas for Schools, Towns and Fundraisers

Every haunted house has the same three problems: it takes weeks to build, it has to scare a teenager without traumatizing a first grader, and it has to move a line of 400 people through in an evening. The ideas below solve all three with rentals. An inflatable haunted maze goes up in an hour and runs 60 people an hour through fog and sound, a scare actor’s intensity is set in advance and switched off for the family hour, and a hall of fun house mirrors, a black light room and a pumpkin bowling lane turn the wait into part of the show.

Here are 20 haunted house ideas organized by the part of the event they solve: the no-build haunted house, scares by age, rooms and effects, and the exit and the ticket line. Every one of them is rentable from the Halloween Rentals collection at Perfect Parties USA, and each comes with a planning tip on throughput, staffing or space, whether your haunted house is in a school gym in Worcester, a town hall in Manchester or a parish hall in Providence.

The No-Build Haunted House

The inflatables that replace three weekends of carpentry.

1. The Haunted Zombie Maze

Haunted Zombie Maze: A 1,400 square foot inflatable maze that runs about 60 people an hour through its turns in small groups, with fog, lights and sound effects as add-ons and a scare level you set. Planning Tip: It needs a dedicated 20 amp circuit, so plan the power before the layout. Rent the Haunted Zombie Maze.

2. The Zombie Party Combo

Zombie Party Combo: A Halloween bounce and slide combo for the room where the little kids wait while the big kids go through the maze. Planning Tip: Put it in the lights-on zone with its own attendant. Rent the Zombie Party Combo.

3. The Spooky Mansion Slide

Spooky Mansion Slide: A haunted house themed inflatable slide that gives an outdoor haunted house its facade. Planning Tip: Set it at the entrance so it is the first thing the line sees. Rent the Spooky Mansion Slide.

4. The Monster Dash Obstacle Course

Monster Dash Obstacle Course: A Halloween obstacle course to crawl, climb and slide through, the escape route at the end of a haunted walk. Planning Tip: Time the runs and post a leaderboard by grade. Rent the Monster Dash Obstacle Course.

5. The Fun House Obstacle Course

Fun House Obstacle Course: A carnival fun house built as an inflatable obstacle course, for the haunted house that wants a laugh after the scare. Planning Tip: Run it as the last room before the exit. Rent the Fun House Obstacle Course.

Scares by Age

The pieces that let one haunted house serve a first grader at 5 and a teenager at 8.

6. A Scare Actor With a Dial

Haunted Actor: A costumed scare actor who works the maze or a room, with a scare level you set in advance and a no-scare signal, such as a glow band, for anyone who wants to opt out. Planning Tip: Lights-on and no actor until 6, then effects, then the actor for the last two hours. Book the Haunted Actor.

7. Scary Campfire Stories

Scary Campfire Stories: A storyteller, a fire ring and a circle of hay bales for the kids who want the story without the maze. Planning Tip: Schedule a gentle telling at 6:30 and a teen telling at 8. Book Scary Campfire Stories.

8. The Corn Maze Inflatable

Corn Maze Inflatable: A 35 by 40 foot inflatable corn maze with an 11 foot corn entrance, the maze for the family hour with no scare in it. Planning Tip: Run it beside the haunted maze so families choose their level at the door. Rent the Corn Maze Inflatable.

9. The Haunted Games Inflatable

Haunted Games Inflatable: Several Halloween carnival games built into one inflatable, for the kids who are done being scared. Planning Tip: One attendant runs the whole station. Rent the Haunted Games Inflatable.

10. The Frankenstein Monster Jump

Frankenstein Monster Jump: A giant bounce house with the monster’s face over the entrance, the friendliest monster on the grounds. Planning Tip: Give it its own line and an age rule. Rent the Frankenstein Monster Jump.

Rooms and Effects

The rooms a rental can build in an afternoon.

11. A Hall of Mirrors

Fun House Mirror Deluxe: A set of carnival fun house mirrors lined along a dark hallway, the hall of mirrors every haunted house wants and nobody has time to build. Planning Tip: Light them from below with a single bulb each. Rent the Fun House Mirror Deluxe.

12. A Black Light Room

Black Light Photo Booth: A glow photo booth that doubles as the black light room, where neon makeup and white costumes light up and every group gets a photo on the way out. Planning Tip: Make it the last room before the exit so the photo is the souvenir. Rent the Black Light Photo Booth.

13. A Glow Installation

After Dark Park: A glow photo installation that turns a corner of the gym or the hall into a lit room with no carpentry. Planning Tip: Use it as the entrance chamber. Rent the After Dark Park.

14. BOO in Lights

LED Letters: Marquee LED letters spelling BOO or the haunted house name over the entrance. Planning Tip: They are the photo every family takes from the parking lot. Rent the LED Letters.

15. Cast Makeup

Makeup Artist: A professional makeup artist who does the cast’s scars and the guests’ face paint at the door. Planning Tip: Book the artist for the hour before opening for the cast, then move the chair to the ticket line. Book the Makeup Artist.

The Exit and the Ticket Line

Where a haunted house fundraiser makes its money.

16. A Prize Wheel at the Exit

Prize Wheel: A spin-to-win wheel where every survivor gets a spin and every slice pays out something. Planning Tip: Sell extra spins for a dollar and stock the big slices with donated gift cards. Rent the Prize Wheel.

17. Pumpkin Bowling in the Line

Halloween Pumpkin Bowling: A full lane where the ticket line rolls real or foam pumpkins at the spooky pins while they wait. Planning Tip: One ticket per roll and the wait pays for itself. Rent Halloween Pumpkin Bowling.

18. Witch’s Brew Toss

Witch’s Brew Frame Game: A tabletop toss into a cauldron frame that runs at the ticket table without an attendant. Planning Tip: Hand it to a teenager to run. Rent the Witch’s Brew Frame Game.

19. A Five-Booth Halloween Midway

Halloween Carnival Stalls (5): Five striped Halloween booths outside the haunted house for the crowd that is done inside. Planning Tip: Sell a punch card with the haunted house ticket. Rent the Halloween Carnival Stalls package.

20. A Pumpkin Carving Station

Pumpkin Carving Station: A supervised carving station outside the exit, with the carved pumpkins lining the entrance path by the end of the night. Planning Tip: Charge per entry and judge by sticker vote. Rent the Pumpkin Carving Station.

How to Choose Haunted House Attractions for Your Event

Start with your audience and your building. A school haunted house in a gym runs the Haunted Zombie Maze lights-on until 6 with the Frankenstein Monster Jump and the Haunted Games Inflatable for the youngest, then effects and the actor for the middle schoolers; the carnival game ideas for school fairs and carnivals guide covers the ticket and volunteer plan. A town haunted house on a field adds the Spooky Mansion Slide, the Corn Maze Inflatable for families and the midway outside; the Halloween festival ideas guide has the full grounds. A fundraiser prices every piece: a ticket for the maze, a ticket per roll in the line and a spin at the exit, and the carnival games for fundraisers post covers the pricing models.

As a rule of thumb, plan for one haunted attraction per 150 to 200 guests and at least two lights-on options for every scare, and book six to eight weeks ahead, because the last two weekends of October fill first across Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire and the maze is one of the first pieces to go. The Halloween inflatable rentals page lists every inflatable with its space and power, and if you are on the North Shore the carnival game rentals in Peabody, MA page shows what is nearby.

Rent Haunted House Attractions From Perfect Parties USA

Perfect Parties USA is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and owns hundreds of attractions, including every rentable item on this list, so the games you book are the games that arrive, maintained and ready to play. Every rental includes delivery, professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown. We are fully insured, with a certificate of insurance available for venues and schools, and we have produced events of every size across New England and the Northeast for decades, from Massachusetts, Boston, Connecticut and Rhode Island to New Hampshire and New York.

Ready to get this party started? Contact Perfect Parties USA to talk to one of our Party Pros. Request a Quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best haunted house ideas for a school?

The best school haunted house ideas are an inflatable haunted maze that runs lights-on for the youngest kids and with effects for the older ones, a scare actor with a set intensity and a no-scare signal, a hall of fun house mirrors, a black light room at the exit and pumpkin bowling in the ticket line. Perfect Parties USA runs that lineup for PTAs across New England.

How do you make a haunted house that works for young kids and teenagers?

Schedule it by hour: lights on and no actor until 6 for the youngest, then fog, sound and lights, then the scare actor for the last two hours, and give younger guests a no-scare signal such as a glow band. Run the Corn Maze Inflatable and a bounce beside the haunted maze so families choose their level at the door.

How many people can go through an inflatable haunted house in an hour?

The Haunted Zombie Maze runs about 60 people an hour in groups of two to six, with an attendant spacing the groups so the maze stays full without backing up, and a little slower with the scare actor inside. For a line of 400, run the maze for six to seven hours or add a second attraction, and give the line a pumpkin bowling lane to play while it waits.

Can you rent a haunted house instead of building one?

Yes, the Haunted Zombie Maze is a 1,400 square foot inflatable haunted maze that sets up in about an hour, with fog, lights, sound and a scare actor as add-ons, and Perfect Parties USA rents it with the Spooky Mansion Slide, the Monster Dash Obstacle Course and fun house mirrors to build the rest of the walk. Every rental includes delivery, setup, an attendant and teardown.

Does Perfect Parties USA deliver haunted house rentals in Massachusetts and New England?

Yes, Perfect Parties USA delivers haunted house rentals across Massachusetts, including Boston and the North Shore, and throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. The company is based in Peabody, Massachusetts, owns its inventory and provides a certificate of insurance for schools, towns and venues on request.

Is a haunted house a good fundraiser?

A haunted house is a strong October fundraiser because every piece can be ticketed: a ticket for the maze, a ticket per roll on pumpkin bowling in the line, a spin on the Prize Wheel at the exit, an entry fee for the carving contest and a punch card for the midway outside. The rentals pay for themselves in the first two hours of a busy night.

How far in advance should you book haunted house rentals?

Book haunted house rentals six to eight weeks ahead, and earlier for the Haunted Zombie Maze, which is one of the first Halloween pieces to sell out for the last two weekends of October across New England. Booking early with Perfect Parties USA also leaves time to plan the power, the room layout and the hourly scare schedule with a Party Pro.