The 3 Pillars Of Haunted House Etiquette

I’ve been spending this Halloween season working as a scare actor at a haunted house. And while it’s been challenging, it’s been a great time with some great people, and a great place for me to exercise my acting skills!

Honestly, being a scare actor is like any other job. It has its upsides and downsides, its good days and bad days. And like any other job, you have your fair share of rude and unruly guests that come through.

And dealing with those guests has made me realize that some people seem to forget that you still need to be respectful at a haunted house, as if it’s different than going to a store or a restaurant. It’s like their manners go right out the window, or they just don’t have any at all. And good lord, it’s infuriating.

So here are some things I’d like everyone to keep in mind when they go to a haunted house.

#1: Do Not Touch Anything, Or Anyone

Think about it this way: you wouldn’t walk into someone else’s house or place of business and go around touching everything like you own the place, right? (Trick question. The answer is always: no you wouldn’t.)

Haunted houses are no different than any other house or place of business. You need to respect it, and everything and everyone in it. It’s never okay to touch the scare actors, the props, or any part of the set.

For example, at the haunted house I work at, I often get assigned to a section that we call The Cage, because it’s a box made to look like a cage (I usually get put there because I’m the only adult scare actor who’s small enough to fit in it). The front section of The Cage is a wooden frame with chain link fence over it, and it tilts forward, so the actor inside will shake it and laugh maniacally when people walk by.

I’ve had several incidents throughout the season where guests would either grab my hand, or grab the outer side of The Cage and try to shake it from the outside. And I’d have to reach through the front of The Cage and start hitting them to get them off.

But the worst incident was one that happened to one of our child scare actors, a 10-year-old girl. She was in The Cage one night and a man tried to reach through the front of it and grab her.

Let me repeat that: a grown man tried to put his hands on a child.

I was livid when I heard this. It was shocking to me that some guests could be that unruly and disrespectful. And that particular incident pissed me off so much that it’s a big part of why I wrote this story.

So don’t be that kind of guest, and don’t let your friends or family members be that kind of guest either. Do not touch me, my fellow scare actors, or any other part of the haunted house. We’re fully prepared to defend ourselves, and we won’t hesitate, if you violate our boundaries or act out of line.

Like I say to all the guests who try to touch me: Keep your hands to yourself, or else you’re gonna lose them.

#2: Do Not Stop Moving

When it comes to having the option of Fight, Flight, or Freeze, Flight is the only option in a haunted house.

The one I work at allows groups of up to 8 people at a time. But because some people don’t move very quickly, we often end up having multiple smaller groups combine, which results in about 15-20 people walking by at once.

I’ve had plenty of guests who were slow walkers for some reason or another. Some just seemed to naturally be that way. Some were stoned out of their minds to the point that they were like literal zombies. And some were definitely the type to freeze up when scared.

I’ve also had guests that stopped dead (lol) in their tracks when I popped out and scared them. Some would even fall to the ground and just lay there cowering on the floor, and I’d have to scream at them to get up and run.

Whatever the reason, it’s frustrating when guests move slowly, not only for us actors and staff because it makes our jobs more difficult, but also for other guests because you end up holding up the line and causing delays. That just kills the experience for everyone, and we don’t want that for you.

So keep the line moving, and don’t stop walking (or running) no matter how scared you are.

#3: Remember Why You’re There

It amazes me that this needs to be said, but the whole purpose of going to a haunted house is to be scared.

I know we all have different ways of dealing with fear, and some people choose to use humor to cope with their fear. But a haunted house is not the place for that.

I’ve had way too many guests do all kinds of stupid things to me while I’d be scare acting, like trying to scare me back or joke with me, barking at me like a dog, asking me if I'm single, and even some going so far as to belittle and insult me.

Incidents like these always make me think that some people must’ve been raised by wild animals, because it’s insane how uncivilized some people will act in public. It’s immensely pitiful.

You don’t go to a haunted house to try and prove how tough you are, or joke around with the actors and staff. You go to a haunted house to be scared by us. And it’s our job to scare you, not the other way around.

So leave the tough guy/girl act at home, and just enjoy the scare.

All in all, it’s simple. Just behave like a civilized human being, make sure your friends and family do too, and again, respect the haunted house, and everything and everyone in it.

Now go forth and enjoy your Halloween. Respectfully.

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