This haunted circus is truly demented and not for those with coulrophobia (fear of clowns). Step right up and enter this immersive, deserted fairground experience if you dare. A long forgotten freakshow in a blood-spattered tent; you’ll find the remnants of carnival games gone horribly wrong, a whisper of misfortunes told, and the echo of laughter turned to screams after a performance by our creepy circus clowns.
Grab your ticket from our dead ringmaster and his faithful monkey before jack breaks free from his box. Gnaw on some rotten candy and mice-infested popcorn as you make your way around our haunted carn-evil stands. But beware surprises from our towering, animated clown, or else the joke will be on you. Don't leave before a quick game of skull toss or try your hand at knife throwing. Try to kill them all before they kill you!
Step right up if you dare, to an eerie haunted circus.
Collect your Ticket to Die
I created a haunted circus tent by hanging Black & White Striped Gossamer Roll from the top of our garage, across the full length. I used strips of black duct tape to hang it as an alternative to other methods and then sprayed it with fake blood to give it an abandoned, “scene of a horrific demise” look & feel. Then I added a Big Top of Terror Halloween Custom Banner across the center of this, again hanging with duct tape as opposed to the clear strips provided. This can be personalized with your family name or event name, I called mine the “Kill em’ All Carn-evil”.
I started off by placing a ticket booth in the center of the tent backdrop. This set-up is sure to give pause to even the bravest of trick-or-treaters!
I used my farmstand as a ticket booth. To get the circus look & feel I used one of the side panels from the Vintage Circus Booth Attraction Stand-Up to create a cover for the bottom of the stand. Adding a large “25 cents” in circus font to the front of it and “Ticket Booth” to the top. I aged it with black spray paint, cobwebs, and Super-sized Black Creepy Cloth.
Then I added falling string lights held up by skeleton hands around the top of the booth.
Sitting at the ticket booth was our dead ringmaster. A Life Sized Posable Skeleton dressed in an Adult’s Carnival Costume. He was passing out carnival tickets that sat under a creepy blood & white striped pumpkin pierced by wayward throwing knives.
Snacks to Die For
Before heading in to visit our side show performers, pick up a tasty side show treat. Stacked on top of 24” Decorative Straw Hay Bale, I used an upside down carnival game, aged with black paint to hold DIY ‘Rotton’ Candy.
I created the ‘Rotton’ Candy by spray painting polyester pink fiber fill, splattering it with fake blood, adding Scary Spiders and then inserting cotton candy paper cones with wood dowels inside of them into the bottom of the rotten candy.
Entertaining Tip: Serve real cotton candy to trick-or-treaters from behind this section.
To finish this vignette, I added a Killer Clown Sledge Hammer and a Ferris wheel cupcake holder filled with Glow-In-The-Dark Eyeballs Bouncy Balls.
Entertaining Tip: These are a great non-candy treat to hand out to trick-or-treaters.
Side Show Entertainers
Just like a regular circus, this haunted spectacular has an array of side show performers to keep you entertained or should I say maimed!
Bring in the Clowns
I used the most terrifying Standing Animated Clown to perform for our Haunted Circus visitors.
One look into those manic eyes and it will be howls of terror, not laughter!
Then if you dare to move, his eyes flash, he gestures and terrifies with an array of spooky sayings that will haunt your nightmares.
In front of him, on a discarded haybale lies the remnants of past victims long forgotten Paper Popcorn Bags. I tipped the popcorn out, added blood, mice and a Bag of Rats to leave guests wondering what had befallen those before them.
Don’t let Jack out of the Box
Enter through the Big Top Terror Halloween Cardboard Stand-Up arch with its fearsome teeth to witness the terrifying Jack.
I made a large box for Jack using a milk crate as a base and using one of the side panels from the Vintage Circus Booth Attraction Stand-Up to cover the crate and make a lid. Then I added “Jacks Box” in circus font to the box and aging it with black paint and black creepy cloth. I placed “Jack”, an Animated Clown Groundbreaker Halloween Decoration on top. His eyes flash, he speaks and looks as if he is coming out of the box at you when he is activated by movement. Sufficiently creepy!
Skull Crushing Strongman
Then it’s on to check out our skull crushing strongman, but don’t get too close. I used a Life Sized Posable Skeleton and dressed it in a black tank and bike shorts. Then I tied a black pole to his hands with skulls impaled on each end.
Knife Throwing
Knife throwing was bound to go horribly wrong in a Haunted Circus! I used a Vinyl Record Cardboard Stand-Up to create an oversized target. First, I painted it white, then added red stripes and splashes to blood. To keep it upright and secure with added weight I attached the target to one leg of a balloon/photobooth stand.
Then I secured a smaller sized skeleton to the target using wire around its neck and through the cardboard onto the pole. To finish the look, I used black duct tape to secure the hands & feet and then added, spiderweb, blood, spiders and throwing knives to the target. I covered the base with creepy cloth.
Terrifying Trapeze
Alas our trapeze artist fell to her death and now haunts the big top. I used a Life Sized Posable Skeleton dressed in a Woman’s Black Tutu and Skull Hand Rosette Crown Veil to create this performer.
I attached her to a hula hoop decorated with black & white tulle and then we hung her from our driveway basketball hoop to get her off the ground.
Games of S'kill' & Mayhem
Games are a must-do when you visit the circus. So, step-right-up and take your chances!
Carn-evil Skull Toss
I created this booth using the Vintage Circus Booth Attraction Stand-Up. I only used the central portion (I used the side panels to create other attractions) and added a table in front of it covered in a Black Plastic Tablecloth and a length of Black & White Striped Gossamer Roll to complete the booth.
I “haunted” the booth with a fine mist of black spray paint, Super-sized Black Creepy Cloth, and blood spatter and then layered it with cobwebs.
Rather than hang the 2 “prize” panels from the vintage booth set, I left them dilapidated on the table. Before doing this, I sprayed the centers black and added “Kill Em’ All” and “Skull Toss” to them in red circus font.
In the center of the table I stacked the Vintage Circus Centerpiece Set, again giving them a spooky make over with paint, blood, creepy cloth and cobwebs. On top of the boxes, I added a dead clowns skull.
I created this skull by adding a Classic Clown Nose and using the Snazaroo™ Ultimate Face Painting Kit to paint on a clown face.
Then I added the remainder of the skulls to the table, with bloodied haybales behind them, another bloodied pumpkin, popcorn bags and mice.
The top prize is of course escaping with your life! But fortune favors the brave so give out carn-evil prizes for those willing to dip their hand into the prize chest! I used a Treasure Chest to hold a selection of stuffed prizes. Long Arm Farm Stuffed Animals, Black & White Stuffed Panda Bears and more.
In the center of the prizes, I placed a super creepy Clown Mask. I filled his head with black polyester fiber fill to give him an extra spooky dark, blank stare.
Entertaining Tip: Add a big bowl of candy or non-candy treats behind this to give out (or refresh the chest) to brave Trick or Treaters. Leaving this Prize prop intact for new Trick or Treaters to brave!
A Tale of Misfortune Before You Leave
Or should I say, IF you leave!
What will your fortune hold after visiting our resident Animated Standing Fortune Teller Witch? This witch flashes her eyes, cackles, looks into her crystal ball and tells several dark & woeful fortunes.
This witch is very versatile, you can have the witch standing at full height or remove one of the pieces of her stand and she sits at table level. See the height difference below.
To set the scene for her dark tales, I used a Fortune Teller Backdrop and Fortune Teller Eye Sign to create her tent.
Then I used a circular table covered in a black Round Plastic Tablecloth with a Fortune Teller Round Plastic Tablecloth on top. On top of the table I added tarot cards, a crystal ball, Fortune Teller Beverage Napkins for refreshments and an array of spell books. My favorite set of books are the Light-Up Moving Books on top. They give every guest a spooky surprise.
Entertaining Tip: Serve drinks & refreshments from Fortune Teller Paper Cups at this Fortune Teller booth while guests take their chances at Skull Toss.
Once you leave, your fortune told, I’m sure you’ll be seeing us again in your nightmares!
