Visions of Madness

Visions of Madness is a free yard haunt, open only on Halloween night, in New Albany, IN. The front yard is geared towards smaller children and isn’t too scary but go around back and you’re in for a scream! Each year brings new props and new scares. If you’re in the area it should definitely be on your Halloween “To Do” list!

CZ: I already know that Halloween is the most awesome holiday out there but my readers may not, so can you give us your opinion on why it is?
VoM: To begin with I love fall and everything about it (ie... The temperatures, the leaves, the smell...) Halloween is so different than any other holiday because there's no pressures. You're not fighting the crowds to get the perfect gift or trying to find time to see this person and that person. It's completely fun and plays on your emotions of fear. Seeing the look on the kids faces and the parents for that matter. You can be whoever or whatever you want to be for the day.

CZ: When did you start “haunting”?
VoM: My dad always made sure we had the biggest pumpkin when I was a kid and we always had the paper decorations on the house and the man with the goofy mask stuffed full of leaves on the porch. I started the tradition with my own kids just by always heading out to find the perfect pumpkin. Then I had a daughter who was born October 15, 2000. She loves Halloween! When she was 5 she wanted to have a Halloween birthday party and she wanted it to be scary. That Halloween we started with some big pumpkins a glow in the dark skeleton with black light hanging in the picture window and a creepy sounds CD. It took off from there a little more each year. Last year we moved to our current home and we have a huge backyard and that's when things really took off!

CZ: Creepiest man behind the mask – Michael Myers or Jason?
VoM: Definitely Michael. Our first real prop was a Michael Myers propped up against our garage. The neighborhood loved it. People wanted to get their picture taken with him.

CZ: What is your favorite prop/decoration and why?
VoM: Personally I love my scarecrow. I've always loved scarecrows and they creep me out. But I also like my toxic vomiter because it's the kids favorite. Don't know what it is about a creepy guy puking that makes kids so happy, but they love it.

CZ: You must have one absolute favorite memory about your haunt - tell us what it is.
VoM: Last year as some people were leaving they commented to each other, "That's what Halloween is about!" It makes me happy that people get it. I just love doing this stuff and I love seeing people enjoying it.

CZ: What’s the ultimate Halloween candy?
VoM: Aren't they all perfect? I really like candy corn!

CZ: How much time goes into your haunt each year?
VoM: Too much and not enough at the same time. We start thinking of new things for next year as soon as we open the haunt for this year. We work on it little by little all year round. We comb stores, yard sales, thrift stores, and even garbage looking for that one thing we really need for next year’s haunt.

CZ: From whom or what do you draw your inspiration?
VoM: It's just something i love. I love to see the kids faces when they walk through our haunt and they see something cool. I like when the kids are so scared to walk through they are fighting their parents with everything they have. Then they get to the exit and they're talking about how cool it was.

CZ: Morticia Addams or Lily Munster?
VoM: Morticia Addams

CZ: Is your family supportive of your haunting obsession or do they think you’re insane?
VoM: Both! We work on it as a family. I have 2 teenage children who think I’m crazy, but they have moments where they are cool with it. They never really want to work on it, but always want to bring their friends over to see everything. My youngest daughter loves it. She thinks it the greatest thing ever. She goes out trick or treating for 15 minutes around the short block and comes home to work in the yard. She loves to scare people and she's probably the creepiest thing in the yard at time. My wife works with me year round creating. I do the mechanical parts and she pulls in the artistic vision of it.

CZ: What does the future hold for your haunt?
VoM: Hopefully longevity and we really hope to get the word out and get more trick or treaters to come. We are trying to get the neighbors involved. We worked with a couple of them last year and we got some decorations in their yards and I’d love to see the whole neighborhood decked out. We'll continue to build new props as long as the trick or treaters keep coming.

CZ: Any links you’d like included?
VoM: http://www.visions-of-madness.com/ and you can also become a fan of Visions of Madness on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Albany-IN/Visions-of-Madness/135077173195742?ref=ts&v=wall#!/pages/New-Albany-IN/Visions-of-Madness/135077173195742?v=wall&ref=ts