HALLOWEEN 2024

Von Lockleigh Manor

Porte-Cochère

Whether arriving on foot, via horse & buggy, or by motor carriage, you are welcomed by two servants of the house. Tyler observes you from above, his presence letting you know you’ve properly arrived. Deadmond points the way to the East Garden, assuring you that you are indeed very much welcome.

Candy awaits, of course.

East Garden

The East Garden is truly a lovely… peaceful place. The ambience perfectly reflects the lush opulence of your hosts as you wind your way through arched shrubberies, the creatures of the night playfully nipping at your heels.

You are officially greeted by Clawde, the (very) long-time butler to the Von Lockleighs. We recommend you stay on the path, though — trick-or-treaters are, after all, quite the tasty morsel. In fact, that… skinny… fellow looks have taken a liking to one of your friends.

Keep a sharp eye and you may spot Webster Von Lockleigh, a great uncle of ours. He must really love the garden… he never leaves.

The Parlor

Step into the parlor for a spell; you’re shaking, dear. Have some refreshment and enjoy the portrait wall, tracing the family lineage back several generations. That’s Beauregard Von Lockleigh there at the top just above his lovely wife, Isolde. Beauregard was the original founder of the manor, having emigrated from Europe centuries ago with his wife, children, and their servants, Clawde and Charlotte. Legends say that it’s not Isolde’s portrait that Beauregard would have preferred hung alongside his, but that’s a tale for another time.

That dapper fellow on the chair is Tristan Von Lockleigh, a famed soldier turned duelist. He never lost a match — until he did, of course. Whispers of treachery echo still, and it’s said that Tristan’s spirit yet wanders the cemetery, ghostly pistol loaded, seeking his revenge.

Veranda

Take a seat on the hauntingly beautiful veranda, where grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize. Hors d'oeuvres are served and vintage ‘spirits’ decanted while every ghoul’s favorite collection of Hallow’s Eve songs fills the air. Soft candle light flickers as you enjoy a stunning view of the family cemetery. Thunder booms overhead and lightning splits the eerie stillness, illuminating the Lady Musette Von Lockleigh perched on a grave-side swing, poison vial still in-hand, lamenting the loss of her husband, Bartholomew.

The Cemetery

Playful spirits swirl through the trees as the thunderstorm builds. Indiana Bones wheels yet another new resident to this serene place. Out from the mists a stoop-back man emerges, the groundskeeper of years past, to guide you through your quest for candy. He offers a tale and a warning, as the old are wont to do.

As you reach into the cauldron, the ivy-strewn mausoleum begins to creak. The ancient door opens slowly, bangs shut, and opens again. An evil, red light spills forth, illuminating things in the cemetery best left unseen. Is it Beauregard, the jealous wight-lord risen from his restless slumber? Or is it perhaps Charlotte, his scorned and betrayed lover, back to seek justice on those who yet live?

The Crypts

“Flee through the crypts,” the groundskeeper implores. “But beware Charlotte!”

The house valet, Skulrich, motions you into a deep, dank cavern — the Von Lockleigh burial chambers. Piles of bones and large rats threaten your footing, and old, silent spirits hover just above your head. As the corridor begins to bend you see the bones of Bartholomew Von Lockleigh, his noose still about his neck. The remains crash forward, jerking the noose tight once again. The previously-dormant spirits come awake at once, wailing, moaning, begging for release. Bridgette, a particularly nasty phantasm, claws at you from above.

Some inhabitants seem to have been interred here against their will… and likely while they still drew breath.

You round a corner and come face to ethereal face with her — Charlotte, the weeping pauper-bride, mistress of betrayal, tragedy, and revenge. Her haunting cries urge you toward her, but her clawed fingers repel you, inclining you to hasten for the exit. If there is one.

Light seems to appear from ahead, faint and greenish. You feel the cool night air on your face as you break free of the stifling miasma of death that is the underground.

“Play with me,” you hear… a childish, freakish sound. A small figure on a swing… singing… then screaming.

You run.

Thank you for visiting the Manor!

This was the second version of Von Lockleigh Manor and included several expanded concepts from the inaugural 2023 iteration. The Parlor was originally just the portrait wall and was placed at the entrance to the Crypt. I loved that area so much that I wanted to see it more throughout the night. Placing it on the patio next to the Veranda was a no-brainer and made for a fantastic photo op.

The Crypt itself was actually reduced from two 10x10’ easy-ups to one. It felt too sparse that first year, as I’d run out of time and props to dress the back half properly. Condensing it to one 10x10’ space really made me focus more on the layout, spacing, and lighting, making for a better walk-through, in my opinion.

The downsized Crypt also made room in the side yard for the East Garden. This “outdoor walk-through” really upped the ante, I think, and came together very nicely. It was a lot of fun to play with the lighting, textures, and visibility around corners. While it’s certainly not my goal, there were a few crying kids that did NOT want to go back through the garden to leave. Heheh. The crypt is the only other way.

Please take a look through the Halloween 2023 page to see what changed from year to year. I’ll also be making several blog posts covering various portions of the haunt in more detail, as well as the 2024 trunk-or-treat where our “Skeleton Crew” won Best Overall. Those blog posts will aggregate below.

The Haunt Props page [COMING SOON] covers the construction, prop-building, painting, etcetera, that goes into our annual haunt. It’s super behind-the-scenes and pretty silly at times. I go out of my way to entertain myself.

I also plan to post a video walk-through of the haunt on my youtube channel. I think I’ll include a daytime photo montage along with it, and it will feature an awesome original track written by my cousin, just for our Halloween party!

We hope you enjoyed the tour, foolish mortal. Until next Hallow’s Eve!

The Von Lockleighs