Halloween Haus Hamm: Spooky Fun for a Good Cause

(eap) For several years now, the “Halloween Haus” in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, has been offering several days of spooky entertainment during the autumn season. One of the event’s distinguishing features is its non-profit character: The Halloween Haus Hamm is organised entirely by private individuals who volunteer their time and expertise in every area, from set construction, decoration and technical installations to costumes and event operations. Proceeds from the event, which opens on 23 October at 6 p.m. and runs until 31 October, will be donated to charity.

One of the four Halloween-themed experience areas is designed as a circus, where a wide variety of spooky thrills awaits visitors ... © Photo: Halloween Haus Damm The Halloween Haus, which takes place predominantly outdoors (partly in tents), caters to both families with children and thrill-seekers. A traffic light system will indicate the intensity of the scares, with green signalling a family-friendly experience, yellow representing a moderate level of intensity and red promising particularly spine-chilling moments. Visitors will be able to explore four separate themed areas: the “Twisted Corridor”, the “Caribbean Curse”, a maze and the “Circus of Horrors”. The latter features a themed circus world complete with backstage areas, a popcorn stand, a circus stage and a few surprises along the way… Various effects, animatronics and live scare actors will all contribute to the experience.

New this year is the use of specially designed scents to add another sensory dimension to the experience. Magic Box, a German company specialising in the creation of scent effects for attractions and experiences, including those in theme parks, is supporting Halloween Haus Hamm as a sponsor for the first time, providing three dry fragrances. As visitors make their way through the different themed areas, they may occasionally encounter the smell of musty earth or enticingly sweet aromas…

Those who work up an appetite during their visit will also find food and beverage stands on site, operated by volunteers and serving a selection of savoury and sweet snacks as well as drinks. Admission to the temporary Halloween attraction, which will be open to visitors at varying times each day except 26 and 27 October, costs 3.50 euros this year. After operating costs have been deducted, the proceeds will be donated to a charitable cause – specifically, the “Menschen in Not” (“People in Need”) charity initiative run by the regional newspaper Westfälischer Anzeiger.

Marvin Falkenroth, who has been co-leading the organisation of the Halloween attraction since 2024, explains: “What originally grew out of our enthusiasm for Halloween is something we want to develop step by step into an increasingly impressive attraction. Our volunteers devote countless hours of their free time to planning, set construction, decoration, technical installations, costumes and, of course, running the event itself. We want to continue improving our attraction, creating new themed areas, building more elaborate sets and making greater use of professional lighting, sound, projection and special effects. In this way, we can create an extraordinary Halloween experience driven by a great deal of passion, creativity and voluntary commitment.” ■