End of year update on plans for next year.

2008 will see an expansion of 2007's events, the tour of Bedford School of witchcraft and wizardry will be different. It is our intention to add and mix it up so it will be very different from last year but just as charming. We are looking at two entrances to the school next year.
1) General entrance: where kids of all ages can walk through the school in a not to scary interactions.
2) Scary entrance: where you will come face to face with dark forces that wish to topple the Bedford school and enslave those that oppose he who can not be named.

We are expanding upstairs with more interactive rooms and a few more animatric creatures as you walk the mystical Streets of Job Lane. On the first floor we will be adding more games and a larger snack area. The entrance to the Deadford Dogeon of Doom will be moved to the back of First Parish allowing for better flow for all the guests.
We hope to expand the Consert of the Great-fully dead and have even more spectral visitors during the event.

Look for our video and display at the First Parish Plant fair in the spring.
Have a wonderful winter.
Regards
Karl

A few pictures from 2007

More photo's coming soon.

Wow! I mean WOW!!!

Well its been just over a week and I am just now recovering. The 2007 First Parish Haunted House was a huge success we lost count at one point at the number of attendees. I wish to applogise to all of you who had to wait in the long lines at the front door and at the entrance to the Deadford Dongeon on Doom. I hope the wait was worth it. I will be posting pictures shortly and should have a few videos on youtube in the coming weeks.Please note we are planning to do this again next year... So look for our first update on 2008 First Parish Haunt House before Christmas.

Its crunch time in Deadford 2007 First Parish HH

Well the Boston globe screwed up and posted our event for Thursday! (Dough!)






No - the haunted house is Saturday the 27th!!!!


Well not much we can do about it now. I hope not too many folks show up Thursday, if you did I am very sorry. We have asked the Globe to at least change it on their web site.

OK now onto the update. Here are two of the rooms fully set for the haunted house. The potions room has really come out well. please click the picture to see it full size.


There is a slightly spooky feel to the Spectral lounge. not too much but it has a feel for the Adventurers Club in Disney and that's not a bad thing. We set these room up for a photographer from the Minuteman newspaper. Look for an article about our little haunt in Thursdays edition.

One of our mad scientists has made an amazing animatronic sorting hat that is going to amaze the kids. I have not pictures of that yet. We want to keep it as a surprise. I can't want to see folks reactions to it.

First Parish Haunted House 3 Floors of Fun

Click the image to see all that is happening at First Parish
Areas marked in Red are for older kids. The only other area that might be scary is the Hedge Maze on the second floor.
The entrance to the Deadford Dungeon of Doom is through the Deadford Cemetery around the back of the Church and through the side entrance.
You can go through the Deadford Cemetery and not go into the Dungeon if you like to see the haunted grave yard.
The main Entrance to the Haunted house is through the Front of the Church on the common side.

NEW Animatronic Completed just in Time

This is Norman and he will be singing Grim Grinning Ghosts near the Hedge Maze on the second floor be certain to check him out. This prop is built from a singing christmas tree not only does his eyes open and his mouth open and close his head also rocks side to side as he sings.

This years we have three floors of fun waiting for you.

Lower Level:
Deadford Dungeon of Doom: Scary Walk through. Warning! Not for the younger crowd! This is a Scary dark walk through and is presented by First Parish's Junior and Senior Youth Groups and is not to be missed.


First floor:
Spiders Den: This is a great Kids area has lots of activities, Games, like Owl ring toss, Pumpkin stack and Golden Snitch Bowling will entertain kids of all ages. The spiders den will also have a Crafts area where kids can choose from a number of projects. (Kids must be accompanied by an adult at all times.)

The Cracked Cauldron:
Relax and set a Spell at the Bedford Schools Of Witchcraft and Wizardry's Very own Cracked Cauldron Menu Offering refreshments for sale. Menu:

Popcorn................................$1.00
Water....................................$1.00
Assorted Soda......................$1.00
Assorted Candy...................$1.00

Polly Page's Jellybeans.......$2.00
Assorted baked good .........$TBD

Concert of the Great-full Dead, Bedford's School of Wizards and Witchcraft Ghostly Choir. During this short concert you will be entertained by ghostly apparition's visiting from our famous sister institution Hogwarts in England.

Second Floor:

Relax in the Spectral Lounge
You enter the party by first passing through the Spectral lounge. Interact with the humorous talking crystal ball. He can see your future and it’s not so scary…

Meet the Sorting Hat
Next you are whisked into the Evaluation Chamber where you will be sorted into one of the four houses of the Bedford School of Wizards and Witchcraft.




Potion Masters Chambers
Following your sorting you will take a crash course in magic as you walk through the Potions Room. Try your hand and feel if you can tell the difference between the Eye of Newt from the lips of a dragon.



Can you find a way out?
Then lastly on this floor you will have the opportunity to pass into the party through the Hedge Maze. Can you find the secret chamber that overlooks the Spiders Den?

We have added another feature to the Bedford School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will have the opportunity to visit Minerva's Magical Music Machine Lab. In this labratory of the school you will have a chance to try your hand at a Therimin.

Relax and set a Spell at the Bedford
Schools Of Witchcraft and Wizardry's
Very own Cracked Cauldron

Menu
Popcorn................................$1.00
Water....................................$1.00
Apple Cider..........................$1.00
Keurig Coffee ......................$1.00
Assorted Candy...................$1.00

A Brief History of the Bedford School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Bedford School, founded in 1730 by four professors from Hogwarts, is one of eight established in the new Colonies during the “great expansion” of the original eight American schools (1690 to 1771). Bedford and Salem are the only two that survived the American Revolution.

During this period, the polarization of sides devastated the school. Not only did they lose the support of Hogwarts during this Muggel war, but The Ministry of Magic recommended the closure of all the expansion schools in the American Colonies. Under this order all Headmasters returned to England but instead of closing, both Bedford and Salem chose to stay open. The wounds of the Revolution ran deep and not until the war of 1812, where both schools worked with the Ministry of Magic to topple the plans of a rogue wizard, did the two schools reunite with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Through the past two centuries, Bedford has been a counterpoint to the more traditional ways of its sister School in Salem or its founders school Hogwarts. The Bedford School has always been a place of progressive ideas and actions that have centered around the individuals’ needs to make a difference and to strive to be more. These ideas have caused tension between Bedford and its sister schools not to mention The Ministry of Magic. This tension exploded in February of 1978 when the Ministry intended to stop a rally of Muggle rights supporters by causing a massive blizzard. The protesters moved the rally to February 4th, the day before the posted date of the protest and its impending blizzard. The rest is history.

Though the scars of war have fallen far behind and the progressive stance of the school irritates those that wish to travel a more settled path, a friendly rivalry has grown between Salem, Hogwarts and Bedford. This rivalry will culminate in 2009 when The Bedford School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will host the 483rd World Wizards Championship.

For more information contact the Ministry of Magic - Halls of History, Lower Level Catacombs B1331-West.

What did we do before Ebay?

Here are a few robes I got cheap on ebay. They are Headmaster Robes for the Evaluation Chamber. Each House is represented by the different colored robe. I am still amazed how easy it is to find things like this on ebay. Speaking of the Evaluation Chamber I got a note that the animatronic hat is underway I hope to have a few photos in the coming weeks. That's it for this weeks update.
Regards
Karl

What the heck is that?

Ok, so I collected all this junk from my garage I was trying to make something that would fit in the Potions room. You ask what is it? Well to tell you the truth I haven't a clue other then to say that any good potions master or Alchemist wouldn't be without one. So lets call it a Celestial illuminar. That sounds good to me. It looks very cool when lit not bad for a brass port hole some Christmas decorations, old tin cupcake pans and some lamp parts.

An extra bonus I got my junk drawer cleaned out in the garage.

Singing Statue

Here is a new project I am currently working on for the front lobby and ticket area of the Haunted House. This is Mort, he will be singing "Grim Grinning Ghosts". Mort like the other animatronics seen around our haunt is constructed based off a singing Christmas tree. These are original creations made by member of First Parish. Zoltan is the only exception to this coming from the far east.
I will post more of Mort as he is completed. I hope you can make it to our Haunted House on the Bedford Common. I will be posting directions in the coming weeks.
Regards
Karl

This is Ulric our local ghost host. If you wait and listen closely he will tell you about all the different events happening thought out first parish during the haunted house. Ulric is one of many of the animatronics you will cross in the course of your visit to the First Parish Haunted house.

Outline of some of the events in the works for this years haunt

Greetings here is another update for our haunted house.
This outline is very rough but will give you an idea of what to expect this year from our haunt.
Lower Level:
Deadford Dungeon of Doom: Scary Walk through.

First floor:
Spiders Den:
This is a great Kids area has lots of activities, Games, like Owl toss, Pumpkin stack and ring toss will entertain kids of all ages. The spiders den will also have a Crafts area where kids can choose from a number of projects. (Kids must be accompanied by an adult at all times.)





The Cracked Cauldron:
Offering refreshments for purchase.
Menu:

Coming soon

Concert of the Great-full Dead, Bedford's School of Wizards and Witchcraft Ghostly Choir. During the Short concert you will be entertained by ghostly apparition's visiting from our sister school in England.





Second Floor:
You enter the party by first passing through Zoltan’s the Great, fortuneteller lounge. Interact with the humorous talking crystal ball. He can see your future and it’s not so scary…

Next you are whisked into the evaluation chamber where you will be sorted into one of the four houses of the Bedford School of Wizards and Witchcraft.

Following your sorting you will take a crash course in magic as you walk through the Potions Room.

Then lastly on this floor you will have the opportunity to pass into the party through the Hedge Maze. Can you find the secret chamber that overlooks the Spiders Den?

First Parish of Bedford Ma Official Blog

Greetings this is the first entry for the upcoming First Parish of Bedford Ma Haunted house.
In the coming weeks we will be posting updates on what to expect this year from our Haunted event. I will say we have soemthing for all ages. Scary and not to Scary to down right humorous.
We hope you can make it.