How To Haunted Swamp
Host an unforgettable Halloween event in a swimming pool
By Bronson Williams
I know what you’re thinking. “Haunted swamp is not a verb. That is an improper sentence!” I agree. It is an improper sentence—until you host a haunted swamp. That is when you realize it is very much an action. Like any special event, it takes much planning, coordination, and initial and ongoing costs, but it is also a wonderful, creative way to offer a fun experience to a community. The haunted swamp was something I first saw as a young lifeguard. The aquatic managers took all the lane lines out of the competition pool, strung up black trash bags across the entire pool, slid in some canoes, brought out several fun carnival-style games, turned on the spooky music, and turned off the overhead lights. I had no clue what was happening, but I knew it would be a blast (and it was). Over the years, our haunted swamp at Georgetown-Scott County Parks and Recreation in Georgetown, Ky., has grown and changed to better suit the community, but it never lost the sense of fun and creative spirit that come with Halloween. Here are some tips on how to build and grow a haunted swamp.
Photo: Georgetown—Scott County Parks and Recreation
Planning
To host a fun swamp, use a large commercial pool, at the smallest, a 25-yard-long, six-lane competition/lap pool. Know the number of canoes that can safely fit in the pool. Consider your target audience. Are you planning on making the event scary for an older audience or fun and spooky for families and younger children? Do you have in-ground flag poles, or will you need portable stanchions instead? Is there a party store nearby that rents out carnival-style games? Plan how many games will be used, how many and the types of prizes that will be needed, and how many workers and volunteers will be needed to lead the games. You will definitely need lifeguards to ensure pool safety and to respond to emergencies. The lifeguards can also be canoe paddlers, carnival barkers, and ghouls. If you do not have enough staff members for these positions, consider contacting staff from other sub-departments in the organization or non-profit groups that require members to volunteer regularly. Another fantastic addition to this unique program is the different types of ghouls that can be used—scuba divers! Contact several local scuba-diving groups to see if they are available to swim around as swamp monsters. Scuba divers are always looking to add to their dive time. Consider the depth of the pool. If it is no deeper than five feet, go with snorkelers and above-ground ghouls stationed around the swamp. If the pool is as deep as 12 feet, scuba divers will love to swim around and scare boaters.
Photo: Scuba Adventures of the Bluegrass
Plan far enough ahead to contact potential sponsors before you start advertising. Sponsors tend to have several balls in the air, so be sure to contact them about six months ahead of time. Inform the coaches or board presidents of swim and dive teams. You don’t want bewildered coaches and swimmers showing up for practice in the middle of the event. Be aware of other events that are happening in the community during the swamp that can take customers away. Friday evenings that do not coincide with a home high school football game provide the best results. Aim for mid-October when people have Halloween in mind, but may not necessarily have special plans. Advertise that the pool will be closed for regular swim during the event. Also, post this information around the facility and online.
Ask the sponsors to donate items such as canoes, games, prizes and candy, or volunteers and, in return, their names will be featured in advertisements. Consult your marketing manager (if you have one) for information about sponsorship packages.
Supplies
First and foremost, you will need a swamp. We used parachute cord to withstand the weight of dozens of wet trash bags and the force of a canoe full of people who might get hung up on a trash bag. The bags are light-weight and cost-effective. If one gets torn, it can be replaced. The parachute cord is an investment, but it will hold up for several years. Those groups that cannot afford the high-dollar ropes can find affordable options at a home-improvement store or supermarket. Measure the length of rope needed. Our haunted swamp was designed as a box with an X inside and one line down the middle. Once we selected the rope to hold the trash bags, we used black duct tape to attach several, black, 30-gallon trash bags to the rope. Cut the trash bag so it lays flat in a large rectangle, and then tape it on the rope along the short end so the long side hangs down. When the pool is closed to the public, test the lines to ensure they are the proper length from corner to corner, and the bags are barely in the water. Use carabiners to connect the rope to the flag pole. Label each length of swamp line to determine where it goes easily.
Photo: Georgetown—Scott County Parks and Recreation
Order plenty of decorations for the pool area and the swamp itself. A dollar store is a great place for cost-effective Halloween decorations. Spider webs, large spiders, thin black cloth, and large stick-on eyes are great additions to a swamp. A fun, special decoration is the floating coffin. Build an old-fashioned wooden coffin with six sides and paint it black. Once the paint has dried, use duct tape to attach a buoyant material (we used old lifeguard tubes) to the bottom of the coffin. Then, cover up the floatation devices with black trash bags and black tape. Put a skeleton in the coffin so scuba divers can move it around and bump it into boats like it has a mind of its own! If it is safe enough, put a person in the coffin to jump out as attendees float near the boat.
Now that you have a spooky maze, you will need canoes to paddle customers around. Contact a local canoe/kayaking company and ask if it will rent out or loan some canoes. Spare canoe/kayak organization volunteers are great for teaching customers how to properly put on life vests, enter and exit the boats safely, and paddle the canoes.
Games are a fun addition for a family-oriented event. If you cannot rent games, consider building your own. Search online for cost-effective games, like making a hockey goal for “Haunted Hockey” or making a bean-bag tic-tac-toe board for “tic-tac-boo.” Look for clip art or images to cut out, laminate, and stick on games.
Putting It Together
Close the pool to the public and remove all lane lines. Remove swamp lines from storage and lay them out side-by-side. If the swamp is to be set up like ours, hang the long lines in an X shape from corner to corner. Next, line up the center line underneath the two X lines to pull some slack out of the lines. Then, frame the X with the remaining lines. Once the lines are hoisted high enough, slide in some canoes and fix any twisted or hung bags. Next, decorate the swamp. Toss in some floating bones and skeletons, drape some black cloth and webs across the lines, and slide in a floating coffin or two. Remove mobile bleachers, if applicable, to make space for games. Decorate game areas with fun murals and ghosts or lights to make a haunted carnival theme. Set up the games so each game has a unique prize or options. Hook up some fun music. Turn off the overhead lights while leaving the pool lights on and the swamp will glow eerily. Have scuba divers and canoe paddlers hop in the pool early, if possible, to get all their gear ready and allot for some practice time. Feel free to invest in some fog machines for more effect. Consider visibility for lifeguards. If a lifeguard cannot see through the fog, customers may be in an unsafe situation. Remember to have someone maintain a line of customers to fit boaters for properly sized lifejackets. Also, staff members should be ready to steady boats as people file in and out. Be sure to have enough staff members who can float from station to station to resolve any concerns. Communicate with staff members thoroughly and regularly so the event runs smoothly.
As the party ends, staff members will take down the swamp lines to hang up somewhere to dry. While the lines are out of the way, start sliding the lane lines back in the pool. Organize materials in corresponding folders so they’re available for next year.
Remember to enjoy yourself. This event has a lot of moving parts, but planned well, it will be a lot of fun for customers, staff members, and even you. Enjoy!
Bronson Williams, AFO, LGIT, is the Aquatic Recreation Manager for the Georgetown-Scott County Parks and Recreation Department in Georgetown, Ky. Reach him at bwilliams@gscparks.com.