Haunted House Design

Haunted House Design Detail

The Haunted House at Alton Towers used a load of architectural features to create the eerie and foreboding atmosphere. This page looks at the finer details used internally and externally to create that Haunted Hammer House of Horror.

Wallpaper Samples

The walls of the Haunted House were covered in many different coverings from wall paper, foam cladding, paint effects, and materials. Below are some of the things used to decor the Haunted House


The Gallery uses a Victorian cream background with red and green flowered paper.	The ceiling of the Gallery is painted light grey with a dark grey overlay, creating a smokey cloud effect.	The main Drawing Room wallpaper is a Victorian anaglypta style with a scumble wash of yellow ocher and light brown to create that aged look.

The second wallpaper in the drawing room is a smaller anaglypta pattern with light pink flowers. This is found on the wall opposite the ride station entrance.	This is a paint effect using scumble glaze, cream and red paint. The cream base is then painted over with a red line and then feathered out to create the marble effect.	The Ride station has a dark red paper with a dark diamond patternation. This is aged again using a scumble wash

The Ride exit uses the same pattened paper but in green	The Dining room has a combination of paint and wallpaper effects. The panels are papered with a red background and black bats.	Close up of Black Bat panels.

Demonic styled stencil effect used within the dining room	Demonic styled stencil effect used with in the dining room	Electric Bills busy wallpaper used at the entrance to the skeleton corridor and the bathroom explosion.
Light Fittings The Haunted House use spots to light the house but there are a lot of dress lighting in the house that sometimes goes unnoticed. Below are the light that add atmosphere to the Haunted House.

Gallery Chandelier Chandelier 1	Gallery Chandelier in mid flicker	Picture lights were used with great effect to illuminate the many portraits in the queueline area. Also the stature light used in Victorian times around staircases in large Victorian homes

Another picture light above one of the portraits.	Drawing Room Chandelier.	Drawing Room Chandelier.

Victorian Style Mantle lamp.	The windows in the drawing room were also used for lighting.	One of the small wall lamps used in the ride station, these lights flicker wildly

One of the small wall lamps used in the ride station, these lights flicker wildly	One of the two large chandeliers used in the ride station entrance.	The second of the chandeliers in the ride station entrance. These like all the others flicker on and off to create that spooky feeling.

One of the four chandeliers in the dining room.	One of the four chandeliers in the dining room.	One of the four chandeliers in the dining room.

One of the four chandeliers in the dining room.	One of the three candelabrum in the dining room	Smaller candleabrum in the dining room these lights playfully move around on the table.

Smaller candleabrum in the dining room these lights playfully move around on the table.	One of the three candelabrum in the dining room	One of the three candelabrum in the dining room

These larger torches are used throughout the ride especially around Trommels tunnel and the Giants lair.	Close up of the detail used on the touches	Torch near Trommels

These skull lights were the only illumination used within the the Skeleton corridor when electric Bill flicked the switch.	Close up of the now missing skull lights	Ride exit chandelier, of which there are two

Chandelier number 2 in the ride exit.	One of the small wall lamps used in the ride station exit these lights flicker wildly	Photograph collection point chandelier.
Decor Other decoration found in and around the Haunted House

Timber carving around the ride entrance	Close up of one of the timber bosses	Carvings are even found around the door frame. Great attention to detail.

Lions head door knocker to the main door of the house.	The house has many different styles of timber paneling mainly constructed out of plywood and aged with paint and varnish. This paneling is from the main entrance hall or gallery.	Wooden spindles are used to create the gallery area. An area that is not accessible to the public or staff apparently the only way up is via ladders.

In the hallway through to the drawing room this fake needle work a combination of material and glue spells out to the rider that they are under surveillance.	Paneling to the drawing room.	Fake book case is used on the far wall behind Emily's Dolls House.

The fire back of the large fire place bare the Alton Family Crest.	Large Velvet green curtains swag the huge Victorian windows that separate the queueline from that of the disabled rider access.	The Bat/Wolf face of the cars that take the rider around this haunted attraction.

Red velvet curtain flank the start of the ride in the ride station.	Smaller wooden panels are used in the ride station.	One of the many styles of stone effect used within the ride.

Black twill material used to black out areas in the house so that light pollution used in the poltergeist room doesn't interfere with other areas of the house.	Detailed mirror frame in the dining room.	Wall effect showing the bare rafter of the dining room wall.

Painted floor in a spirally type pattern.	Large red velvet curtain hang at each side of the huge mirrored walls in the dining room.	A long view of the dining room.

Skull edifice above the fake door way of the dining room.	The stone arch way of the swinging column effect	This is a plastic /foam effect pained to look like stone.

The Haunted House used a lot of paint effects through out the ride to create the feeling of large walls and secret passageways. Illuminous paint works well with in this effect.	Foam walls again made to look like stone note the different styles of stone work used through out the ride.	Foam effect arch way just before Trommels tunnel

Im not sure if this section of the wall above the ride actually moved forward to look like the wall was collapsing in on the rider.	The opening of Trommels tunnel is made up of fiberglass foam plastic wire and plywood. This image was taken after it's change over to Duel. Notice the LEDs	When the ride was the Haunted House the tunnel made good use of Black lighting. The tunnel lit up well and gave the rider a true feeling of unease.

The blocks were attached to the revolving cylinder of the tunnel and painted with UV paint. This tunnel has sensors attached to it to prevent the tunnel spinning if anything is dropped into it.	More stone work looking back through the tunnel.	Further ployfoam block work in the giants lair

The giants window. Originally this had no glass in it so that the giants face could be seen.	Giants window. Notice a paint effect window next to the polyfoam window frame.	Plywood was also painted in the hall of spiders to give the effect of tunnels stretching off into the distance. Unfortunately the new strobe effect lighting in this area spoil the black light effect originally used.

Another paint effect in the skeleton corridor this hallway seems to go on and on. This effect is still there but a high backed chair has been put in front of it.	Possible a relation of Electric Bills. Paint effect in skeleton corridor.	Paneling used in the skeleton corridor.

Rafters and broken plaster effect this makes the skeleton corridor feel run down and gives the rider the feeling that they are back in the house, after being in the basement area of the haunted house.	The paneling in areas of the corridor are painted black. This paneling is where you would have found skeleton Bomb and is now the home of the female Vampire/zombie.	Painted plywood again is used to create the archway into the Ghoulish Garden

Different polyfoam blockwork was used in this section of the cloisters.	Close of the arched cloisters	The wall behind is made to look like stone.

This is boards painted to look like stone and is behind the monk.	A scene very rarely seen. This is the stonework and windows of the haunted house as you enter under here into the ghoulish garden.	A large window above the entrance to the ghoulish garden

Below the window is the archway that the cars go through into the ghoulish garden	Opposite the monk, the statue of Death awaits. The garden is made of polyfoam and fiberglass with wire and wood.	Polyfoam stonework behind the undertaker.

One of two polyfoam gargoyles near the undertaker.	Skull archway through into what was once the rockface garden.	More stone work effect used in these outbuildings. These windows sometimes flicker.

More stone work effect used in these outbuildings. These windows sometimes flicker.	Another set of gothic arched windows in the ghoulish garden.	Block work used in the ghoulish garden

Block work used in the ghoulish garden	The polyfoam gargoyle was the home of the houses pet dragon. Long since removed.	Wooden paneling to ride exit

This is not just a spire but also acts as a light during late night openings	A brick built tower, part of the queue area in the cemetery.	Cement render painted to look like stone work on the large tower. To the right of the entrance. Note the spooky gothic tower window.