Welcome to the official website of The 2025 Home Haunters Awards Show

2024 Award Show

Congratulations to the 2024 Show Winners

Click on the winner links below to see their submission video.

What is a home haunter?

The Hauntionary defines a home haunter as one who designs and builds a haunted display or attraction out of their own home, whether it be for a party or open multiple days or only on Halloween.  This can be as simple as display with props both built and/or purchased to complete the look all the way up to full set up where guests walk through complete with scares.  There is a lot of  blood, sweat and tears that go into designing a home haunt leading up to Halloween.  Sometimes its a year long labor of love for just a few days of enjoyment and entertainment. The Home Haunter Awards Show wants to recognize and award the creativity, passion and hard work of home haunters from all over. Awards will be presented in 7 different categories: Best Motorized Prop, Best Pneumatic Prop, Best Static Prop, Best Walk through, Best Display, Best Overall, Best Hauntcycled. Descriptions of each category is below.

The entries are judged by admins of the Halloween Yard Haunts and Props Facebook group based on your decor, props, setup, music and anything else your creative mind can come up with.

This contest is open to all Home Haunters from all over!  In order to enter for a chance to win, please click on the link below

Thank you for visiting and good luck to all.

Best Motorized Prop

This category recognizes props brought to life through electric motors and mechanical drive systems. This includes builds utilizing wiper motors, reindeer motors, linear actuators, or other non-pneumatic mechanical means. Entry must be a 100% new creation for the current season. Modified, upgraded, or expanded props from previous years are not eligible.

Best Static Prop

Proof that you don't need motors or air compressors to be terrifying. This category covers all non-moving props, including those enhanced by digital projections. To keep the competition fresh, only completely new props built for this season are eligible. If it sat in your yard last year, it doesn't count—even if you gave it a new paint job!

Best Pneumatic Prop

For high-impact props powered by air cylinders and compressors. Note: Only entirely new creations for the current season will be considered. We do not accept "refurbished" or "evolved" entries from previous years for this category.

Best Walk Through

For the haunts that draw you in and don't let go. This award is for attractions where guests physically walk through the nightmare. From detailed set design to well-timed scares, this category honors the best multi-scene walkthrough experiences.

Best Display

This category celebrates the best display-only attractions. Whether it’s a high-tech yard setup or a terrifying and carefully arranged static scene, the focus is on visual impact and external scares. Note: This is for dedicated displays only; walkthrough scenes need not apply!

Best Modified Store Bought Prop

For the haunters who take "off-the-shelf" props and make them their own. This award honors the best custom modification of a retail animatronic or static prop. Whether you’ve completely overhauled the internal wiring or performed a total cosmetic "re-skin," we are looking for the most impressive transformation from store-bought to one-of-a-kind.

Best Hauntcycled

One person’s trash is a haunter’s treasure! This category is for props built on a budget using items found at thrift stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces. Show us how you transformed everyday junk into a nightmare-worthy masterpiece.

Best Costume

For the haunters who bring characters to life! This category is open to any costume creation, whether it’s a terrifying haunt monster, a party masterpiece, or a high-end build for a convention costume ball. If you wear it, you can enter it.

Best Overall

***NEW FOR 2025***
The Best Overall title is awarded to the single highest-scoring entry across all categories. To ensure a wide range of winners, the entry that takes home Best Overall will be moved out of its specific sub-category. In that event, the second-highest scoring entry in that sub-category will be promoted to the winner of that specific award.

 Submissions are now being accepted until March 20, 2026.

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