Something surprisingly sinister slumbers right here in The Show-Me State. Based in Potosi, Missouri, Graveyard Ghoul Productions creates custom high-quality props and animatronics for the haunt industry, serving clients across the United States and abroad. These life-long lovers of horror also create nightmares closer to home during their annual Hell Harvest Haunted House.

With Halloween fast approaching, we were dying (pun intended) to find out what it’s like to work in the haunted attractions industry, so we asked Jeff Sengheiser, owner of Graveyard Ghoul Productions/Hell Harvest Haunted House, for all the devilish details.

How did you get into the business of designing elements for haunted attractions?
I have always loved Halloween and everything haunted house-related. We used to throw an elaborate Halloween party every year, and I made at least one animated prop every year. This was the ’90s and the information wasn’t as easily accessible as it is now.  There were a few sites on the internet with tutorials, but nothing like today. In 2004 I stumbled across an ad for the inaugural Midwest Haunters Convention, then held in Columbus, Ohio. We went and saw there was an entire industry dedicated to haunted houses and Halloween and everything took off professionally from that experience. 

What type of training or background do you bring to your work?
I have always enjoyed creating things with my hands. I have learned so many new skills to advance the company and our props. I’ve taken courses from the Stan Winston School of Character Arts to advance my monster-making skills and ultimately our product line. We do everything from sculpting, molding, casting, and painting the props, the welding and fabrication of the mechanisms, and the wiring, costuming and distressing of the props in-house. Our props start from raw materials and end with the finished product you see. 

Who is on your team?
Our team mainly consists of myself, my wife Jeannie, and my adult children. We expand the team around trade show time, and have several others help with setup and working the floor. 

What kind of clients do you serve?
We mainly cater to the haunted house and themed attraction industry. Our props are made for professional settings, but we don’t discriminate. If you have a home haunt and want to use our props in your display, we will treat you the same as we do our larger clients. 

What makes your work fulfilling?
This work is challenging. To go from an idea or concept and figure out how to bring it to life in the real world is incredibly satisfying. It’s also very frustrating at times. (Laughs) There is no blueprint for something created in your head. You just have to figure it out. 

What is scary? Are there things that we universally fear?
I think what is scary is different for everyone. I don’t personally find clowns scary, but I’ve had people refuse to enter our haunted house when they find out it has some clowns. I don’t know if there is necessarily a universal fear as far as haunted houses are concerned. I think it varies, and I just try my best to hit all the triggers in some way. 

Do those things change over time?
I do think that fears change over time. Haunted attractions have a much more desensitized audience today than say 30 years ago. The haunt industry also goes through cycles and trends. Some things never change though. (Laughs) As much hate as chainsaws get in the industry, they still work really well as a scare most of the time.

How have haunted houses and haunted attractions evolved over the years?
The entertainment and production value of everything has grown immensely with all the new technology. Someone banging on black walls in a maze is not enough these days. 

When you’re designing an element, an animatronic or an effect, how do you know if it’s scary enough?
I use a lot of things people are already afraid of in our designs. We came out with an Ouija board on a table that moves on its own. I found out that even in the haunt community people are afraid of them. I had people at the trade show that would not even come near it. I try to hit as many fears and phobias as I can with our products. 

Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration comes from all over. I’m sure it’s no surprise I love horror movies so some ideas come from things I’ve seen. My wife and the rest of our team also contribute ideas. We make what we’d like to see and what we think is cool. While this isn’t always the best business plan, it gives me a great deal of satisfaction. We don’t make any holiday props, for instance, even though Christmas haunts are getting more prevalent all the time. My heart just isn’t in it even though the money probably is. I feel very fortunate to be able to make cool things and do what I love.

Why do we love haunted houses so much?
I think people love haunted houses because it’s a fun Halloween activity and tradition. People like the release and the feeling of being scared when there is not a real life-and-death threat. It’s also fun to see your friends and family get scared and be entertained. 

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen a guest do in your haunted attraction?
I have seen people wet themselves. I’ve seen people poop themselves. I had someone pass out in line from the anticipation. We’ve also found items like shoes and clothing inside the haunt that no one came back to claim. I can only assume it was a long walk to their car with one shoe. 

Any tips for someone who’s trying to muster the courage to visit a haunted attraction? Ways to keep our cool if we’re trying to impress our friends, our date, or maybe even our kids?
For anyone trying to muster the courage to go to a haunt I would say just do it. It’s all for fun. No one is really going to harm you and you’ll be proud of yourself for getting through it. I’m happy to walk through our haunt (Hell Harvest) with anyone too scared to enter. We are also doing a “chicken night” this year where you can walk through with no actors to see the scenic detail, lighting, and props without our monsters terrorizing you. 

What scares YOU?
I’ve been to so many different haunts over the years that I don’t feel afraid. I like to admire the detail and the way they put it together. That’s not to say that a jump scare never gets me. Some of them are so unexpected. I would say real life events are much scarier to me, and haunts are a great way to escape the real world for an evening. 

Hell Harvest is located at 19126 MO-8, Potosi, MO. The haunted attraction opens for the 2026 fall season on Sept. 25. “Chicken Night” will be offered Oct. 11.

Looking for more haunted attractions in Missouri? Check out our picks.

EDITOR’S NOTE: All photos courtesy Graveyard Ghoul Productions/Hell Harvest.

Kathryn Deters McDonald is a Missouri native, writer, author and lover of all things spooky, ooky and eerie. Salem, Shmalem. It’s all right here in The Spook-Me State.