Here at Thrillvania we’re ecstatic over the news that American Horror Story Season 4 will revolve around a carnival freak show. A haunted house? An asylum with an evil Nazi doctor? A coven of witches with super powers? They’ve all been done before. But, what could be more deliciously terrifying than a Halloween party filled with sideshow freaks and not-so-human monstrosities?
The best, scariest Halloween party and costume ideas are those which are rooted in reality and even though we’re pretty sure AHS will stretch credulity to the snapping point, carnival freaks were real and they were big attractions in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While none were particularly scary and all were to be admired for their courage and tenacity, these early circus sideshow freaks can be a good starting-point for putting together a truly gruesome Halloween costume.
For example, consider Myrtle Corbin, a successful sideshow performer who had 4 legs. Weng, the Human Unicorn, had a 14-inch horn-like spire growing from the back of his head. Perhaps the most famous of all, Joseph Merrick, so horribly deformed he was nicknamed “The Elephant Man.” And the contemporary sideshow performers, The Spider Sisters, conjoined twins who share four arms and three legs.
On your invitations this year, tell your guests they need to “Go big, or go home!” It’s safe to assume that series creator Ryan Murphy will be unleashing unimaginable human atrocities that will make even the most terrifying chainsaw-wielding clown look like a 4-year-old in a cuddly bunny costume and your Halloween Freak Show party should be equally as terrifying.
A good Halloween party only starts with the costumes. Let’s not forget the endless possibilities for your carnival freak show decor. Put up a dingy, dimly lit circus tent in your backyard. And right down the center aisle be sure to set up a shelf full of traditional, old-time circus oddities – jars filled with eyeballs, brains, and other assorted organs and body parts, all soaking in formaldehyde. Turn on the creepy calliope music and let the party begin!