The Cleveland Haunt Club is a year-round organization for Northeast Ohio Halloween enthusiasts, horror professionals and home decorators. It reports nearly 34,000 Facebook followers. Founder and president Jeff Hartz said he modeled the group after Detroit's Motor City Haunt Club. Meetings are held about monthly across the region and often include talks or demonstrations by authors, set builders and haunted house operators. Outings have included a trip to the Mansfield Reformatory.
The club's annual Haunted Garage Sale has changed locations three times and features close to 150 professional Halloween vendors. Around 15,000 people attended this year's sale at the Ross Expo Center in Lorain. The organization raises money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through Skeletons for St. Jude; in 2024 it was the country's largest fundraising group for that effort. Membership costs $20 per year, and Hartz said paid membership is not required for meetings.
Vice president and co-founder Christine Kiessling said the group's main benefit is bringing people together. She described a membership that includes a bank teller, teachers, actors and makeup artists.
Two home displays show the club's reach. Paul Tylicki, a member since 2017, creates the Royal Scare in North Royalton. After stepping back in 2020, he resumed in 2024; this year's 1800s-themed display includes historical and literary figures such as Edgar Allen Poe and Jack the Ripper. Alan Perkins' Olmsted Falls display features a 13-foot Lego skeleton, and he has presented at club meetings on building large-scale displays.
Frightmaps.com is a free app that maps Halloween displays and haunted attractions, and the Cleveland Haunt Guide lists area homes.