Hi Night of Mystery, Thank you for creating such fun and easy to implement murdery mystery parties! In February 2023, my husband and I hosted Murder at the Deadwood Saloon, our biggest murder mystery party yet, with 20 invited guests. We couldn’t resist expanding the guest list to include more friends from the neighborhood. We even had a party crasher who, determined not to miss out, showed up in costume and created her own character!
Our past Night of Mystery parties were such a huge hit that they’ve become the must-attend event each year.
We printed the invitations on parchment paper and hand-delivered them to our guests, decked out in jeans, cowboy hats, and boots. We absolutely love a good themed party and the tips provided in the Deadwood Saloon hosting guide gave us a lot of creative ideas to transform our basement into a 1800s saloon. On the front door we hung a “Deadwood Saloon” sign. Using the ideas from the “Deadwood Extras” we created the old wooden sign to tell people where to go. At the bottom of the basement stairs we hung “Rope your Horses Here” and the tournament sign printed on parchment paper. I cut out and painted cardboard to look like cactuses and wagon wheels. We turned the basement bathroom into the outhouse and added a saloon door to the basement that each guest had to walk through to enter the main space of the saloon.
To transform the main area of our basement into an 1800s saloon we lined every wall with wood grain plastic tablecloths. I replaced the artwork on the walls with prints of buffalo, horses, wagons and cowboys. I printed more of the “Extras” and hung them around the room. I used real pictures of two characters dressed in their costumes for the Wanted Posters printed on parchment paper. Card tables draped in red tablecloths, bandana-print napkins, and flickering LED candles set the perfect scene, along with a must-have poker table. We lined the bar with various whiskeys and bourbons. To top it all off, we played “saloon” music from YouTube Music. (Yes, there are playlists and even a dedicated station!)
The character outfit suggestions were spot on and our guests took it to the next level. As each guest arrived we were blown away by their creativity in their costumes. From fake mustaches, leather chaps, to their firing cap guns it was amazing! We had everyone wear character name tags so that it was easier to find the people you needed to discuss your objectives with. Everyone brought a heavy appetizer and their favorite libation to drink. We provided a signature drink. We passed out fake money to add another level of competition A lot of the new guests had never been to a murder mystery party before but they easily got into character and followed their party objectives.
After the investigation and solution was read, our guests voted for “Best of” awards. We gave out awards for Best Female Actor, Best Male Actor, Super Sleuth (who solved the murder) and Best Blackmailer (most fake money). As an added bonus, everyone went home with a party favor to remember the evening which were cowboy boot shaped shot glasses. Our friends were amazed by the attention to detail we put into the party and enjoyed every second of the mystery. Now, they’re eager to see which murder mystery theme we’ll choose for the next one!
Party of the Month October 2024
Each month we highlight one of our customers who has posted on our blog and award them a FREE party! To get your $5 coupon AND be entered in the Party Of the Month contest for a chance to win a FREE party, please email your pictures and party description to: nompartyofthemonth@gmail.com
