Please note: this review is for the 2013 season rather than the current season.

Abandoned Haunted House Complex

by dubstyle_2k (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at about 5:30 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

And the winner is...  Abandoned Haunted House Complex!  Yeah, that's right, who's got the best haunt in southeastern Wisconsin? They do!  When asked about Abandoned last year, I always said that it was cool, and had potential.  I knew this year would be special for them, but I didn't know how special!  I don't know if words will do it justice, Abandoned nailed it.  No sophomore jinx here, just pure awesomeness!  We arrived at Abandoned and were told the wait was almost two and a half hours!  Needless to say, we went with fast passes!  After a short wait, less than fifteen minutes, we were ushered into the haunt.


Abandoned Hits you hard from the very start with its first attraction, Ambush.  If you have been to their sister haunt Burial Chamber, you already know that Abandoned relies heavily on disorientation.  Darkness is key here, and they use it so well.  But it's not just darkness; a new fad in haunts is the blinding LED's and smoke.  Ambush is a theme heavy haunt, with a fantastic mixture of live actors and gruesome scenes that rival the very best in haunted houses.  Ambush is a nonstop barrage of startling effects and scares.  The actors here are some of the best you could hope for.  Every last actor in there is most definitely a fan of haunts and horror, if they weren't, this haunt wouldn't be the amazing attraction it is.  Ambush is about fifteen minutes of awesome, covered with awesome sauce, sprinkled with shredded awesome, and topped with a heaping helping of awesome.  To some it up, I think Ambush is a great haunt, could you tell‽


The next section was Hysteria.  On it's own Hysteria is worth the price of admission, and is a fantastic haunt, but when coupled with Ambush, Hysteria is just the icing on an already perfect cake.  Hysteria is slightly shorter than Ambush, but what it lacks in length, it makes up in, well, hysteria!  The haunt focuses less on themes, and more on pure fright.  Lights out, loud noises, which way is up, bright light, thick smoke, tight spaces, pure insanity! 


When I heard rumors that the people who ran Burial Chamber were opening up a haunt in southeastern Wisconsin, I was psyched.  Burial Chamber was always one of my favorites, and I couldn't wait to see if they could make it work down here.  Well, in my opinion, they made it work, and in just their second year, the Abandoned Haunted House Complex is the best haunt in southeastern Wisconsin.  I'll go ahead and say it, they are probably the best haunt in the entire state, at least of the haunts I have been too.  Do yourself a favor, get to Racine, get to the Abandoned Haunted House Complex, buy a ticket, preferably a fast pass, and experience what this reviewer is all fired up about.  You will not be disappointed!

Signage / Visibility / Location


You won't miss it!  It's on the interstate,  there are spotlights, it's unmistakable! 

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


The waiting area is huge, with lines that stretched as far as the eyes can see.  It was a sea of people waiting, that's why we fast passed it!  There were ghosts and ghouls roaming around keeping everyone entertained, as well as a GIANT screen with horror movie trailers, funny youtube clips, and music videos to occupy your time.  You'll need all that if you plan on waiting the two plus hours in line!

Actors' Performance


The best!  Like I mentioned above, these actors are amazing at what they do, and they take pride in their job.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Again, The best in the business!  I live in the area, so I have driven past Abandoned quite often all year.  That place seemed like it was getting worked on from the beginning of November, all the way until opening night. 

Length


Minus the wait in line, we were in the haunt for a good 25 minutes. 

Crowd Control


There are plenty of staff and security roaming the grounds, making sure everything was safe and under control.

Most Memorable Moment


My new favorite moment in any haunt this year was the declining platform with inflatable walls.  Does that not make sense to you?  You'll just have to go to Abandoned and see it for yourself.  It felt like a claustrophobic decent into the unknown.  It may very well have been just a throw away for them, but it was something I've never seen, and I suggest they keep it for next year!

Summary

What else can I say about the Abandoned Haunted House Complex?  twenty plus years of enjoying haunts, and this one is the very best I've been too.  I review haunted houses, that's my thing.  I love Halloween, and love haunts.  To amuse me this much, and get me this jacked up means Abandoned is something special.  I would recommend this haunt to anyone who is looking to have the time of their lives!  Great job staff at Abandoned, you've renewed my love for haunts!

View all Abandoned Haunted House Complex reviews

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April 28th, 2024 3:45 p.m. CDT 24.07