2021 Review Crew

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Terror On The Fox. It also marks my 10th year of writing reviews for Haunted Wisconsin. As things currently stand, this will be my last year as a reviewer for this great resource. So it feels right to do one final review of TOTF. My last review of this haunt, and I’m confident it's my last time attending it.

One thing to note: I originally tried to attend TOTF on Saturday, October 23rd, but the lines were extremely long. Instead I attended during the week and there were no lines at all. Seems like I made the right decision, as I’ve seen many complaints from those that attended on the weekend and were waiting hours in line… even with a fast pass. When I attended I was told that the same amount of actors were working during the week as the weekend. If that’s the case, TOTF is extremely understaffed. There was also an escape room on the property, but it was not open. There were numerous times throughout our visit where we were expecting a scare, but nothing happened.

TOTF has been around a long time, but the actual house structure has been around a lot longer. Whomever built it knew what they were doing and designed one hell of a haunted house! I have many fond memories visiting this house as a teenager. Then again as a young adult when it was on the east side of town. I even worked in it once! Through the years it was relocated several times before landing at what I believe to be it’s final resting place: Next to the National Railroad Museum. It’s changed hands numerous times as well, most noticeably owned by the Oneida Casino. Currently it's run by 13th Floor Entertainment Group, which claims to be the world's largest Halloween themed entertainment company. If that’s the case, then you would assume the bar is set extremely high for a quality haunted attraction.

My last review of TOTF was in 2011, but I actually attended it several years ago when they were doing Blackout. That was their highly disappointing lights out event. I did not review that visit, simply because there was nothing to write about. It was packed with (too many) people walking around in the dark, bumping into each other. The biggest strength of TOTF is their eye candy, which you can’t see when stumbling around in darkness. So this year as I attend, the lights are on and I have more to write about.

Your trip starts out with another staple of TOTF; the “Terror Train”. Visitors ride the train to the TOTF grounds, with a few actors on the train to scare you along the way. Taking a train through a wooded area and by a creek at night is something everybody should do at least once in their life. Upgrades to the train through the years have included lights, music and a huge skull with glowing eyes on the front of the train. It’s 100% unique to this haunt, but pretty much the same as it always has been for 25 years. On this visit there was one actor that did a GREAT job! He was making all sorts of crazy noises and did a good job of getting in people’s comfort zone. The other female actor was trying to have conversations with multiple people, but was very hard to hear with her covid mask on.

Once exiting the train there is another line that forms for their cemetery. This looks AMAZING. The church-like building is lit perfectly and it feels like you’re on the set of a big budget horror film. There are a few actors roaming around as you wait in line, but unfortunately hardly any as you walk through the woods itself. There were so many incredible things to look at, but the scares are few and far between. It was disappointing.

After your walk in the woods you find yourself in front of the great house itself. So here I am again, standing in front of this building that has held in millions of screams throughout it’s lifetime. I’ve seen it at least 20 times in my lifetime, but it still holds me in awe. There’s a VIP area off to your left for those that upgraded, but I can’t take my eyes off the house. Another line forms in front of it, which allows you to watch the actors in front of the house while you’re waiting. I guess you could say this is another staple of TOTF: the actors in front of the house putting on a show to lights and music. Since there was barely a line this night, we were ushered into the front door.

I find myself walking incredibly slow, trying to take it all in. That unfortunately allowed for the group behind us to catch up to us. There’s so much to look at, and it’s all lit perfectly. If there was an award for best looking haunt, TOTF would win every year. Each room is PACKED with eye candy. There were a few actors that were able to scare us, but there were also many areas with little to no actors. They use air cannons throughout, which had me jumping each time. In one room a TV distracted me enough to where I didn’t see an actor lunge at me until it was too late. It was effective, and those type of distracted scares could easily be done throughout the haunt to elevate the fear factor.

We walked back to our vehicle feeling let down. I can only imagine if we would have upgraded or waited in line hours to walk out feeling like that. There's so much potential at the TOTF, it's a shame to walk out feeling anything but entertained.

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From beginning to end the actors and staff at The Hill Has Eyes have created not only a top notch haunted attraction--but a full experience for their patrons. This was my second time visiting The Hill Has Eyes, the first being 4 years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised that a lot has changed; the whole venue had a different layout and feel. This haunt is frequently sold out, and is completely outdoors, so be sure to plan ahead. Our group ordered our tickets online the Wednesday before our Saturday visit. Buying your tickets online and in a group has its perks--like $5 off each ticket and group rewards. Purchasing ahead of time also expedited our wait time in line. This haunt from ticket line to exit took about an hour and a half. When you purchase your tickets online, you pick a time slot to arrive between. Again, just plan ahead when planning to visit. With this being an entirely outdoor experience be sure to dress appropriately for the weather and wear appropriate foot wear. The change in elevation and walking paths means you need sturdy boots or shoes to navigate safely.

We bought our tickets for the 8-10pm time slot, which means you can arrive at any time during this period. When you arrive they check your online tickets and you receive a wristband with a letter on it. When you arrive to the large outdoor queue area, the DJ will call your letter and instruct you where to go when it is your time. This event has a very large outdoor queue area full of burn barrels, fire pits, a food truck, adult beverages, and a huge array of live entertainers. The level of fun and fear at this attraction are both very high--we didn't see many teenage-or-under guests, mainly an adult crowd, which we felt was appropriate for this haunt.

The Hill Has Eyes boast four different attractions. I have been to many haunts with a 'main' attraction, and accessory attractions which sometimes suffer in quality. That is not the case for The Hill Has Eyes. From queue line, and through each and every attraction there was a fine attention to detail in acting, props, fx and scenes. There was no lack of live actors either, the waiting area and each and every attraction was filled with live creatures waiting for you, sometimes in the creepiest places.

FAILED ESCAPE

Entering the woods through a seemingly abandoned cabin feels like the beginning of a horror film. Once inside the woods we were stalked by mutant hillbillies. I loved the change of elevation throughout this portion of the haunt. From staircases to bridges, to walking through winding paths in the forest, you never knew what was going to be behind each tree. For me outdoor, wooded haunts always give me the creeps. I absolutely hate (yet love) when a deranged, seemingly possessed creature comes crawling at you down a forest path, and of course we found that here!

HUNGER HOLLOW

The actors in this attraction were wonderful at interacting with guests. I was invited by the bartender to stay behind to be a head on a platter, which entertained our whole group. Look out above and below, as actors in this attraction were adventurous in their scare locations. Much like the first haunt, the elevation changes and outdoor nature of these attractions adds to the fear factor--this isn't a four walls attraction. You never know where the next scare is lurking.

CARNIVORE

Fear of clowns? Be prepared to be scared! This fun attraction started with a decent into a well constructed mineshaft and through a topsy-turvy tunnel. Kudos to the engineer of that tunnel-- it was by far one of my favorite effects in all of the haunts. This whole attraction played on the fear of carnivals, clowns, and a freak-show like feel. We loved the scenes and entertainers throughout this haunt--and we got a bit dizzy heading through one of their effects!

DEAD END

The Hill Has Eyes saved the best for last in my opinion! It takes quite a bit for me to jump and be scared in a haunt, and I will reluctantly admit that they got me--good job! Again, there was no shortage of live creatures throughout this portion. The Viking-like actors stood out to us in this portion, especially the one behind the counter. His low, gravely, demonic voice gave me the chills! Again, those possessed night crawlers come out of no where--so watch out!

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There are many haunted houses that you see and hear about every season. They invest a lot of money in advertising, but do they really live up to the hype? That’s why I personally love finding the smaller, lesser known haunts in the area. They are hungry and have something to prove! The Realm of Darkness, located in Kaukauna, is one of those smaller haunts and has everything a great haunted house should be!

It was a chilly but clear Saturday night, perfect for seeking out those creative fiends that are looking to give us a few good scares. Kaukauna is pretty much right in between Green Bay and Appleton, so it’s a short 15 minute drive from either direction.

This haunt has a perfect mix of dimly lit rooms in addition to pitch black areas that you need to rely on your senses to get though. You start off in an Elevator seemed to have a malfunction. And so begins your descent into the Realm of Darkness! The next room was a surreal room of lasers and fog. It almost looks like we were in a swamp! A few rooms here are more entertaining than scary; like the dentist office or the Christmas themed room. There was a great maze that had us going in circles! The only lighting for the maze was a strobe light that cut in and out. When it was out, you couldn’t see a thing!

We exited the building, thinking we were done, but was another maze with more creatures lurking about! And just so you don’t forget about them after your frightful night, one last surprise waiting for you…

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Terror on Rural Street is back! After a year off in 2020, Terror on Rural Street has returned, and they have a few new tricks up their sleeve! I was so excited to see one of my "staple" haunts return this year, and with having a year off, I was excited to see what has all changed. It seems as though everyone else in the area was excited too--the line for the haunt was one of the longest I have seen for this location. Luckily, the haunt has plenty of parking, and a large, heated indoor waiting area with full concessions, including adult beverages. New this year--there is a decorated outdoor 'courtyard' open for waiting as well. This haunt features many live actors, starting in the waiting line and extending all the way through the haunt. Special shout out to the larger-than-life devil haunting and chasing patrons both in the line and in the waiting areas! This haunt has both regular admission and VIP admission to accelerate your waiting time. We opted for the VIP experience to skip the line and get inside faster! As always, Terror on Rural Street is an affordable haunt at only $15 for regular admission, and all of their proceeds go to the local community.

Terror on Rural street is very well organized from ticket booth to waiting lines. Upon entering the doors you are sorted into groups and have the opportunity to take a group picture, which is then featured on their Facebook page and can be downloaded free of charge. One of the things I was most excited for was to see what changed, and I was let down a bit when I realized a majority of the first half of the house was very familiar from years past. What didn't disappoint was the amount of live actors, the scenes and makeup, and how some of the actors truly got into their role and made the scene and room their own. Look for the incredible special fx makeup and combination of classic scares and modern, life like props. Once we entered what I believe to be the 'second' half of the haunt, we were surprised to see a lot of changes! The second half definitely had a 'theme' going, so all of you with coulrophobia--watch out! The second half had some amazing new scenes, and was definitely more 'fun' then scary. They did a great job of tying in all of your senses--see if you can sniff out what I'm talking about! Overall, we were excited to see Terror on Rural Street with their doors open again, and the teaser of 'new' mixed with the familiarity of old has us on edge to where Terror can go in the future.

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After a horrible and unwanted year off from haunts, I was so excited to head out to Dominion of Terror (DOT) this past Friday! For years now it has been one of my all-time favorite haunts in Wisconsin: it's three stories are chock full of surprises and scares, and I absolutely love the work they do for their community as a non-profit, volunteer-run haunt.

I went Friday at around 8:00 PM with a group of 4 total, and we elected for the speedpasses, which brought us quickly into the interior portion of the line. It was a pretty busy night but we were able to get in in about 30 minutes, which was absolutely fine with us and well worth the additional cost. DOT also has a great waiting area that is both indoors and outdoors, with a concession stand near the tickets and two other little gift areas with fun stuff to buy. They did a good job with their spacing and the majority of the time we didn't encounter any other groups inside the haunt.

DOT is a huge haunt, with three stories full of differently themed rooms and areas, ranging from creepy doctors, rednecks, weird dolls, and so much more. I love the variety in themes as well as room styles - some are mazes or trick areas, others tight corridors, and in general it just keeps you guessing. I experienced several good jump scares and there are lots of spooky sets to look at. All of the actors are super committed as well, although I did think they could benefit from just a few more. Overall, a definite favorite that always brings the fear and of course, the fun.

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This was my first adventure to Spooks on Spurr's Mansion & Forest of Freaks and it is officially one of my favorites! There are many things to love about this attraction, but I will do my best to keep them separate. You will need a GPS to find this one and the closest "big city" is Appleton at about 30 minutes away and Green Bay about 45 minutes. I am so glad I went out on a limb and made the drive to find this hidden gem.

The second you step out of your vehicle (the walkway to the ticket booth has surprises and a short mazes) until you return, it is non-stop entertainment. For just $5, you can come listen to the live bands, enjoy a huge selection of treats (with an on site bar and ATM) and hang out around the HUGE bonfire. As soon as we purchased our tickets, we were given numbers on the back and allowed to enjoy the entertainment until they called our number to enter the Mansion. This was the first time I WANTED to wait because the band and food was excellent! Alas, our number was called quickly and we headed to the Mansion entrance. The setting of the Mansion is in an 1842 old brick farmhouse, which is enough without the props to make your skin crawl! We were paired up with another group and consistently warned that the actors WILL touch you! The house did not disappoint as it incorporated many different phobia's and a lot of jump scares. Expect actors to grab you, floors to move and walls to come in on you. The sets were unique and very well executed with no common theme other then making sure you feel uncomfortable. The house was about 18 minutes in length and had no down time. Plenty of actors fill the rooms and halls and there are even plenty of animatronics strategically placed. You can not miss the giant slide that brings you to the exit and back to the main entertainment area.

Next, we jumped aboard a trailer pulled by a tractor over flame lit bridges to the "Forest of Freaks". The haunted forest has been around longer then the house, so it is natural that it was slightly superior to the house. It is not your typical "trail" through a woods, it has far more props and sets/scenes then any haunted trail I have personally ever been too. There is no down time in the Forest, and the actors can also "touch you" (and they will) throughout. I will not pretend that I wasn't scared, I shrieked a lot throughout the Forest. Crowd control in the forest was excellent and the actors always remained in character. It took us about 15 minutes to make it through to the end. We were so happy to board the tractor back to the main area, so we could catch our breath!

In Summary, I highly recommend this attraction to anyone looking for an evening of haunted fun! Live entertainment, excellent food selection, onsite bar, haunted woods and it is all topped off with a creepy 1800's mansion as its backdrop. If you don't mind being touched and want some really good scares, make sure to add Spooks on Spurr to your list!

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Deep in the Northwoods of Wisconsin you will find the town of Eagle River, one of the most popular destinations in the fall. Known for festivals and beautiful fall colors, this town also hosts one of the best (and only) haunted attractions in the area! This was our first visit to the House of Tormented Souls and we were surprised to find such a thrilling haunt in the area. The House of Tormented Souls is located in the heart of Eagle River and is hard to miss, but when night falls there is very little signage! At first glance, this haunted attraction looked small, but we were surprised at how much bigger it was inside. The wait is outside with a few snack options, but there is a gas station with restrooms and plenty of treats across the street. You are sent in with just your group no matter how small and they wait until the previous group is through before sending you in. This does result in a longer wait then normal, but I would rather wait a little longer for a better experience. The actors within the House of Tormented Souls are volunteers, but we were surprised at how many there were and they always stayed in character. Every inch of the attraction was meticulously designed and there was no "down time" from start until finish. The heart pounding, non-stop action made the attraction feel a lot longer then the 10 minutes is took us to go through. There is a good mix of jump scares and theatrical acting with a lot of moments where you may find yourself lost. The best part is the use of lasers to draw your eyes away from where the ghouls might be lurking. Some come from above and below in places you typically would not expect. If you keep your eyes open long enough, you will be able to catch some horror movie related props too! In summary, I recommend traveling to this area in the fall and making The House of Tormented Souls one of your after dark adventures! It is affordable, intense and not an "all night" attraction so you have plenty of time for bonfires and apple cider after.

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