2018 Review Crew

The most boring part of Abandoned Haunted House Complex, and my time as a member of this review crew is having to write year after year that Abandoned Haunted House Complex is THE BEST haunt in the area, and I'm including all of the Chicagoland area as well. I'm going to be honest with all of you, Abandoned Haunted House Complex is still the best, and might put more effort into making their haunt the best, or possibly they are just that good that they have to put very little effort into it, I don't know, I just know I never leave there feeling disappointed or even a little let down. The place is beginning to end sensory overload, combined with top of the line props, and a cast that plays it so cool, they deserve all of the credit they get. I will refrain from going too in-depth, I really encourage you all to check this place out and experience it for yourself.

Abandoned Haunted House Complex is split into 3 separate haunts, just like the last few seasons, Ambush, Hysteria, and Stalker. They also have a Shoot the Freak option for $5, but I've never checked that out. It seems to be just shooting a trash talker with possibly paintballs, but I haven't checked it out that closely. Ambush and Hysteria are both in the style of your normal haunt, both have multiple themes going on, and both are done as good, if not better than any other haunt in the area. These two haunts run back to back, one leading into each other. Suffice to say, going through both of these haunts you will run the gamut of what every haunt has to offer, all styles are represented. Please note, I say these run into each other, it makes for a lengthy experience. Even if you only attend for these two haunts, expect to spend an 45+ minutes inside the two haunts.

The third of the haunts at Abandoned Haunted House Complex is Stalker. Stalker was introduced a few years ago, and in my opinion has improved by leaps and bounds this season. Stalker takes you through a combination of haunted cornfields, and staged indoor areas that are very well done. There were significantly less actors in the outside areas, but I think that was done by design, walking through the corn itself is already kind of creepy, so the occasional actor jumping out makes you more on guard; when is it going to happen?! The areas where you go inside are all different themes, but all pretty great, with more top of the line actors.

I mentioned that writing reviews for Abandoned Haunted House Complex is becoming boring because they are always the best, I did however experience this with haunt with a dear friend of mine, one of my oldest friends, and she gave me a whole new appreciation for Abandoned Haunted House Complex! Let's just say that she's the jumpy, screaming type... It was a blast seeing someone experience it on that level. This being my 10th season reviewing (oh wow!), I attend these haunts and enjoy the pageantry and technical stuff more than I get spooked by them. I love it all, but I don't do much jumping, call it desensitization, or whatever, I enjoy these haunts for how much work they put into them. She made me realize just how scary this haunt really is. She told me several times throughout the night that it was indeed terrifying, I believe her, she jumped and screamed enough to prove it! We also met a father and his teenage daughter who drove up from Illinois. I talked with him for a while and he had nothing but praises for Abandoned. He recommended some south of the border haunts to me, but assured me that this was one of the best ones he had ever attended. Please do yourself a favor, experience Abandoned Haunted House Complex for yourself, you will not be disappointed!

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This was the opening night in the second year for Revenge, and the first year that I’ve attended it. It’s always exciting going to a new haunt for the first time! Located in Sobieski, it feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere. Don’t blink or you will miss it… it comes up fast!

This also is the first time this haunt has been reviewed on Haunted Wisconsin! I’ve been to haunts in the past that have been in barns, and for the most part they are short and lackluster. Don’t let the fact that Revenge is in a barn fool you. This barn is HUGE, and the folks that put this on are NOT messing around.

This is a dark maze in a very old barn. Throw in some creepy sets, eerie sound effects, creatures and you have Revenge. There were several times it felt like we were at a dead end. Then the dread starts setting in that you are stuck in a dark maze with things all around you!

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Years ago I reviewed Zombus, and loved every minute of it. I wanted to review them again to see what has changed and to see if they are as good as they were previously? As before, there are many different things to experience at Zombus, so much so that the title is really deceiving and doesn’t shed light on all the great things here. Besides the bus ride where you get to shoot zombies, there’s the Haunted House Trail, the Haunted Laser Tag, and a cool Zombie Carnival under a tent! There are different price point depending on what you want to do. The best value is getting all three big events for $24! The weather was not playing nice and was misting throughout the opening night, so attendance was light. But trust me, this is one haunt you do NOT want to miss!

Haunted House Trail: Your walk starts at a creepy looking house that is stacked with great visuals and scares in each room. My favorite was the kitchen! Your time in the house is short lived, and you’ll breathe a sigh of relief when you’re out in the night air. But then you realize that even more things are lurking in the woods just waiting to meet you… and you long for the creepy house again! In the woods there are moments of bright light in some areas and complete darkness in others. This haunted walk really does have everything: a huge snake, swamp people, a huge walk-in freezer, creatures up high and down low, inside a house and outside in the dark woods, uneven footing, an awesome rope bridge, and probably a few things that my mind has blocked out! Although the Zombus is the ‘headliner’, I enjoyed this walk more than anything so far this season!!! Length – 20 minutes

Haunted Laser Tag: As in previous years, they have a nice laser tag area that contains different forts and obstacles. Nothing really has changed here from previous years, but it’s a fun thing to do between the other events. Length - 15 minutes

Zombus: The Zombus is really what they promote, and it’s always a fun time. You jump on a bus and drive around shooting at zombies. For the most part, this is as it was in previous years, maybe 90% the same. But it’s unlike any other haunted experience in the area and if you’ve never done it, put it on your bucket list! Length - 20 minutes

Zombie Carnival: Something new this year is the carnival! There are several carnival games there with a zombie theme that are a lot of fun. You can purchase tickets to play the different games: Feed The Gargoyles, Zombie Brain Smash, Attacking Zombie Ring Toss, and Angry Raven! Depending on how well you play, you can trade up for different prizes!

And if that’s not your speed, then go crawl up on the bull and see how long you can stay on! There’s also a nice bonfire and waiting area. This haunt again has everything and there really is something for everyone here. This is only about 10 minutes north from Green Bay so don’t miss it!

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This was my fourth year visiting Terror on Rural Street, and it is so amazing to see them continue to top their own creations year after year! TORS is an amazingly intricate, nonprofit haunt that boasts a lovely waiting area, tons of parking, shockingly cheap entry and room after room of true terror! A truly fantastic haunt!

Terror on Rural Street begins in a small town scene, and you are immediately transported in the haunted world, this year, with a confusing maze. While I love the disorienting aspects of mazes, I’ve found they are often hard to control with timing, and unfortunately this was a (minor) issue that followed us throughout the haunt. However, every actor was amazing and “got us” so many times, and I love seeing the new sets and ideas they come up with year after year. There is horror in many veins here – clowns, darkness, prison, dolls – you name it, they’ll find a way to scare you! TORS is a unique, creative haunt with a lot of passion and an intricate twisting halls that always leave me wanting more!

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Dwelling of Despair is a great haunt, beginning with a nerve-wracking walk full of scares through the Forest of Fear, and punctuated with tiny, twisting rooms designed to disorient the attendee. I really enjoy the multiple location aspect of this haunt – there are a lot of different scenes that involve being in all sorts of different rooms, including a big metal overpass, the creepy forest, and a final maze that will leave you confused and frustrated. The actors are varied and focus on the characters they are creating, and as a nonprofit, they also use child actors for an extreme creepy effect! They also do a wonderful job with their crowd control and have a nice covered waiting area for their guests!

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A thick fog began to settle in and a fine mist filled the air as I arrived at Terror on Rural Street. Ahhh, what an eerily perfect way to set the tone as I kicked off my 2018 haunting season! While some may argue that only a duck could enjoy our recent Wisconsin weather, you need not worry about the weather at this particular haunt as Terror on Rural Street comes stocked with several creature feature treats to combat Mother Nature’s unavoidable tricks. Upon arriving, this haunt greeted my tour group of 3 adults and 2 teenagers with a well-lit, paved and spacious parking lot along with a patrolling ghoul which left little doubt that we were in the right place. (No trudging through muddy dim lit fields as you approach the ticket window here.) As an added bonus we were delighted to find that Terror on Rural Street has a heated indoor waiting area with a fully stocked concession stand complete with food, snacks, beverages, beer and Jello-shots. Another nice treat offered by this haunt is the numbering tickets which allow you to wander about as you wait for your tour to begin…no need to stand in a dreadfully long line and count spiders on the wall as you wait here! If you love taking selfies with your brothers and sisters you’ll certainly enjoy the photogenic ghouls wandering about the waiting area who are just dying to photo bomb your shot. This entire haunt is indoor, including the final staging area before you actually enter the haunt….there’s no need to endure that wrath of Mother Nature as she tests your Halloween Spirit.

Here are some of my personal observations about Terror on Rural Street…

SPACIOUS ACCOMODATIONS: My tour group of 5 consisted of 3 adults and 2 teenagers (…all experienced haunt goers….), with the 2 teenagers attending Terror on Rural Street for the first time and 1 adult who has yet to miss a season of Terror on Rural Street. If you have a personal pet peeve as I do of being placed into an over sized tour group and crammed into small rooms, put your mind at ease. Terror at Rural Street’s mystic maze of mind bending sets and corridors easily accommodated our group of 5.

CINEMA QUALITY SETS: This haunt features several Cinema quality sets, many of which are pimped out with a dedicated sound system and special effects you won't find any place else. Portions of this haunt are an interactive style haunt with rooms showcasing a unique theme and a skit performed by volunteer actors. While the actors may be volunteers, the costumes and make-up were professionally done and very realistic. This was most evident in the final pre-tour staging where you receive final instructions before embarking on your tour. While it’s very easy to get distracted by the costumed actors be sure to take note of the keen attention to detail both with the facial make-up/costumes of the actors as well as the staging set as well. This same attention to details persists throughout this entire haunt.

DAZZLING SPECIAL EFFECTS: Admittedly not all of the acting performances knocked my socks off nor did every room send me off screaming to the next. But what Terror on Rural Street lacked with its actors and potential scare factor it more than made up for with its dazzling special effects and elaborate sets. Scares and surprises frequently came from unexpected flashes of brilliant light, dedicated room specific sound systems and a variety of lifelike techno effects

CREATIVE CONCEPTS: Terror on Rural Street continues its strong tradition of being a techno haunt goer’s dream come true! There has never been a year when I have been disappointed with the electrifying showcase of terrifying themes found at the Terror on Rural Street. This year was certainly no exception. If you’re leery of visiting a haunt more than once in a lifetime you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the number of new rooms/concepts found in this year’s edition. While a few of the techno-effects have been recycled for this year’s haunt most of them have been given a new creative twist. (I REALLY enjoyed this year’s version of the observation deck….the room alone is worth the price of admission!)

TOUR GROUP RATINGS: Here’s how my tour group rated Terror on Rural Street for both the Scare and Fun scale (1 to 5)

Haunt Teenager (first timer) #1: SCARE-4 / FUN-5
Haunt Teenager (first timer) #2: SCARE-4 / FUN-5
Haunt Adult #1: SCARE-4 / FUN-5
Haunt Adult #2: SCARE-3 / FUN-4
Haunt Veteran: SCARE-4 / FUN-5

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If you tour as many haunts as I have you’ve probably realized that while haunts come in all shapes and sizes and offer different creature features they all have one thing in common….they all want to scare the bejesus out of you. Similarly, you’re probably aware that while cars come in all shapes and sizes and offer different creature features they all have one thing in common…to get you from point A to B. Likening Haunts to Cars, I would classify the Dwelling of Despair Haunted House & accompanying Forest of Fear as the minivan of Haunts. While its initial appearance as you drive past will likely not give you reason to look back over your shoulder for a second look…when you get behind the wheel of this Haunt it performs as admirably as the Tesla in the quest to scare you senseless.

The Dwelling of Despair Haunted House & accompanying Forest of Fear is a self-guided, interactive ghoulish attraction known for its awesome animatronic special effects, elaborate decor, skilled actors, unique monsters, unusual themes and chilling detail! Now in its 34th season the Dwelling of Despair has prided itself in providing a creative and ghoulishly good time to all haunt goers along with a few (ahem, more like several!) frightful moments. 2018 marked my 26th visit to this haunted venue and similar to prior years I was once again amazed at how many of the sets/themes have changed. While you may notice quite a few similarities along your terrifying tour outside of this haunt, what awaits inside will torment and twist your mind in new ways. Following the lead of last year’s version, the chills, thrills and scares are delivered more upfront and in your face than with the skits that traditionally tormented you in the Dwelling of Despair. Rest assured though, this haunt still offers opportunities to interact with the demon’s inhabiting the Dwelling of Despair and retains the same Halloween charm that has brought guests back for the past 34 years!

The 2018 edition of this haunt presents two horrifying sections to test your wits and your desire to survive. The Forrest of Fear kicks off your terrifying tour on a dark and twisted path patrolled by evil spirits and several fiendish ghouls. If you're lucky enough to slip past these gorish guardians the entrance of the 3 story Dwelling of Despair awaits from the 3rd floor balcony. To escape the nightmares found within the unfriendly confines of the Dwelling of Despair you must successfully navigate a maze of uniquely themed rooms and hidden passages through the bowls of the entire house. Along the way you are sure to encounter each and every inhabitant of the house...some fun, some helpful but most of all they are all quite frightful!

My tour group this year consisted of 2 teenagers attending this haunt for the first time and 3 adults who have visited in the past. All thoroughly enjoyed their experience this year noting how much they enjoyed meeting Wild Eyed Kid Rock, the giggling Gaggle of Clowns and the mind boggling maze.

TOUR GROUP RATINGS: Here’s how my tour group rated Dwelling of Despair for both the Scare and Fun scale (1 to 5)

Haunt Teenager (first timer) #1: SCARE-3 / FUN-4
Haunt Teenager (first timer) #2: SCARE-3 / FUN-4
Haunt Adult #1: SCARE-2 / FUN-3
Haunt Adult #2: SCARE-3 / FUN-4
Haunt Veteran: SCARE-3 / FUN-4

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Now in its 22nd season, Terror on the Fox has long been considered to be one of the top haunted attractions in Northeast Wisconsin. Although the haunted train ride and house have been a staple in Green Bay, each year they change significantly and continue to grow. They were recently acquisitioned by 13th floor entertainment (one of the more recognized names in the haunt industry) and I believe this has resulted in the tremendous growth. Last year, I felt there was too much “dead space” in the Slaughter house, but this year the Slaughter house was replaced entirely by Blackthorne cemetery. Blackthorne cemetery is a partially indoor, partially outdoor haunted attraction that mirrors a mausoleum and graveyard. Overall, this is a professional level haunted attraction and you are frightened from the moment you step on the train ride until you are running for your life to the Parking lot.

Terror on the Fox is located at the National Railroad Museum not far from the heart of Green Bay. It is a three part attraction including a long haunted train ride on an original double decker passenger train, Blackthorne Cemetery a partially indoor and outdoor haunted attraction and finally Hawthorne itself the main haunted house. The $25 tickets include all 3 attractions, but be aware the popularity of this attraction can cause lines to grow, so there is the option to purchase “fast pass” tickets for an extra $10.

New this year is the addition of the Blackthorne “cemetery” and the vision as you approach is just as grandiose as the Blackthorne house itself! We were a small group of 3 and were sent through both attractions by ourselves!! This is RARE at other attractions as typically they try to get as many people through at a time as possible. I am not sure if this is because it was a “slower night” (although it did not seem slow) or if this is a standard they are establishing for the entire year. Despite being earlier in the season, there was absolutely no lack of horrifying actors in the lines and throughout all attractions. There was never a moment throughout the cemetery that we were not being chased, followed or frightened. I typically do not frighten easy, but there were several point I let out a shriek.

The Blackthorne House is one that must be seen in person. There is never a dark “hallway” and the things that are awesome from years past they keep, while they replace everything else with something even more frightening and sometimes outright grotesque. One thing I noticed that added to the house this year was the music, I do not remember hearing it so clearly in the past, but the songs played just amplified the intensity of everything around you.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the total length of this attraction. My complaints in the past were always: a bit on the short side and the 1st attraction had too much “dead space”. This year the total length of just the cemetery and main house was over 30 minutes! A huge increase over last year and NO DEAD space (as it long boring dark hallways). A must do this year for all!

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I decided to check out Hill Has Eyes this year. It has been three years since I last reviewed this haunt, and was eager to see what they have done to change it up. I am going to preface this review by stating that if you visit Hill Has Eyes make sure you pay attention to the weather. I bought VIP tickets ahead of time, without looking at the weather, this was my biggest mistake! As soon as I pulled away from my house the rain started! The problem with buying your Hill Has Eyes tickets online is they are only valid that day. The majority of Hill Has Eye is outdoors, on a hill, walking on dirt trails. On any other night I would have loved this, but that night it was cold, rainy, and VERY slick due to all the mud you walk through. Of course this isn't the fault of the haunt, it's my fault for not checking the weather. I will say, if you are headed to Hill Has Eyes, wear shoes you don't care about, but make sure they have good grip!

This year Hill Has Eyes made a few changes. We arrived at the haunt and headed to the ticketing/waiting tent. The parking lot is quite a distance from the tent, and we were left on our own to try to figure out how we get from point A to point B. Well, we accidentally chose the path that led us to point C! We ended up at some bar, I'm still not sure where we went wrong, but we weren't the only ones to make this mistake. We decided to follow some people that at least looked like they knew where they were going, and finally we made it to the tent. I guess my second biggest mistake of the night was assuming it was going to be super busy like three years ago, so I bought VIP tickets ahead of time. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was because it was so early in the season, but there wasn't very many people there waiting to get in. While you're waiting in line to get to the cashier, you have to sign a waiver. Please note, I never felt in danger while walking through the haunts (other than the muddy trails, and almost falling a few times!), I think these waivers are strictly for liability reasons. The waiting area is pretty great, there are no actors, but there is a DJ and a full bar for visitors. Because I was there as a reviewer I didn't visit the bar, thus I don't know how prices are. Three years ago I inquired, and beers were $3, so expect to pay at least that. Because we were VIP we were able to leave the waiting area right away and head towards the first haunt of four, "Containment". Three years ago the first haunt was called "Hooded", which was great, but they've unfortunately done away with that portion.

"Containment" was definitely my least favorite section of Hill Has Eyes. It was kind of short and too well lit. The theme was Military vs Hillbilly, with a few men in ghillie suits, and doctors. I think they were going for a contagion thing, but it was lost on me. Like I said, this section was short, and not that scary, we made it through in a matter of minutes and exited to an area with a bonfire and some porta potties. Luckily there were a few workers by the bonfire, as we started towards what we thought was the next haunt, we were redirected to the correct haunt, "Failed Escape".

If you read my review of Hill Has Eyes from three years ago, then just know, I could copy and pasted what I wrote then and it would still apply. Nothing really has changed in that three years. This haunt still has a backwoods theme, and freaks a plenty. Though this haunt was too familiar, the actors in this area were top notch. Again I was with a friend who teaches in the area, so a couple actors recognized him and broke character to greet him, however a couple used it as part of their act, calling him out at times! "Failed Escape" was significantly longer than "Containment", and a lot darker, which is always a plus! My favorite part of this haunt was a very short walkway that had strings hanging down. Sounds benign, but those strings give you a tiny zap if your skin touched them! I mentioned these shocking strings in my review a few years ago, but I stated that I couldn't tell if they were zapping us or giving us a prick. This year it was obvious, these things were zapping! It didn't hurt, but it was definitely a weird feeling, I love a haunt that makes me uncomfortable! We once again made it all the way through and exited at the bonfire. Next stop, "Hunger Hollow".

"Hunger Hollow" is another section that was there three years ago, and yet another section that I could have copy and pasted my review from my last visit. The theme still centers around a butcher shop that's using, wait for it... human meat! Nothing new here, really. Again the actors were awesome, I just wanted a different experience. Aside from the butcher stuff there is more back woods hillbillies and creeps. This section of Hill Has Eyes leads you to a satanic church that was pretty great! I enjoyed "Hunger Hollow", it was long and like I said, the actors did a fantastic job! As you reach the end of this section you make your way down a path that leads you to the ski lift, or "Scare Lift". The ski lift takes you to the final haunt, "CARNIvore". The ski lift was a little disappointing. The last time I was at Hill Has Eyes there were actors in clown suits on some of the other lift chairs that would shout at you and squirt you with squirt guns, this time, no actors at all, just a leisurely ride on a wet ski lift! Once you hit the top you make your way to "CARNIvore"

As you could have guessed, "CARNIvore" is a carnival themed haunt. This was arguably my favorite section of Hill Has Eyes. This haunt was not as long as the previous two, but I do love a carnival theme! The climax of this section is a VERY long maze that is almost exhausting! There is a spinning vortex that is always fun and disorienting, with an actress that was very good. The last time I was at Hill Has Eyes, the end of "CARNIvore" included a human puppet show. That was a real awesome way to end the experience, but for some reason they no longer do the show, I was a little disappointed. Again, the actors were top notch, and the whole experience, even without the puppet show, was great!

In all I thought Hill Has Eyes was okay. They didn't change much, and the things that did change, like the removal of the "hooded" section and the human puppet show, was a little disappointing. The actors in all four sections were excellent, and the bang for your buck, length wise is bar none, the best in the area. If you have never been to this haunt, I highly recommend it, if you have been to Hill Has Eyes in the past, well, you might be upset about the lack of change, theme wise. I'll go back in another three years, hopefully it'll be revamped a bit.

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Abandoned was my first haunt of the season this year, and as always, it’s an amazing choice – this multi-haunt complex is consistently one of Wisconsin’s absolute bests! I know it’s the haunt I look forward to the most, because it is always so long, so detailed, and of course, so scary!

We arrived on opening night around 8:30PM, and having purchased our tickets + fastpass we were able to quickly get our physical tickets. Although it wasn’t a super crowded night, fastpasses at Abandoned are always a good idea, and the staff is awesome about making sure those who purchase them are able to very quickly enter the haunts. I would definitely recommend a fastpass for any Friday or Saturday night – you won’t regret it!

HYSTERIA –
Loud, aggressive, and dark, this haunt is my favorite from the complex. Several new scenes were featured including a cave and some scary voodoo-like props. In particular we enjoyed the distorted reality brought on by streams of lasers and smoke, and actors hiding in unexpected and down below places. Lots of awesome jump scares and acting in this haunt!

AMBUSH –
Tight walkways, twisting corridors and a constantly changing path are the hallmarks of this particular house. Beginning with some aggressive nuns, we were taken through several scenes, including an intensely creepy hospital (my favorite every year!). With such a long, intricate haunt there is something to scare everyone, although I did feel there could have been a few more actors down some of those tight hallways.

STALKER CORNFIELD –
This haunt is well thought out, with small interior scenes interrupting the eerily shifting and swaying corn. I thought these scenes were pretty unique, making topics that wouldn’t normally be scary (such as chickens and bees) into something out of a horror movie. One of my favorite elements of this haunt is watching an actor simply disappear into the corn – the anticipation of this haunt is really what makes it scary!

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