Junior Review Crew Member

Paige (PaigeBerrier)

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Previous Reviews: 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016

2017 Reviews

Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Twisted Realms Haunted House (CLOSED)

by PaigeBerrier (Junior Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 21, 2017 at about 9 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

I love this haunt! Last year was my first time attending, but I fell immediately in love with the unique style of this haunt and the creativity of the staff who puts it together. This year was no exception, and in a brand new location at the Bavarian Bierhouse!

I mentioned the location because it was a particularly cool element of the haunt – visitors can truly have a full night out in one place (and located very conveniently for those of us who live in the Milwaukee area). After enjoying some food at the restaurant, Twisted Realms offers a bar in the waiting area for the haunt, complete with activities like bobbing for beers! TR also featured a dance party after Friday and Saturday haunts this year, with an awesome DJ and lights. I loved all these additional elements; it just makes the whole experience that much more exciting and fun. VIP tickets come with a free drink as well!

As for the haunt itself, my favorite part of Twisted Realms is the unique, interactive elements. Several of the rooms require “escaping” from, often times while being scared and screamed at by actors! The puzzle element is such a fun, different way to scare people – it can be really anxiety inducing trying to find your way out while also determinedly avoiding eye contact with some really scary people! TR also does an amazing job with their timing – we never encountered any other group, and never felt rushed. I loved the variety of scenes, including a red church and some very creepy bedrooms. The actors had a great mix of providing jump scares and being scary just in their presence; and they weren’t afraid to scream in your face!

All in all, Twisted Realms is one of my all time favorite haunts – the staff is clearly passionate and loves what they do, and that shows through their determination to provide an experience that is both scary and fun. I love the changes from last year, and I can’t wait to experience a blackout night there for Halloween!

Signage / Visibility / Location


Very easy to find; located in the same area as the Bavarian Bierhouse, complete with a neon sign (that can be seen from the highway), and tons of parking.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


Loved, loved the bar area with games, as well as the dance floor.

Actors' Performance


Very committed to the scares and weren’t afraid to get up in your face, which is something I particularly love. They never lost character as they “helped” us find our way through puzzles and rooms.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Unique, moving parts, fake walls, and intentional diversions were really different and fun.

Length


Relatively long; about 30 minutes.

Crowd Control


Great, it was very organized and we enjoyed just hanging out in the general area while we waited!

Most Memorable Moment


The creepy red church! I love the feeling of not knowing who is “real” and who isn’t!

Summary

One of my favorite haunts of all time – such a fun experience for those who are looking to get scared and have a good time doing it. The interactive element of puzzles and trick rooms is amazing, and the waiting area/after party was a blast!

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Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Dominion of Terror

by PaigeBerrier (Junior Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at about 9 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

I LOVE this haunt – last year was my first time going, and I ended up going three times! I was so excited to go on Saturday for my first time of the season – and I know it won’t be the last! DOT is truly an amazing haunt – fantastic location, great price, nice and long, but best of all, VERY SCARY! My partner and I went, alone, on Saturday night, during the opening weekend. We waited for about 20 – 30 minutes with general admission tickets, enjoyed a beverage in line as well as the little store they cleverly have set up in the area while you wait. Once inside, we were given the rules in a very creative movie format, and then we were off!

Dominion of Terror is a multi-level, winding haunt that will have you crouching, crawling, descending stairs down to a creepy basement, and walking through a movie set, scary kid’s rooms, a less-than-peaceful nursing home, and so many more scenes. We experienced a TON of well-timed jump scares, and we though the actors had amazing skills of “misdirection” – several times we were distracted by props/scenery, only to be scared moments later. The quality of the “sets”, the rooms themselves, was so detailed and intricate; each room truly had its own theme and they used lights, videos, mannequins, and all sorts of other props to scare.

My absolute favorite thing about DOT, however, is the fact that from last season (even in April of this past year), everything was completely different, both in the content of each individual room and the actual layout of the haunt. Every single room had changed! We were so impressed! Such a fantastic and creative haunt full of dedicated volunteers… I can’t wait to come back again before the season ends!

Signage / Visibility / Location


The haunt itself is very visible and easy to find, as it is a three-story building, however, the parking, while ample and convenient, could benefit from someone to guide the patrons.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


There weren’t too many actors in line while we waited, but DOT does have a snack/beverage area (with hot cider) that you can drink while you wait, as well as a store with shirts, beads, pins, and other merchandise. We did not have long to wait after all!

Actors' Performance


Awesome – great misdirection, as I said before, and true commitment to their scares, including screaming, crawling, growling, and more. I thought the actors used their areas really well, as well as the lights and effects in the space.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


So, so high-quality – I loved the eye surgery videos, the dark silhouette room, the nursing home, the hotel ballroom and so many more scenes. I love seeing actors work with strobe lights as well, knowing when to run and crawl for the maximum scariness!

Length


Very long; probably about 25 – 30 minutes.

Crowd Control


Great – they had lots of volunteers helping with the line, as well as security/officers on the scene. The line was very clear and we didn’t experience any problems at all.

Most Memorable Moment


I loved a moment in a hotel bar/ballroom with masked figures – spooky! Also loved the dark silhouettes, that part really gets to me!

Summary

Dominion of Terror is one of my favorite haunts in the state. It’s very long, very well-done, very unique and very SCARY! I would 100% recommend it to anyone who is interested in a great haunt, and the price is a bargain. FANTASTIC!

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Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Terror on Rural Street

by PaigeBerrier (Junior Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 6, 2017 at about 8:30 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: High

Review

I’m so excited to say that this is my fourth year attending this haunt, and every year I am more and more impressed with the creativity, professionalism, and of course spookiness of this haunt – and this year was no exception! From the moment patrons arrive, to their walk to their car, TORS is chock full of jump scares, cool animatronics, and amazing actors.

We arrived around 8:30 PM on Friday, their opening night, in a light and creepy rain. We had purchased our tickets online ahead of time, and we only had a few moments to wait before our group of 4 was allowed to enter, however, in that time we enjoyed interacting with quite a few actors, including a memorable woman with a shopping cart. TORS also offers snacks and drinks in their covered waited area. Once entering the haunt, we journeyed through the shops of Rural Street into the main part of the haunted house.

There were countless memorable scenes, including the “hellevator”, a mystical field of lasers, a scary kitchen, a creepy church, and a live execution. We also loved their animatronics, which were all of amazing quality, but our group did feel like the timing on a few of them was just slightly off (a little behind). All of the actors were fantastic – they were not afraid to get up close, and at times we had to edge away from their touch! Another thing they were fantastic with was communicating our names and using their throughout their scares – front of the line goers, make sure you whisper the name of the most scared person when you pass! Our group was also offered the opportunity to scare some of our fellow patrons toward the end, which is something we adored!

Overall, we had a fantastic time at Terror on Rural Street. I was so impressed with how much they changed from the year prior (and those before that)! It’s clear everyone there is extremely passionate about what they are doing, and we really enjoyed every element of the haunt! I only wish it were longer!

Signage / Visibility / Location


The haunt is very easy to find, as it is located in a permanent shared building. There was lots of very visible parking and a big sign directing us in!

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


Great line entertainment – we loved the woman with her shopping cart and the creepy bear! They had several, very varied actors walking around their covered waiting area to entertainment the guests. We also enjoyed our traditional of jello in plastic syringes!

Actors' Performance


The actors were all fantastic – I loved that they remembered our names and “preyed” on certain people; they weren’t afraid to scream or get really close to us! They all used their costumes, space, and lighting amazing as well.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Fantastic animatronics (several VERY memorable ones that I won’t divulge!), great use of strobe lights in combination with the actors, and unique uses of lazers/neon, including a “field” of neon and a corridor light by neon red lines.

Length


This haunt is a little shorter, maybe 15-20 minutes.

Crowd Control


I saw several officers on the scene, but there was no need for major crowd control on this night.

Most Memorable Moment


The most memorable moment for me was when I was looking over the field of laser mist standing on the bridge… and I will leave it at that!

Summary

Overall, we had a fantastic time at Terror on Rural Street. I was so impressed with how much they changed from the year prior (and those before that)! It’s clear everyone there is extremely passionate about what they are doing, and we really enjoyed every element of the haunt! I only wish it were longer!

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Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Terror on the Fox

by PaigeBerrier (Junior Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at about 9 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: High

Review

This was my first year going to this haunt! We went Saturday night, one day after opening, in a group of 4. It was a relatively short wait for the circumstances and considering all of us had General Admission tickets. I was really excited to go after hearing about the train and seeing all the pictures of the outward façade, and overall we had a great evening full of scary moments!

The haunt consists generally of 3 parts – a (genuine!) train ride, a more maze-like haunt (Slaughterhouse), and the Blackthorne Manor, the main haunt. In between each we had a short outdoor wait. I thought each section was unique, with a distinct theme and the acting/costumes/props reflected that – everything was very well done, professional and looked scary! The authentic, double-decker train is an amazing, unique section and the actors used the train to their advantage, nimbly crawling amongst the patrons. They used special effects and props to their advantage without being too much, particularly in the Blackthorne Manor. The middle section, the Slaughterhouse, was a little less intense, both in the decorations and the amount of actors, but the actors we encountered had great timing and gave us some nice jumps! The Manor was fantastic, nice and long with several really unique rooms, including creepy dolls, cockroaches, confusing mirrors, and disorienting lazers. Overall a really great haunt that I can see why people return to year after year!

Signage / Visibility / Location


The haunt is very easy to find, with a sign for parking and a sign for the haunt itself. There were individuals directing people to park, as well as police around for safety. We stayed at a hotel (being from out of town) and it was quick and easy to get to, and we had fun in the bars around the area after!

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


While initially waiting for the train, we didn’t see any actors or workers directing us, but the signs were clear and easy to follow. In the other wait areas the actors were great, and overall the waits were very short, and there were screens and music to provide visual entertainment as well.

Actors' Performance


All of the actors were fantastic. I was impressed with the train actor’s ability to crawl in the luggage compartments and from one story to the other, and all of the actors in the Slaughterhouse and Manor had great timing – there was an awesome variation between who in our group would get the jump scares, which is something I really love (not always the first person!). Some actors were cleverly disguised by props or scenes as well!

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Nice and varied – each room was a distinct theme, and there were several memorable ones, as I mentioned earlier. We particularly liked one room with large, creepy dolls and another disorientating laser/inflatable room. I absolutely loved the outward mansion façade and the use of special effects throughout, including lasers, blowing air, fog, and of course lights. One thing I would have liked to see a bit more is strobe lights!

Length


Train was about 10 minutes, the Slaughterhouse was about 15, and the Manor about 30. I enjoyed the little bit of a break in between sections to discuss and take pictures of the actors and entertainment!

Crowd Control


As stated, I did see police and the staff was surrounding all waiting areas. The lines were very obvious and everything ran super smoothly!

Most Memorable Moment


For me, that would be a tie between the amazing train and the mirror maze. The train was just so different and unique to the location – I wasn’t expecting to actually go anywhere on it and I was pleasantly surprised when we did, I also loved the flexibility and strength of the actors weaving in and out of the patrons, climbing all over the bars of the train. It was a great way to begin out evening! I also loved a mirror maze in the Manor – it was tight, disorienting, and had a great actor flitting in and out to add that element of anxiety.

Summary

I would absolutely recommend this haunt to those that live in the area, I thought it was great value for the money and is a scary, professional, well-done haunted house. It’s was a great night for all of us and we all enjoyed several moments of heart-pounding fear and jump scares!

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April 19th, 2024 9:41 p.m. CDT 24.01