Please note: this review is for the 2012 season rather than the current season.

House of Bathory (CLOSED)

by Dave to the Grind (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 12, 2012 at about 3 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

Another halloween season another new theme for the House of Bathory located in Manitowoc. Last year I found this haunt to be my most memorable and favorite stop last year. So I was excited to make another trip to the House of Bathory, especially when with this year's new Steven King theme. It proved to be worth the trip again with another masterpiece of fright.

New to this season along with the theme is indoor waiting. No more waiting out on the street corner. So if you're familiar with this haunt, don't mistake the lack of a crowd out front as a slow night or that it's not open. Just follow the sign and head around the corner. I was able to get in right away with no wait so I didn't see the waiting area.

When it's your time, you are brought in and given the rules. This haunt allows  touching, this is a cool feature that no other haunt we've been to has. You aren't grabbed or touched in any threatening or inappropriate way. Though an actor may yell and bump into your arm or someone will lightly touch your shoulder. It adds a realistic touch. Once you're given a lowdown. You head up the stairs, past the creepy portraits and into a world you will not forget.

Immediately you're taken into your first scene and enjoy the terrific acting the House of Bathory offers. The characters are unique from other haunts and have an excellent dialog that follows the situation you are put into. Remember, this year they have the Stephen King theme, so each room brings you into a novel of King's imagination. I left the haunt wishing I had read some of them prior to going. Though I did recognize some characters such as the crazy nurse from Misery and, of course, the creepy clown from IT.

Each scene offers a great setting with care to detail. Bringing the scene to life is the terrific characters and their dialog. What always strikes me with the House of Bathory is the terrific performance they get out of children actors. I was taken in by the teenage actors, as you will find out in the scene taken from Carrie.

Since it's from Stephen King there's plenty of fright. I wish I could go into detail of the scenes but I don't want to ruin the surprises. My wife has always been my gauge of how scary a haunt is. We were sent through a situation where we could not see and as we kept moving forward it became harder to get through without almost crawling.  The ending to this situation was so good that  she had tears in her eyes and was truly frightened. At the end of the haunt my wife, and the teenage girl we went through with, both ran flying past me into the street screaming. A tell tale sign of a good haunt.

Signage / Visibility / Location


The House of Bathory is located on a street in downtown Manitowoc which is easy to find with a big sign and setting in a storefront window.

Actors' Performance


Top notch and the best you'll find. The scripts are written by Dead by Dawn herself and performed perfectly by their hand selected actors.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


The sets and props were arranged well to create the surroundings of the scene they were taking you into. It felt like you were inside a real horror movie.

Length


You walk through an actual house, which encompasses three floors. It takes about 20 minutes to walk through.

Most Memorable Moment


We found ourselves talking about a few moments and experiences after we left. I think the most memorable was the opening scene when you're first brought in. You enter a shop where the actor has you take a seat, asking you how much you'd pay for a dream. It's based on the King novel Needful Things. They added a twist I didn't see coming and kicked off the haunt in spectacular fashion.

Summary

Last season this was my favorite haunt, this year again it's so far the best we've hit. The acting is the best you'll find and the creative worlds we were sent through were just amazing. The frights were very unique and it goes beyond  the usual actors jumping and yelling to startle you. The House of Bathory takes you into a world that will make your skin crawl.

View all House of Bathory (CLOSED) reviews

Comments: (1)

 

Leatherface

Oct. 16, 2012, 5:53 p.m.

Dave,

Thank You for your review for the House of Bathory. We are glad you enjoyed your journey through the mind of Stephen King.

Just want to make a correction.

This year we have a THEMED INDOOR WAITING located on the side of the building with stairs leading to the waiting area. (Sign provided)

ALL AGES can be inside the waiting area, it is NOT a pub, just part of the building which we transformed into the indoor waiting.

IF you are 21 and older and do not want to wait inside you can go a block away to the local Pub (The Fat Seagull) for food and spirits. Upon your time to take the journey through the House Of Bathory the bartender will let your group know to head on over to the entrance of the haunt.

Once again INDOOR THEMED WAITING (ALL AGES)

Thanks again for you outstanding review, hope to see you again.

 





March 19th, 2024 12:08 a.m. CDT 24.01