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

Abandoned Haunted House Complex

by wm (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Sunday, October 14, 2012 at about 2 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

It normally takes a haunt a few years to come into it's own.  Find out what works, what doesn't work, and then build on it.  The Abandoned Haunted House Complex had some great word of mouth going for it, but I didn't want to get my expectations too high being this was new
haunt.  I was pleasantly surprised with Abandoned!



There are two separate parts to Abandoned: Hysteria and Ambush.  You get two nice paced haunts for the price of one!  They are housed in a long building that has some awesome curb appeal.  I appreciate the fact that they do not rush you in, but rather space out the groups so you're not bumping into anyone and ruining a good scare. 



Hysteria is just like it sounds.  INTENSE, with things coming at you from all sides.  They have great sound and lighting throughout, and their actors know just when to jump out at you!  I did notice that at many haunts that the first person in a group is normally the person who they jump
out at.  Not so in Hysteria!  It seemed to me they were targeting more the folks in the middle or the back.  Very smart indeed, as those who are more jumpy tend to hide in those places.  There's a good mix of lit areas were you could check out the details, and then the dark and spooky rooms where they jump out of no-where. 



Ambush places you right in the middle of a made for movie plot where there's a zombie apocalypse and the Army is trying to control it.  Zombies are everywhere, and even the 'good guys' are intimidating and in your face.  They make great use of air cannons as if they were gunshots... they get me every time!



We left Abandoned with our hearts pumping, wishing we could experience more!  If this is their first year, just how good are they going to be a few years into it?  I can't wait to find out!!!  

Signage / Visibility / Location


It was very easy to find.  You can see it from the highway, and the big spotlight definitely helps!

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


The line basically wraps around the back of the building.  There were a few actors the night we went that provided some entertainment while we waited.  There's also some concessions close by. 

Actors' Performance


INCREDIBLE!  There was not one lame actor in the bunch.  This group is serious about having fun and providing scares! 

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Lots of great sets, and they use lights and effects very well.  I loved how in Ambush there were TV's playing a news cast about the zombies taking over, while the sound of helicopters are overhead!

Length


It took about 40 minutes to go through both haunts.  You definitely get your money's worth.

Crowd Control


The crowd control was excellent.  You can tell that they time out each group so that the groups are not bumping into each other inside the haunt. 

Most Memorable Moment


The rooms that uses a lot of smoke and strobes.  One second they are across the room, the next they are in your face! 

Summary

Whatever reservations I had from this being a first year haunt were scared out of me within the first minute.  Abandoned just set the bar and they dare you to step up to it!  If you are in the area, you HAVE to check them out!

View all Abandoned Haunted House Complex reviews

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March 18th, 2024 10:10 p.m. CDT 24.01