2016 Abandoned Haunted House Complex Event Reviews

Here it is, my yearly review of the Abandoned Haunted House Complex! A favorite year in and year out, I've attended and reviewed every year since it's inception. I've been marking the calendar for a year now, waiting and anticipating this season because I knew that brand new for this year they are introducing a haunted corn maze called Stalker! The best haunt in the area is adding an awesome corn maze?!?! It doesn't get any better than that! Well, we arrived at Abandoned and obviously got tickets to all three attractions. Oh, did I forget to mention that Abandoned has THREE attractions in one location? Well it does, two indoor and the aforementioned outdoor corn haunt.

Stalker
We were advised that we’d better check out Stalker first, as that one closes before the indoor haunts. Great, that’s what I was looking forward to; let’s get it done with right away! Stalker was, well, unsatisfying. It pains me so to write that, but it is true. The whole maze is pathways leading to little indoor staging areas. You’d walk a bit through the corn, then you enter a scene inside a built up shack. The scenes were great, but the walk through the corn was just plain boring. I don’t know if it was an off day, but I can count on one hand the number of times something jumped out of the corn at us. This was just disappointing; I was really looking forward to being spooked in the fields, not shacks. I really hope my experience is not typical, there is so much potential and I’m looking forward to the future and what they can do with this area.

Hysteria & Ambush
The indoor haunts were once again second to none. Both haunts must be purchased together, as one house leads right into the next, there is no separate wait line to get into each haunt. Both Hysteria and Ambush are classic long maze style haunts with amazing detail and sensory overloading effects. Both haunts are dark, and feature some amazing actors jumping out at you at just the right time. There are a few sections where interactions happen with actors. Some of the sets and props in these haunts are jaw dropping. I found myself asking myself “How did they get this in here?” and “How did they make that?” Abandoned once again steals the show with their attention to detail!

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

Abandoned Haunted Complex - Burial Chamber’s sinister sister haunt is sensationally sick!! For years I’ve been proclaiming the Fox Valley’s Burial Chamber as Wisconsin’s scariest haunted attraction. While I’m not quite ready to recant this proclamation (yet!) I will admit that Abandoned has done something that no other haunt in Wisconsin has been able to do…quench my insatiable thirst for more of the unique thrills made famous by Burial Chamber.

2016 marks the 6th season for Abandoned but was the first year that I have toured the Haunted Complex. Here are some devilish details that I acquired from my terrifying tour…

This haunt features 3 haunted attractions: Ambush, Hysteria and Stalker. Both Ambush and Hysteria reside inside while Stalker consists of a mix of disturbing dwellings connected by a creeped out corn maze. The layout of Ambush and Hysteria are similar in that they are both comprised of a seemingly endless maze of cleverly crafted corridors consisting of a variety of themes. The journey through both Ambush and Hysteria progresses continuously without stoppages for elaborate skits. Rooms here are more like themed corridors than rooms and your pace through these haunts are determined more by how quickly you walk than it is by the creatures lurking in the shadows. The ghouls throughout are unrelenting in their quest to scare each and every visitor regardless of their position within a group. Yes, you read that correctly…you will be terrorized regardless of your position in your group as there is no place to hide from the menacing monsters lurking throughout the haunts. Sets were lit effectively…dim enough to encourage you to keep your scare guard up but light enough so that you could appreciate the amazing attention to detail with the sets and costumed actors. Gore and special effects were plentiful with several visual abominations that will torment your mind long after your exit. Laser lighting, black lit rooms, a vortex, strobe lights, and trick floor were just a few of the visual stimuli offered up.

Bonus note for those familiar with Burial Chamber but not Abandoned….the journey through Ambush and Hysteria is continuous unlike Burial Chamber’s Adrenalin and Insanity where you exit one and are required to get in line for the next one.

Unlike Ambush and Hysteria, Stalker incorporates a creepy corn maze with occasional petrifying passages through eerie dwellings found along the way. Rustling corn and sinister sounds heighten your anticipation of what’s to come as you proceed along a moon lit path. Similar to Ambush and Hysteria, the monsters in Stalker were menacing, highly motivated and acrobatic doing an exceptional job of appearing out of nowhere to scare each and every member the tour group regardless of position.

The haunted complex also offers a side attraction, Shoot-a-Feak, that allows you to shoot a ghoul with a paintball gun. A large courtyard with a ginormous movie screen, bumpin’ sound system and a concession stand can be found directly behind the main complex. A nightly parade of ghouls also takes place here every night at 6:45pm.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment