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Welcome to Theme Park Adventure's 365 Days of Halloween 2008 Archives! Here on this page, you will find haunted attractions that have crossed over... set to live forever now in the history books of the dark industry. We celebrate their existence and mourn days past. However, many of them continue to live on, returning each Halloween when the air is chilled and the fog swirls in the night air. But for those that have fallen silent... we raise a toast and assure you that your spirit - or spirits - will live on in the screams of haunted venues to come. |
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2008 Review by Rick West |
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God knows, I love haunted attractions. They can be 50 year-old dark rides barely running at carnivals or the most slick, big-ticket haunt in town. I don't care. If there's a scare, I'm there! And so as we continued our haunt-hopping last October, we stopped at Old Town Haunt in Pasadena, California. Boy, were we in for a treat! I'm a huge fan of ambience when it comes to haunted attractions. It's great to have a big haunt under a tent in a vacant lot or in an unused retail space in a shopping mall - but when the location is real and interesting - that is when my blood gets pumping. Old Town Haunt is located in the basement of the historical Union Savings Bank building. That's right - this haunt is subterranean, kids. And it's not the illusion of being underground - this haunted house is under the building; it's the real, deal! Guests begin their descent to the basement of the Union Savings Bank building and folks waiting for their turn get to watch the groups before them disappear downward, into the darkness. The screams become distant, muffled and then... are gone. Far below the street. Far below the sidewalk. Underneath the earth. Where bad things dwell in the damp darkness. And indeed, there are bad things dwelling in the basement of the Union Savings building! In this case, that's a good thing! While this haunted attraction isn't huge in size, it packs a very powerful punch - and is definitely one that all haunt fans should take notice of, whether they live in the Greater Los Angeles area or beyond - the bottom line is, GET HERE. The staff of Old Town Haunt have a great time scaring the hell out of people and it shows. They're dedicated and the enthusiasm rings through as you desperately search for a way out of the basement. Oh, and if the night is "slow" enough - believe me... they will let you struggle. When we experienced the haunt the first time, we were left alone to find the appropriate exit route down below - and all the while, the monsters kept menacing us and enjoying watching us go in circles! It was spooky fun that was a tad claustrophobic and uneasy at the same time. Good stuff! It doesn't take an army of talent to man Old Town Haunt - and the props that are packed into this place are crazy. Since the basement is on long-term lease, it allows the owners the freedom to simply maintain - and add to - the array of skeletal remains, strange props, bloody guts and everything else that they want all year long, which they do. From film and television props to home-made nastiness, Old Town Haunt is decorated to the hilt with everything creepy and crawly. And speaking of crawly... Old Town Haunt features a dark crawl-through portion that is guaranteed to give even the most seasoned Halloween vets a thrill! I personally have never encountered this in a haunted attraction before (the mazes that we made as kids in second grade don't count) and let me tell you - it was eerie and a bit unsettling. There is something about crawling for a good distance on your hands an knees through the darkness, totally vulnerable. It's downright spooky. For older guests or those with disabilities (and those simply too freaked out), there is a way to bypass this section of the attraction - but if you can do it... you seriously need to experience this! It's a blast. Oh, and as was made very obvious to me - your friends and loved ones aren't laughing with you... they are definitely laughing at you as you emerge and struggle to your feet at the end of the tunnel. Due to the nature of this haunt, the queue time can be a bit long - but trust me - it is well worth it. A sister haunt to other Southland attractions such as Fearplex and Spooky House, everything is professional here - from the design of the attraction itself to the awesome staff. Old Town Haunt is one not to miss. In closing, I cannot say enough about the atmosphere of this particular haunt. Seeing the "old footage" of the Bank building and having the storyline worked in as you wait to descend the stairs into the darkness below - is simply genius. This haunt has it all - thrills, chills, unique angles (literally) and location, location, location! It is brilliant - and this is a biggie... was my favorite haunt that I visited all season long in 2008. Major props to the cast and crew of Old Town Haunt and the evil forces that keep it protected and prepped for each Halloween season. We cannot wait for the 2009 season to begin so we can revisit this amazing attraction! Official site: www.oldtownhaunt.com |
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2008 Review By Johanna Atilano |
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Spooky House 19 in Chatsworth, California, opened
their ghostly gates to frightened visitors for another
terrifying year in 2008.
The façade consists of an extremely, gigantic, and I mean huge... house. It reflects the traditional haunted house – dark windows, rusted metal, peeling paint, and bleak colors. Adding to the first impression of this incredibly huge house, loud music blares out of speakers and an animatronics figure of a hanging man is situated at the very top, over the entrance. Talk about a haunted house, right? Spooky House also provides a kids matinee before the "big kids" arrive, entertaining the guests with a "less" scare and fewer monsters. Well, we’re the big kids, and we arrived pretty damn late in the night, so here goes the "bigger" scare! Bob Koritzke, the owner of Spooky House and sister haunts - Old Town, Seaside, and Fearplex, introduced himself and welcomed Theme Park Adventure into Spooky House 19... Within the area itself, the haunt holds a large floor, consisting of almost 10,000 square feet. That is a really big space. And as we would soon find out, Bob and his team cram a lot inside of 10,000 square feet. Spooky House guests are welcomed into the house and ushered into an "elevator" - an almost-realistic simulated elevator ride dropping guests down violently into Hell. This elevator enhances the guests experience with intense effects to the point of actually becoming uncomfortable and a bit panicked. The floor shakes so violently, that you have to second guess whether or not you should hold on to something. The violent shaking continues, longer than expected, tormenting guests with a complete blackout and loud sound effects. As the "elevator" slowed to a finish, I decided to laugh to cover my fear of how realistic it felt... The "elevator" began our journey through the attraction well, and I believe it was one of the the best and most exciting parts of the night. This particular haunt gives a two-for-one special - Spooky House Mansion and Darkwater Asylum. Even if there are two attractions mentioned, technically, Spooky House 19 is one long, and extremely large haunted house to walk through, with guests hardly noticing the transition between the two. With the general price of $20 at the door, two separate mazes (queues and all) might be ideal for those tough customers who come demanding their money's worth. I can see how the Spooky House Mansion maze flowing directly into the Darkwater Asylum would throw people off, blurring the line of whether or not this is a one or two-maze attraction when it comes down to it. What should be noted is that BHK Enterprises, Inc. does sell a Platinum pass for $39 that includes VIP Admission to the four sister haunts - Spooky House, Seaside Haunt, Old Town Haunt and Fearplex. For serious haunt-hoppers, this is an amazingly good deal that we'd strongly suggest investing in! [Editor's Note: Prices mentioned in this review are based on 2008 and are definitely subject to change for the 2009 season and beyond.] The house starts off with the traditional "haunted house" feel, including dark hallways, tainted photographs, and dimmed lights. The hallways usually lead to larger, decorated rooms. An elaborate setting of a cemetery/garden between the two mazes is presented with an "outdoor" feel with antiques and even a bridge with WATER - yes, REAL water The atmosphere is beautiful as ghouls and ghosts lurk and haunt around the cemetery as you walk through. Before continuing to the Darkwater Asylum, a "caretaker" introduced himself and made some suggestive jokes for a few minutes. This addition to the maze is not notably scary... but entertaining. A few laughs is always healthy before a quick change of mood as you enter the Asylum... Darkwater Asylum is the second attraction within Spooky House 19. As mentioned earlier, the beginning of the second part of the attraction is hardly noticeable and seems as if it is a continuation or extension of the Spooky House Mansion. The Asylum, along with Spooky House Mansion, is another popular theme in haunted houses. Predictable characters such as mental patients and crazed maniacs roam through strobe lights and blood-stained cells. Darkwater Asylum is just as nicely designed as Spooky House Mansion, and carries the overall theme and perfection of the BHK branding from "beginning" to end! Theme Park Adventure was lucky to visit Spooky House 19 on a Thursday (busy nights can generally be really busy and lines can take up to more than an hour). Unfortunately that night, TPA showed up at the tail-end of the evening just prior to closing and the Spooky House 19 team consisted of maybe no more than 10 monsters. However, those monsters who were there did a fantastic job, giving their best to the last guests of the night – making up for the monsters who weren’t there. Their make-up is not as detailed as some other haunts' - some monsters worked with just dabs of black around their eyes, but their scares made up for it! Some monsters even went all-out for us, climbing and jumping off walls leaving us impressed and delivering a surprisingly good scare. Overall, Spooky House is an attraction that should be recognized more, rather than "that haunted house in Woodland Hills". Smaller haunts like Spooky House are generally ignored due to the bigger haunts such as Knott's Scary Farm catching people's attention. Make sure in 2009 to make a trip to the San Fernando Valley and visit Spooky House 20... Official site: spookyhouse.com |
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2008 Review by Rick West |
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The Haunted Cellar is a Southern California "tradition" amongst haunt fans and fellow haunters. It has also become the "unofficial proving grounds" for some of today's hottest talent at Knott's Halloween Haunt. Several "graduates" of The Haunted Cellar have gone on to become Scary Farm monsters in recent years - and we predict that trend to continue. More on that shortly. Since I had been living in San Francisco and then Las Vegas for the past 10 years, I had only heard of the Cellar. Always spoken of positively by TPA readers and haunt fans, I have always known that this attraction is a grass roots effort that packs a major punch. In October of 2008, I was able to finally visit The Haunted Cellar myself and it did not disappoint. The attraction itself has moved to a new location - the Anaheim GardenWalk, which is just minutes from the Disneyland Resort. But there's no Mickey Mouse business at hand inside the darkened rooms of the Cellar, I assure you. So leave the kiddies at home for this experience. The good news is that hopefully during October, The Haunted Cellar can scoop up some of the tourists in town visiting Disneyland, as people definitely go to the GardenWalk after the theme parks close for the night. That point made, The Haunted Cellar is in a fantastic location. Mike Talarico is the force behind The Haunted Cellar and something he said casually as Theme Park Adventure prepared to take pictures last October during our visit made me feel very, very sure of this gentleman's drive and attention to detail. As we walked through the attraction snapping photos of the talent, Mike said, "God, I hope everyone is wearing eye black." The answer was that almost everyone was. Bit the fact that he was worried about that pointed out to me that Mike truly gets it as a haunter. He understands the critical importance of the little things - the details that make any haunt real. And in our eyes, that took Mike up many notches in credibility. Besides that, he's a hell of a nice guy, too! Along with his fiancee, Adrienne, Mike keeps his crew pumped and scaring the masses that dare to brave the dark Cellar. They are a dynamic duo of darkness that will most certainly take this haunt to new levels over the coming years - something for which we are very excited. It's one thing to have the drive to do something like a haunted attraction; having your soul mate take it on with you and want to be a part of it with you - that makes all the difference in the world and it shows in all aspects of the product. The crew of The Haunted Cellar is for the most part, very young. In fact, Mike has to pay attention to labor laws and make sure that some of his younger Cellar dwellers don't work too late at night. Normally, this would be a huge red flag - a major pet peeve of Theme Park Adventure's. Personally for me, there is nothing less frightening than having a kid pop out at me an scream, "AARRRGH!" in a muffled, pre-pubescent voice. It never works. Never will. And it destroys any haunt, no matter how fine and rich the other details may be. It's happened before in the past and I am sure it will continue to happen into the future, unfortunately. But the truth is, you cannot tell when it comes to this particular haunted attraction - and that is a HUGE factor in Mike's favor as well as the talent that steps up, and are nothing but professional and good at what they do. The Haunted Cellar consists of a series of rooms - each with a unique story and character twist. The outcome however, is formula - you know something (or a lot of somethings) is going to pop out at you very soon - but the begged question is, from where? The rooms are so nicely situation and the sets so well-placed, you know what's coming by the second or third room - but it's not knowing where it's coming from that is the brilliance of the maze. The group I was in was squirming and looking with paranoid glances in all directions - trying to find a hint of a monster before it was time for the big scare. And each room went off without a hitch and produced screams and lots of terror from the guests! Good stuff! The costumes and make-up at the Cellar are professional and the talent pulls it off beautifully. And yes - as I said earlier, just about all of them had eye black on! Props to the Cellar crew for the fine details! As I also said, The Haunted Cellar appears to be a proving grounds for talent that then moves on to the industrial-strength Halloween Haunt at Knott's Scary Farm. My guess is that this is because the Cellar attracts its help from the immediate area within the heart of Orange County, which is also where the Scary Farm is. And these kids know what Knott's is all about come October. They find that they cannot work at Knott's yet for various reasons and so they work at the other local haunt - The Haunted Cellar - where they sharpen their skills, work out their abilities and then "graduate" to the Scary Farm when the time is right. We've seen it happen with several TPA readers, including our very own Kritter this past year. It makes us very proud and we are thrilled to see them take on bigger challenges and start on their paths to becoming Scary Farm icons. And it should also be said that many talent at the Cellar do not wish to move on to other events; they are more than happy right where they are and they are loyal to Mike and the rest of the crew for their own reasons. We love that as well, because it creates a family within the Cellar crew - and that translates to an extremely polished team that works like a well-oiled engine year in and year out. That is something that is only created over time. No amount of "teaching" or prepping can create that. Haunted attraction families are only created through years of friendship and dedication - and that is perhaps the single most critical aspect of a successful haunt. Because without a kick-ass team, the attraction will not go over well, regardless of the money or hype behind it. How many times have you experienced a gorgeous haunt where the talent was just "there"? It ruins the experience. On the flip-side, how many times have you been to a haunt that is rich or perhaps not so rich in detail, only to have the talent be amazing and over-the-top? You leave the attraction glowing and wanting to return because it was fun and the experience positive. Amazing talent is critical. The Haunted Cellar has this aspect taken care of, hands-down. On the night that TPA visited The Haunted Cellar, the attraction was open mainly for other area haunters to come have a look. This included many talent from Knott's Scary Farm, which was not in operation that evening. The turn-out was great and the reaction and support of the fellow haunters was overwhelmingly positive. Not one negative comment was overheard and all in attendance had a great, spooky time. There was even some sliding fun to be had outside of the attraction, which the Halloween Haunt monsters truly appreciated and even got in on! The Haunted Cellar lets its talent work the line as well - which is awesome to see. More haunts should do this to keep those waiting tense and entertained. Kudos yet again to Mike and his team for this detail. The Haunted Cellar has a multi-year lease at the Anaheim GardenWalk, which is good news for all involved. TPA expects great things this year and into the future for this attraction, which has rapidly become one of our favorite haunts during October! Official site: www.thehauntedcellar.com |
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2008 Review by Johanna Atilano |
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Debuting last year was Coffin
Creek, located in the middle of nowhere (actually the outskirts
of Corona, California), leading visitors on long, dark and
twisted roads to this isolated haunt. Using the same
location as the famous Renaissance Faire, Coffin Creek's
surrounding atmosphere is perfect, where visitors embark into a
completely secluded location, surrounded by the ghastly scents
of... neighboring Norco!
The entrance to this haunt from the road isn't very noticeable, leaving the impression that this attraction is isolated and stuck in the boonies. Little lit signs that say "Haunted House" are visible throughout the pebbled parking area and the first thing you think when you open the car door is, "What the hell are we doing out here?" Coffin Creek is housed behind a rather rickety-looking building, surrounded tomb stones, brush, dead trees, and an old hearse parked in front for added ambience. The facade itself is not overwhelming, but gives guests the impression of a natural, "real place" feeling as they wait in line. As guests leave the attraction, they pass the waiting queue, and hearing excited chatter about what they've just encountered leaves guests in line even more tense and nervous about what they're about to enter. The fact that this haunted attraction is completely new (and new to me), and the uneasy feeling of entering the unknown takes hold of me; my little legs wobble through the entrance of Coffin Creek. The atmosphere of the maze is very true to the location itself, feeling as if you are walking into a "trailer trash" community in the middle of nowhere. The first thing I noticed is that there is barely any soundtrack throughout this whole attraction. The quiet, creepy ambiance takes over, leaving you with the impression that you are actually walking through the haunted grounds of Coffin Creek. You are left with the "soundtrack" of the dark night, feet on dirt pathways littered with pebbles and dust, creaking floors, and the screams of your boyfriend... er, yourself. The lack of soundtrack plays tricks on your senses, making you frantically startled by little sounds... well, at least for me. The darkness and silence evoke a high level of fear, as you helplessly walk through the dreadfully quiet hallways of Coffin Creek. Creek is a simple walk through - mostly situated with no rooftops and several outdoor walkways. The sets were well produced and completely amazing. We were surprised by how realistic and elaborate the sets are, which is essential to a great haunt. Many parts of the sets (doors, windows, plants) are used as props for monsters, giving them the opportunity of a completely unexpected scare for every guest. Through the first few rooms are numerous coffins situated in corners of an old abandoned house, reinforcing the theme that Coffin Creek exudes. Although there were not that many "scare actors" situated in the maze the night Theme Park Adventure visited, there were enough to keep us from asking, "Um, where are all the monsters?" If there was no talent in a particular room, the sets completely made up for it. The talent that were there were ALL top notch and their make-up, tactics, and wardrobe perfected and completed the haunt. Being in its first year, Coffin Creek was pretty much solid. Some things that could be added is an actual musical soundtrack. Without completely taking out the brilliance of the maze's, subtle and spooky music throughout the attraction could help take the creepiness factor up a notch. Another added improvement (in the case of most haunted attractions) would be more talent on slow nights and with that, this haunt would be perfect. I see Coffin Creek improving every year, paving the way for this to be one of the most talked-about haunted attraction in Southern California. Official site: www.coffincreek.com |
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TPA'S JOHANNA ATILANO REVIEWS THE 2008 SAW HAUNTED ATTRACTION |
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I want to play a game...
And there we have it, a haunted attraction for one of the most followed franchises in horror film history. After years of wondering why none of the major haunts have made Saw into a maze, Jeff Schiefelbein's Darkside Studios managed to finally turn Saw into a horrific, terrifying, live haunted attraction in Brea, California. The Saw Haunted Attraction takes your life into Jigsaw's hands as he tests you through numerous mind traps. Do you want to play a game? I found about this attraction surprisingly, through MySpace.com. Of course, as a huge fan of the Saw franchise, the thought of FINALLY having a Saw maze tinkled my fancy rather well. As one of the many fans reading about this highly-anticipated maze, my eyes read over, "interactive walk-thru re-creation...". Did I just see the word interactive? Are you telling me the guests walking through the maze will be a part of it? Okay, this sounds like it is going to be pretty damn good. I now, want to play the game. Upon approaching the attraction on their Opening Night, my anticipation rose. Strobe lights were flashing, lighting up the whole area, and a large banner, reading "Saw Haunted Attraction" was glaring at me. The feeling of high expectations, excitement, butterflies, and fright hit me in the face and I realized, "Hey, I'm actually scared to go through this..." Okay Johanna, the Saw movies are your favorite horror series of all time! Why would you be scared? You should be excited! You just play Jigsaw's game... Before entering the maze, Jeff Schiefelbein, the producer of the attraction had a short conversation with Theme Park Adventure about his maze. While Lionsgate films approved the use of the film's imagery and trademark character, Jigsaw, and has agreed to use this haunted attraction as part of its marketing effort for the upcoming Saw V, the company did not front any of the funding for the haunted attraction. They did give Schiefelbein the go-ahead and allowed him to purchase the rights to proceed with his vision for the maze. The good news for Jeff is that Lionsgate is in turn, not entitled to any of the profit that is made from this endeavor. It's unfortunate that Lionsgate was not more supportive with the financing of this attraction - but that's the way it goes throughout the entertainment industry. The company profited from Jeff's obtaining of the rights to use this theme and franchise for his vision. Schiefelbein and company will profit nicely (hopefully) from the maze. And the real winners in all of this - the fans. Finally, it was my turn to enter the maze... The darkness invades and the Saw theme song is played loudly through the sound system. The voice of Jigsaw is heard clearly and the excitement and fright begins. The 10,000 square-foot attraction involves everything a diehard horror geek will love. The maze includes all the gore and scares that the movies deliver. Guests will endure many famous sets and traps featured in the Saw series, from the bloody and infamous bathroom scene in the first film, to the live actors in pig masks. The attraction manages to capture the gore and horror perfectly and faithfully to the films and the recreation and detail of the infamous traps of Jigsaw are made perfectly. Between traps, there are many dark corridors to capture the feeling of walking through the hollowed hallways of Jigsaw's mayhem. And what about the interactive part of the maze that everyone wonders about? Yes, there are some interactive aspects to the maze. What do you think you will do in a Saw maze, escape freely? Of course not, and for many of you Saw geeks, there are a few of Jigsaw's traps that you may have to survive... The Saw Haunted Attraction is one of the best mazes I have been through and is definitely worth your time. If ever there may be a need of haunted house hopping, make sure to add the Saw Haunted Attraction to the list, because you are in for a bloody mess! Reaction has been very strong so far and while there are admittedly some tweaks that will be on-going as a "work in progress", the experience is definitely worth checking out for those of your in the Southern California, Los Angeles/Orange County areas. The closer Halloween comes (and the release of Saw V), Jeff says that there will be more activity outside of the old building, which is located at 453 S. Associated Road in Brea, California, in the Brea Plaza Center. The attraction is located right off the 57 Freeway in Brea and fans should visit the official MySpace page for details: www.myspace.com/ochaunting |
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2008 Article/Event |
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For 9 years, Shea Foley has overseen the transformation of the home at 16 Goldenrod in Irvine into an old west hallowed ground shrouded by fog, illuminated by lightning and filled with screams of the unsuspecting. Along with his long-time friend, Glenn Schmidt, Shea has brought Boot Hill to life (or death) once again in the quiet family community of Woodbridge. The two have been planning this year's run for months now and with endless hours and undying enthusiasm have once again, breathed life into this, one of Southern California's most elaborate yard displays. Once upon a nightmare, many dark nights ago, Boot Hill was created by Theme Park Adventure Founder, Rick West and Shea Foley of In-Progress Productions to simply give back to the neighborhood and community some fun on Halloween. Over the years, the display grew into a full-scale yard haunt, complete with industry-grade special effects, roaming monsters and an original soundtrack score written by artist Andy Garfield (Universe and You for Universal Orlando's MIB Alien Attack attraction, IMPS score, various programs for Travel Channel and Animal Planet and the score to the motion picture Hatchet). Today, Boot Hill is arguably the most involved yard display in Orange County, drawing thousands of visitors each season. It's become an Irvine tradition with no end in sight as the production nears its 10th anniversary. Each Halloween, Boot Hill attracts curious onlookers, industry designers and this year, Foley wants to share the love with fellow haunters by having Boot Hill open Monday night, October 27th from 6:30pm - 10:30pm. "Each year we've been open, one group that misses out because they are working are other haunters - especially our friends from Knott's Scary Farm," says Foley. "We decided that we had to open the rusted gates of Boot Hill to our brothers and sisters in decay from Buena Park and elsewhere so that they could all come enjoy what we have created here in Woodbridge." This year, Boot Hill and Theme Park Adventure invite Haunt monsters, fans and readers of TPA to venture into the heart of Irvine and come together to thrill to and support Shea, Glenn and everyone else that has had a hand in keeping the spirit(s) of Boot Hill alive and well for all these years. For more information, please see the official Boot Hill website at: http://www.legendofboothill.com/ Or check them out on MySpace.com at: http://www.myspace.com/legendofboothill Both sites have details and directions to the display. Theme Park Adventure welcomes its readers to come meet and mingle and say howdy all night long. Rick West will be on hand taking pictures, chatting with fans and admiring the mess he helped create all those years ago. We'd love to see you all there! For further information, please contact Shea Foley at In-Progress Productions at (818) 633-0300. |
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