Mansion of Terror: Best Haunted House in the Nation for a Reason

As I drive into the parking lot of Mansion of Terror, a man in an iridescent blue radiation suit ambles towards the car of two screaming women. They barely manage to close the doors of their car when space man takes of his space helmet to reveal an awkward head tilt and unblinking zombie eyes. I know this is just the denouement of Mansion of Terror's innovative and interactive scare tactics. I start to get giddy as I watch the suited man shuffle past the now nervously laughing women. I'm reminded, before I even step foot in the door, that there is a reason many have rated this the best Haunted House in the nation.

These guys are seriously creative. They're looking for ways to push the freak factor just past the level of acceptable. I once had a friend tell me he's not scared by horror movies because none of it is real. What scares him are things that hit closer to home - like accidentally impregnating someone, or identity theft. I can only imagine what his reaction would be walking into the first room of the "Blood Frenzy II." A panicked woman runs up crying and begging, "Save me. Save me please!" Before you have a chance to respond a man runs and starts (pretend) beating her, yelling for you to get the hell outta there (I would have loved to save her, but the rules are - don't touch the actors, and they won't touch you). It just warps your mind. Naturally, you do what he says, until he tells you to crawl on the floor under the mock kitchen sink. 

Speaking of the actors, they are without a doubt one of the highlights of this Haunted House. Many of them are drama and theater aficionados who are passionate about playing their part up. When their roles range from the deranged clown to the chain saw murderer, you can start to imagine the terrifying effect. Plus, there are a ton of them. When you step into those doors you enter a different world overrun by monsters, psychos, and some of the most gruesome looking humans you'll ever encounter. The walls are bespeckled with holes and unseen doors that creature-actors will spook you from.

There are a few other elements that put Mansion of Terror on the top of a long list of wannabe fright fests. The atmosphere is of course, top notch. One second you're walking down a hallway in what seems to be the right direction and then you walk through some streamers straight into a dead body. Holy crap that must be the wrong way. Another second you're walking through the pitch black and you hear someone scuttling around on the floor.

The bravest souls are not going to pee their pants because they rest assured that these actors cannot actually harm them. Nevertheless there are moments when real sparks fly from real chainsaws that will get the heart rate going faster than the feet of a death metal drummer. Being a horror film fan and rather courageous fellow myself, I must admit I freaked out a couple of times. 

Above all I enjoyed the sheer artistry put into the whole project. From the decorations to the diversity of props to the costumes I remain thoroughly impressed, and glad I went. It's not a cheap ticket, but it is absolutely worth it. Also - there are two separate attractions, and both are quite enjoyable on their own right. My opinion: as long as you do one, you might as well do both.