Casual Haunter’s Guide

Haunted attractions come in all shapes, sizes and styles and it can be difficult to decide which establishment is worthy of your hard-earned dollars and if you’ve procrastinated until the very night of Samhain itself then you are indeed in need of help.

My band of merry haunters and I have traveled to many lands over the last decade in search of fun and fright, and have on this Halloween prepared for you a list of our most favorite locations which we’re sure will delight and excite.

In no particular order…

Erebus, Pontiac, MI. – It may not be the darling of hardcore haunters but let there be no doubt that Erebus has stood the test of time and has never failed to deliver the goods. The army of animatronics and actor-controlled puppets featured at Erebus is unrivaled by anything in the Metro-Detroit area. Anybody who enjoys haunted attractions should tour Erebus at least once.

Terror Town, Maumee, OH. – House of the Dead can rival Erebus for mechanized monstrosities per square foot and features a number of special effects witnessed at precious few locations. The static props found throughout the bowels of House of the Dead are among the most frightening and lifelike on the market.

Exit 13, Mt. Morris, MI. – One of the most in-your-face, physical casts a haunted house can legally spawn. Quality design, near perfect pace and a blend of laughs and scares alike.

Hush, Westland, MI. – A young haunt with a lot of guts highlighted by some seriously killer scenes and top notch acting.

Bloodview, Broadview Heights, OH. – Staffed by the best troupe of actors a haunted house could possibly want; a group known as the Legion of Terror. The show is re-themed each weekend, the main building has one of the best designs we’ve ever witnessed.

Darksyde Acres, Jonesville, MI. – You never quite know what you’re going to encounter at Darksyde Acres. Come for the scares, stay for the vivacious haunt hotties.

Haunted Hydro, Fremont, OH. – Crazy Bob Turner is a class act of the industry and a true artisan of his craft, the old hydro dam is an excellent structure for a haunted attraction and the location exudes the very spirit of Halloween.

Slaughterhouse Adventure, Fowlerville, MI. – Most effective mix of story, illusion and comedy. Slaugherhouse features three attractions including a haunted barn, haunted corn maze and haunted hayride. Do yourself a favor and spring for the combo package.

Haunted Farm of Terror, Lenox Township, MI. – We’ve only visited The Haunted Farm of Terror once (2009) but to this day we have yet to witness a more electrifying and unique haunted hayride.

Other notable Michigan locations include St. Lucifer’s & 13 Feet Under (Grand Blanc), Wiard’s Night Terrors (Ypsilanti) Village of the Living Dead (St. Charles), The Realm of Darkness (Pontiac) and Dark Legacy (Wixom).

I encourage you to poke around Horrorlust for past reviews (use the drop-down window on the right hand side of the homepage) on all of these attractions and furthermore I welcome any feedback you may have regarding your own experiences.

Happy Haunting.

August Heartstrings

The recent temperature drop has me in a fall state of mind, hell the neighbors are enjoying a bonfire as I type and the nostalgic smell is drifting through my open window.  As most of the country is set to enjoy the dog days of summer us haunt fiends eye the calendar with a quiet glee, firm in the knowledge that the haunt season creeps ever closer. With that in mind I come to you today with bits of news brought to me on the wind.

This summer I’ve delved into Ohio Valley Haunts, a website dedicated to haunted attraction reviews complete with podcasts. It always gives me a little thrill to find other people with that kind of passion for the haunt industry. Over the years I’ve stumbled across a handful of review sites but more often than not they’re poorly written and seem to disappear after a couple of seasons; it’s rare to find one with staying power that’s penned by capable writers. Ohio Valley Haunts is certainly an example of the latter, based in Cincinnati the group primarily reviews haunted attractions located in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. In 2012 Ohio Valley Haunts reviewed a staggering 116 haunted attractions. I would encourage anyone interested in the haunted attraction industry pay these folks a visit: Ohio Valley Haunts.

I’m psyched that September with feature a Friday the 13th — I’ve always viewed these days as a kind of mini-Halloween and it’s great that so many haunted attractions have indicated through social media that their doors will indeed open on this date. Last year when John, Richard, and I ventured to the Scarefest Scream Park in New Haven on September 15th it was the earliest in the season I’d ever visited a haunted attraction. The 2013 calendar represents a chance to set a new record and it’s an opportunity I just can’t pass up — I’ll be spending Friday the 13th haunting!

There’s a documentary due out later this month titled Monsters Wanted, which highlights a couples’ foray into the haunted attraction industry. I’ve watched the trailer and the documentary looks very interesting, if not inspirational. The trailer is available at this website: Monsters Wanted.

Crazy Bob Turner of the Haunted Hydro has been dropping hints on Facebook regarding the 2013 theme of Fremont’s fabled haunt and his words hold promise. He and his crew are overhauling the Hydro and are primed to put a macabre twist on famous fairy tales and other cherished childhood favorites. If at the end of the day the execution matches the ambition then it should be an exciting year at the Haunted Hydro. I’m a big fan of the Haunted Hydro — it may not be the largest or most frightening haunted attraction but there’s a presence about the place; it’s as if  the very spirit of Halloween walks the grounds. If you want more information on Crazy Bob and his twisted bunch of miscreants just click the link: Haunted Hydro.

Lastly, I’m proud to announce that the Mud Puppets, the sketch comedy troupe my cousin and I comprise, will feature another Halloween special this fall. In 2012 we released Our Muddy Nightmare which was received well by many in the haunted house industry. The script is yet to be written for our 2013 offering but the plot has already been established. We anticipate that shooting will commence early to mid September.