I first must admit that I was super excited to go to a haunt that combined two of my absolute favorite things, Alice in Wonderland and haunted houses. I loved the terrain changes and all the crawling, sliding, and squeezing that came along with these changes. The vortex was wonderful and you were lead into it through a room that was decorated the same with people who blended into the walls of both. In my opinion, these actors worked wonderfully to entertain their guests. There were many scenes that very interesting to visit, including a room where Alice seems to grow taller and shorter right in front of your eyes! The combination of Wonderland characters and movie serial killers including Jason Voorhees seemed a bit odd but actually worked well. They definitely got great screams out of our group. Overall, this is a haunt like one you have never seen before, part play, part haunt, and all extremely eerie fun. I highly suggest taking the trip down the rabbit hole into the House of Bathory.
Signage / Visibility / Location
The directions to House of Bathory are easy to follow and the line outside indicates that you are in the right place. There is one storefront window that is decorated and has the name is large print.
Wait Area / Line Entertainment
The wait, we were told was about an hour and a half from where we were in line. The line was not too long but don't let that deceive you. The line is both to buy tickets and to enter so only a few people are let in every 15 to 20 minutes. This is because the haunt is extremely interactive and the most people in a group that they want, from what I saw, was a group of eight. There was not much for line entertainment and when I arrived I was a bit confused about where to go. So we just went to the end of the line.
Actors' Performance
This is truly the attraction of this haunt. The actors each portrayed either a character from Alice in Wonderland or a famous movie killer like Freddy Krueger. Some of the interaction is extremely funny and some is seriously spooky. I really enjoyed the Mad Hatter and March Hare and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. The twins dialog was spot on with the actual lines from the classic novel. These actors seemed like a professional troupe which I do believe some are.
Sets Scenes / Props / FX
The scenes were mostly direct out of the book with small changes to enhance the creepiness. The costumes were excellent. I want to give a loud shout-out for the March Hare outfit, which seemed to be fashioned in the Ralph Steadman style, i.e. the illustrator for Hunter S. Thompson. The scenes were colorful and some were extremely detailed like the Tea Party room. I thought the terrain changes were excellent. Also, the audio that loomed over you was both intriguing and chilling. Make sure to pay attention to the Alice song they play.
Length
We arrived around 10:30 and were let in at 11:15 but this amount of time is not the norm. From start to finish the haunt lasts about 25 minutes.However, it seems even longer because of the amount of interaction with the actors and the time spent in each scene.
Crowd Control
There was security there however I believe I only saw one. He was outside of the haunt towards the beginning and would every once in a while come down the line to check for anything out of the ordinary. There were no ropes or barricades to show where the line was suppose to be. However, the line is just straight back from the entry of the haunt along the sidewalk.
Most Memorable Moment
For me, the most memorable moment was when I was leading the group crawling on our knees under a table and I felt something touching my head. I disregarded it while crawling under assuming it was a table cloth. Once my head cleared the table and I still felt something near my head. I quickly turned my head to check out what it was and immediately screamed and jumped because Freddy Krueger was about an inch away from my face. It was an epic fright!
Overall, this haunt is amusing, funny, creepy, and interactive. If you enjoy great acting and love to be part of the haunt, this is the place for you. The Alice in Wonderland theme is both wonderfully woven in and a contemporary chilling version of the original. I loved it ! Make sure this haunt is on your list to visit.
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