New for 2012, Abandoned Haunted House Complex, just off of I-94 in Mount Pleasant, already put
themselves in a solid slot as one of best haunted houses in Wisconsin. Right now there are three words that sum up my experience at Abandoned. These three words are Wow, WOW, and WOW! These guys and gals know what they are doing and you will certainly be impressed with what this attraction has to offer. Abandoned was simply an amazing haunted attraction and one that I will go back to, whether as a reviewer or during my off time. Now, let's get into the review of this haunted house.

When you take I-94 north or south, to Mount Pleasant, you can't miss this attraction, even if you
are wearing your sunglasses at night. With a huge sign in red letters saying ABANDONED and a search light propped up on the building's roof, this has probably been one of the easiest attractions for me find. Arriving there, there are plenty of staff on scene to direct to a parking spot and towards the
beginning of the line.

Being a Sunday there was no wait to get in. Be forewarned, however, with this attraction and during the final week of October, unless you get there early, you should definitely anticipate
waiting in a long line. Thus, make sure you dress accordingly and be prepared for a wait.

Once my dad and I got our tickets we started heading around the building to the entrance of the
haunted house. Abandoned, even as you wait in line or are walking towards the entrance, works on getting you ramped up with heavy metal and heavy rock that is being blasted over large outdoor speakers. You will also find that Abandoned is not going to wait to scare you inside the house. You may just find yourself getting scared in line.

Once you are at the entrance you are let into their prepping room where a disembodied voice breaks down the rules of the haunted house and gives the necessary disclaimers about risks. An actor is also with you in the room to keep you company. Once the actor opens the door to the haunt the scares and atmosphere begin immediately.

The first room you enter you are presented with a few ambush scares and then are "forced" to watch a creepy and disturbing video with another disembodied voice asking why you came, all set to the background of more heavy rock. This alone is enough to get you ramped up and saying, "Alright, let’s do this thing."

After that room, the scares are non-stop. In this first review I am not going to detail too much of
what I saw as I want everyone who goes to be as surprised and impressed by this attraction as I was. What are important though are the actors. The actors for this attraction are some of the best that I have ever had the luxury of being scared by.

The costumes were very well done and all the props that the actors had available were very realistic. What I really enjoyed is the amount of variety that these actors presented. You had your actors that ambushed, that screamed, that talked, and those that just stayed quiet but crept you out by staring at you or following you for a length of time. That variety is exactly what I look for in a haunted house. Abandoned hit this nail right on the head and through the board.

Along with excellent actors, the scenes were eye-catching, unique, and very well done. There were
flawless transitions from scene to scene and some senses were so immense and impressive, there were times that I just got caught up studying the landscape. Along with the effects, some amazingly eye-catching environments are created. It was nothing short of walking through a horror movie. It was spectacular (and no I don't use that word a lot).

Everything about this attraction has depth. One of the big ways that Abandoned accomplishes this is by using smells and touch. You will be running into things that are wet, you will think that blood (or something) is dripping from the ceiling, and you will have things that move around you and under you. The best way to describe this is that Abandoned is a sensory overload. For example I remember one section where you can't grasp where you are because of a strobe light, then you get hit with something banging hard behind a wall, then you get hit with an air horn, and then you get scared by an actor waiting around the corner. This place is crazy.

Abandoned, has a series of tricks to keep you guessing on what is next. From distracting lights, to
moving walls, to tight mazes, you will always be "fighting" your way to end. Abandoned came out their first year wanting to have a great haunted house, and the owners and actors did this and more. So awesome was this attraction that I'm actually itching to go back this weekend with a few of my
friends. I don't want to stay away. You want a haunted house...Abandoned is the place to go.