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Please note: this review is for the 2013 season rather than the current season.

Burial Chamber Haunted House Complex

by HocusPocus (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 11, 2013 at about 3:30 p.m.

Fun Factor: High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

Sensationally Scary!!  If you’ve never been to the Burial Chamber complex prepare yourself!  The sheer size of this complex is quite impressive and what lurks inside will take your breath away.   2013 was my actually my 4th visit to Burial Chamber in the past 5 seasons.  (I do believe this is Burial Chambers 6th season…) Over the past 5 years as a Review Crew Member I’ve been to many of the haunts in Wisconsin and I’ve yet to find one as massive as Burial Chamber.

Of course for all you Haunt Connoisseurs out there I don’t have to tell you that it’s not always the size of the haunt that matters.  When it comes to Burial Chamber, not only is this complex well endowed, it employs an amazing arsenal of creeped out corridors, crazy creatures and good ole’ fashioned in your face scares to maximize your ghoulish gratification.

Burial Chamber features two indoor haunts (Adrenalin and Insanity) that reside side by side and one (Phobia) that’s outside.  The layout of Adrenalin and Insanity are similar in that they are both comprised of a seemingly endless maze of cleverly crafted corridors consisting of a variety of themes.  The journey through both Adrenalin and Insanity progresses continuously without stoppages for elaborate skits.  Rooms here are more like themed corridors than rooms and your pace through these haunts is determined more by how quickly you walk than it is by the creatures lurking in the shadows. 

The pace of Insanity this year was fast and furious as the ghouls were unrelenting in their quest to scare each and every visitor regardless of their position within a group.  The ghastly ghoul encounters in Insanity this year were noticeably higher than in prior years.  Compared to Adrenalin, Insanity leaves little to the imagination.  Sets were lit effectively…dim enough to encourage you to keep your scare guard up but light enough so that you could appreciate the amazing attention to detail with the sets and costumed actors.  Gore and special effects were plentiful with several visual abominations that will torment your mind long after your exit.  Lazer lighting, black lit rooms, a vortex, strobe lights were just a few of the visual stimuli Insanity offered up.  For these reasons Insanity was my pick as top hell hound at Burial Chamber this year.

The lighting of Adrenalin was noticeably darker than Insanity but there was always just enough light for you to find your way without the worry of walking into a wall.  The maze of dimly lit hallways of Adrenalin did an exceptional job of building my anticipation of the scares that await but unfortunately made it challenging for the true haunt connoisseur in me to appreciate how elaborate the sets and creatures were.   Nonetheless, the seemingly endless tour of cleverly crafted corridors did an exceptional job of not only creeping me out but also included a few mind benders to totally screw with my head. 
While there may have been fewer creatures lurking in the shadows of Adrenalin than insanity there are still more than enough ghouls and techno-surprises to ensure that you get your scare on. 

While I did not tour Phobia last year I am told that this year’s edition contained 5-6 new structures.  Unlike Adrenalin and Insanity, Phobia resides completely outside and features a terrifying tour through the woods along with occasional petrifying passages through the eerie dwellings found along the way.  Rustling brush and sinister sounds in the distance heightened my anticipation of what was to come as I proceeded along the path.  Menacing, highly motivated and acrobatic ghouls did an exceptional job of appearing out of nowhere to scare the members of my tour group.  In fact, the scare at one point was so intense for a member of my tour group that I actually got stampeded!  Not surprisingly, this tour group member declared Phobia as Burial Chambers most terrifying experience. 

Signage / Visibility / Location


Very easy to find as it’s just a couple minutes from Hwy 41. The sheer size of this complex combined with several parking attendants flagging you into the parking lot make it nearly impossible to miss this place.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


Come dressed for the elements as the wait lines for Adrenalin, Insanity and Phobia are all outside. Two large screens outside of Adrenalin and Insanity along with a few costumed actors help to build your anticipation. There's also a snack wagon parked out back to help satisfy your cravings for munchies.

Actors' Performance


The actors were very skilled at providing quick and unexpected scares. The actors that greet you outside of each haunt are very elaborately dressed and put on an amazing academy award type performance.  Inside the haunts the performances aren’t nearly as elaborate but in their defense these haunts weren't designed to provide an opportunity for a theatrical display. Occasionally the actors would flash a performance that may creep you out.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Brilliant use of shadows and dimly lit hallways/rooms to maximize scare and creep factor. Set designs were very effective in immersing you into the theme of the haunt. Not the most elaborate set designs I've seen but definitely better than the average haunt.  Enjoyed some of the unique concepts and special effects.  Trick floors, falling ceilings, vibrating walls, tripped out lazer lights….there’s a little bit of everything to keep you on your toes.  I particularly enjoyed the cleverly laid out lab maze in Adrenalin.

Length


Took our group 16 minutes to complete Adrenalin, 14 minutes for Insanity and 13 minutes for Phobia.

Crowd Control


Waiting lines for both Adrenalin and Insanity were clearly marked off along with the separate VIP lines.

Most Memorable Moment


Several great scares....especially just about everyone one in Insanity.  In my opinion this was the best year ever for Insanity!

Summary

If you’re looking to get totally freaked out this Halloween look no further than Burial Chamber.  Minute for minute Burial Chamber’s Adrenalin and Insanity haunts provide more scare opportunities per minute than any other haunt I’ve attended.  Adrenalin’s scares come early and often while Insanity showcases more gore and visual effects but still provides plenty of scare opportunities.

View all Burial Chamber Haunted House Complex reviews

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December 22nd, 2024 5:47 a.m. CST 24.11.01