2016 Event Reviews

The Burial Chamber has been around long enough now that it's one of the Halloween staples in the Fox Cities. Comprised of multiple different haunting experiences, I attended on a night where the rain kept the fair weather attenders away. But to me... the weather set the mood for a perfect night to attend a haunt.

We started out first with Insanity as it had the shortest line. Inside was a world full of clowns, dark corners and uneven ground. Did I mention the clowns? They were EVERYWHERE! I personally am not scared by clowns, and these clowns were more goofy than scary. But there were a few times that they were able to jump out at the perfect time and scare us. They use a lot of strobes in Insanity, which was blinding in some spots and ended up giving me a headache. Or was that from the clowns? Either way, the best part of this haunt was the dark, twisting obstacle course they put you through.

We headed to the outdoor attraction Phobia next, as the rain slowed down to a light mist. This attraction seems pretty much the same as previous years. I recognized many of the props and structures. But the actors made this haunt so much fun! Some will have you laughing, some will have you screaming, and some will have you wondering if these are really actors or actual outcasts that live in the woods! Phobia never disappoints and you are sure to jump multiple times.

Our last destination was Adrenaline. Again, this haunt has not changed much over the years. It would be nice to see different scenes and rooms for the repeat customers that return year after year. The one thing that gets me every time are the air canons. They have me jumping several feet off the ground every time one blasts by me! Out of all three haunts, this one seemed to have the most actors in it... and they were all great! They were around every corner and had great timing. Sometimes they were coming from above, sometimes they were at our feet. It was intense as they were everywhere and we didn't have much time to catch our breath before the next scare.

I did not go to the Last Ride Burial Simulator as I have a few times in the past. But if you've never tried it, make sure you check it out!

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Terror on the Fox is among the best haunted attractions in the Nation. Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group never takes the lazy route when breathing life (or rather death) into their horrific masterpiece. They devote a significant creative effort to the haunted train, woods and both houses; the resulting payoff makes visitors (experts and novices) panicked, terrified and greatly entertained. Terror on the Fox proves that with a sufficient investment of time and energy, continuing to expand a haunted attractions without losing momentum is possible! Without giving too much away, I am going to share my experience in the different areas of the attraction.

Haunted Train Ride and Woods: Seeing the massive haunted Double Decker antique train come screeching to a halt in front of you is something you will not experience anywhere else! The train ride itself takes 15-20 minutes. There are multiple disturbing creatures on board, perhaps "souls" that remain from the circus train "crash". One attendee near me asked "is that makeup, or is that 'thing' really that scary?". That is a great sign that you aren't going to find any "Walmart" quality masks at this attraction. The ghouls are not shy and don't worry, even if you are in the upper level or hiding in the smog and strobe lights, the actors WILL get you! The haunted woods is brief, but torches lighting the darkened trail make the walk seem longer.

(S)Laughter House: The (S)Laughter house is new this year! As the story goes; a train carrying circus clowns to Milwaukee derailed in Green Bay. The terrifying and hungry clowns now take residence in the (S)Laughter house and are seeking souls to devour. The (S)Laughter house took 16 minutes to escape and you want to get out quickly as the walls twist you right in to the hands of many blood thirsty ghoulish clowns. The (S)Laughter house is "intense", the kind of fear that makes your heart skip.

Dead House: The Dead House is Terror on the Fox's main attraction. If the massive exterior doesn't impress you, you probably lost all feeling while in the (S)Laughter house. The effects of the exterior provide a clear picture of the horror to expect once inside. The Dead House is an 18 minute walk through non-stop horror scenes. There is absolutely NO DOWN TIME or boring dark hallways. The Dead house uses special effects, animatronics and carefully placed creatures to create a non-stop terrifying experience. If you manage to open your eyes long enough, you will notice that there isn't an inch of the house that is not covered by disturbing props. The Dead House really is similar to something you would see on a Hollywood horror set ... only this is real ... and you are trapped inside.

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