2017 Event Reviews

If you tour as many haunts as I have you’re likely to encounter one that’s a traditional favorite you absolutely adore that unexpectedly disappoints you.  While this first sentence may sound like this is going to be a bad review for Dwelling of Despair, it’s not meant to be.  My tour group of 6 adults (3 couples) really enjoyed this haunt and thought it was “Super Fun” (…to quote a haunt newbie from my group…) but we all had one concern that I uncharacteristically can’t resist the urge to mention.  …but first, here’s what my group really enjoyed about the Dwelling of Despair…
 
The Dwelling of Despair Haunted House & accompanying Forest of Fear is a self-guided, interactive ghoulish attraction known for its awesome animatronic special effects, elaborate decor, skilled actors, unique monsters, unusual themes and chilling detail! Now in its 32nd season the Dwelling of Despair has prided itself in providing a creative and ghoulishly good time to all haunt goers along with a few (ahem, more like several!) frightful moments. 2017 marked my 25th visit to this haunted venue and similar to prior years I was once again amazed at how many of the sets/themes have changed. While you may notice a few similarities along your terrifying tour outside of this haunt what awaits inside will torment and twist your mind in new ways. Following the lead of last year’s version, the chills, thrills and scares are delivered more upfront and in your face than with the skits that traditionally tormented you in the Dwelling of Despair. Rest assured though, this haunt still offers opportunities to interact with the demon’s inhabiting the Dwelling of Despair and retains the same Halloween charm that has brought guests back for the past 32 years!
 
The 2017 edition of this haunt presents two horrifying sections to test your wits and your desire to survive. THE Forrest of Fear kicks off your terrifying tour on a dark and twisted path patrolled by evil spirits and several fiendish ghouls.  If you're lucky enough to slip past these gorish guardians the entrance of the 3 story Dwelling of Despair awaits from the 3rd floor balcony.  To escape the nightmares found within the unfriendly confines of the Dwelling of Despair you must successfully navigate a maze of uniquely themed rooms and hidden passages through the bowls of the entire house.  Along the way you are sure to encounter each and every inhabitant of the house...some fun, some helpful but most of all they are all quite frightful!
 
If you’re touring this haunt as a couple….BEWARE!!!  How would you feel if a stranger in your tour group tried to separate only your partner from the tour group?  What if this stranger not just once but several times ONLY attempted to separate your partner from the group and didn’t once attempt to separate anyone else?  What if this stranger wasn’t in costume or didn’t offer any indication that they were with event security?  …and what if this stranger joined your group wearing a plain grey hoodie NOT from the watchful eyes of event security but while you were walking through the woods as you were approaching the entrance of the haunt?  This situation resulted in a few tense moments during my tour of the Dwelling of Despair which unfortunately ruined the experience for both me and my date.  As there were 3 couples in our group we are all scratching our heads at why there were repeated attempts to isolate only one person (versus two) from the group and why it was always the same person.  In my opinion it is unacceptable for a haunt to not clearly identify the ghouls and event staff that are interacting with you as it creates an unsafe environment for haunt goers and event staff alike.
 
TOUR GROUP RATINGS:  Here’s how my tour group rated Dwelling of Despair for both the Scare and Fun scale (1 to 5)
 
Haunt Newbie (first timer) #1:  SCARE-4 / FUN-5
Haunt Newbie (first timer) #2:  SCARE-3 / FUN-5
Haunt Newbie #3:  SCARE-4 / FUN-5
Haunt Newbie #4:  SCARE-3 / FUN-5
Haunt Novice:  SCARE-4 / FUN-2
Haunt Veteran:  SCARE-3 / FUN-2

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

It was a dark and stormy night on the evening I visited Terror on Rural Street.  It was clear that Mother Nature had chosen to begin the Halloween Season for this haunted venue in a more trick than treat spirit.  Contrary to Mother Nature’s unpleasant tricks, Terror on Rural Street comes stocked with several creature feature treats to combat life’s unavoidable tricks. 

Upon arriving this haunt greeted my tour group of 6 adults with a well-lit, paved and spacious parking lot along with a patrolling ghoul which little doubt that we were in the right place.  (No trudging through muddy dim lit fields as you approach the ticket window here.)  As an added bonus we were delighted to find that Terror on Rural Street has a heated indoor waiting area with a fully stocked concession stand complete with food, snacks, beverages, beer and Jello-shots.  (A very welcome perk for my tour group companions who had just finished working out at a nearby fitness center!) 

Another nice treat offered by this haunt is the numbering of tickets which allow you to wander about as you wait for your tour to begin…no need to stand in a dreadfully long line and count spiders on the wall as you wait here!  If you love taking selfies with your brothers and sisters in crime you’ll certainly enjoy the photogenic ghouls wondering about the waiting area who are just dying to photo bomb your shot.
 
Here are some of my personal observations about Terror on Rural Street…
 
SPACIOUS ACCOMODATIONS: My tour group of 6 adults consisted of 4 haunt newbies (…2 of which who were attending their first haunt ever…), 1 haunt novice who visited Terror on Rural Street for the first time in 2016 and 1 seasoned veteran who has yet to miss a season of Terror on Rural Street.  Despite having the option to tour this haunt as a smaller sized group the 6 of us decided to stick together….a decision that was not taken lightly by me as being placed into an oversized tour group and crammed into small rooms is a personal pet peeve mine.  Put your mind at ease if you share this personal peeve as we found that the mystic maze of mind bending sets and corridors easily accommodated our group. 
 
CINEMA QUALITY SETS:  This haunt features several Cinema quality sets many of which are pimped out with a dedicated sound system and special effects you won't find any place else.  Portions of this haunt are an interactive style haunt with rooms showcasing a unique theme and a skit performed by volunteer actors. While the actors may be volunteers the costumes and make-up were professionally done and very realistic.  This was most evident in the final pre-tour staging where you receive final instructions before embarking on your tour.  While it’s very easy to get distracted by the costumed actors be sure to take note of the keen attention to detail found with the facial make-up/costumes of the actors as well as the staging set as well.  This same attention to details persists throughout this entire haunt.
 
DAZZLING SPECIAL EFFECTS:  Admittedly not all of the acting performances knocked my socks off nor did every room send me off screaming to the next.  But what Terror on Rural Street lacked with its actors and potential scare factor it more than made up for with its dazzling special effects and elaborate sets.  Scares and surprises frequently came from unexpected flashes of brilliant light, dedicated room specific sound systems and a variety of lifelike techno effects
 
CREATIVE CONCEPTS:  Terror on Rural Street continues its strong tradition of being a techno haunt goer’s dream come true!  There has never been a year when I have been disappointed with the electrifying showcase of terrifying themes found at the Terror on Rural Street.   This year was certainly no exception.  If you’re leery of visiting a haunt more than once in a lifetime you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the number of new rooms/concepts found in this year’s edition.  While a few of the techno-effects have been recycled for this year’s haunt most of them have been given a new creative twist.  (I particularly enjoyed this year’s version of the observation deck!)
 
TOUR GROUP RATINGS:  Here’s how my tour group rated Terror on Rural Street for both the Scare and Fun scale (1 to 5)
 
Haunt Newbie (first timer) #1:  SCARE-4 / FUN-4
Haunt Newbie (first timer) #2:  SCARE-3 / FUN-3
Haunt Newbie #3:  SCARE-4 / FUN-4
Haunt Newbie #4:  SCARE-3 / FUN-4
Haunt Novice:  SCARE-4 / FUN-4
Haunt Veteran:  SCARE-3 / FUN-4

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

The Haunted Mansion received Haunted Wisconsin’s “Visitors Choice” for 2016 and I had to personally verify this prestigious award! First of all, if you haven’t been to The Haunted Mansion in over 3 years, you have to go back, it is NOT the same haunt! Although it is not located in a heavily populated area, the Haunted Mansion rivals some of the largest commercial haunts in WI! The three things that really stand out to me regarding the Haunted Mansion are 1) The Length – much longer than most haunted attractions. 2) The innovative use of props and scenes – there are things you see at the Haunted Mansion that you will not get anywhere else. 3) The Fun – associating “fun” with “terror” seems like a contradicting mix, but I felt like a kid in a horror story.

We attended on a very rainy/wet opening night. I expected a lot of “hiccups”, but to my surprise it was as if they had been open for weeks! The rain was a bit of a bummer, but the best part was the line was very short. We started on the Haunted Trail, which seems to have doubled in length. The trail reminds me of those horror movies where the individuals are trying to hide from the nightmare waiting for them in a cornfield. You are busy trying to find your way, but there are ghouls and evil above and below. Definitely a lot of screams throughout the trail (and most from a 46 year old male)!! The trail has some major unexpected twists and you may find the ground carries its own surprises. We were on the trail for almost 20 minutes.

The next stop, on to the Zombus! It was great to get out of the rain and what seemed like a typical bus ride quickly revealed horrors inside. The bus drops you off at what I will refer to as the “entertainment” district. You receive a number … NO STANDING IN A LONG BORING LINE. You can walk around, try out the zombie shooting range, enjoy snacks, bonfires, music videos and burial simulator all while watching for your number to be called. Our group was escorted inside ALONE … no pesky groups to deal with while navigating the house. As seasoned attraction goers know, nothing KILLS the experience more than being crammed in with a bunch of annoying unfamiliar faces.

Once inside the first room, we knew we were in for a terrifying experience. You need to be strong and face your fears or you are not going to get out of this one! As someone who does not scare easy and attends more haunted attractions than I will ever admit, there is no way to prepare for the obstacles and horrors inside the Haunted Mansion. Think animatronics (animated huge props that come at you) are only for “big city” haunted attractions? Think again!! I usually dislike a lot of animatronics, but at the Haunted Mansion, they were used so dangerously (in a good way) that they only added to the tremendous amounts of horror inside.

In summary, if you are looking for a haunted attraction that lasts more than an hour and pushes the boundaries of fear, then the Haunted Mansion should be on your list! I would have to agree with the “Visitors Choice” and list the Haunted Mansion as one as my favorite in Wisconsin!

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment