While the early bird may get the worm the early haunt goer definitely gets the best scares at Abandoned! For the first time in my 30+ years of touring haunted houses I was able to score the pole position for Abandoned's Hysteria and Ambush adventures. (Surprisingly the Friday evening traffic through the I-94 construction between Milwaukee and Abandonded wasn't nearly as bad as it was a few months ago.) As a result of my good travel fortunes I was able to score a prime viewing spot for "The Rising" in addition to be the first ones to tour Hysteria and Ambush. If you're considering arriving early (prior to 6:45pm) to abandoned...DO IT! The parade of monsters and theatrics you'll witness will absolutely blow your mind!

Okay, for starters, let's just cut to the chase. If you're reading this review you fall into one of three categories. (1) Never been to a haunted house before; (2) Been to a haunted house but not Abandoned; (3) you've toured Abandoned in that past.

For those of you in Category (1)...if you or someone in your group is under the age of 10 you may want to think twice before touring Hysteria and Ambush. This haunt should not be taken lightly as you won't find a scarier haunt in Wisconsin! "The Rising" and Stalker are a little less intense and may be a better option to start with for those looking to test their courage.

For those of you in Categories (1) and (2), if you're capable of being scared (i.e. you're not 100% fearless) this haunt WILL scare you. If this haunt doesn't scare you, or at least make you jump on several occasions, it's very unlikely any haunt in Wisconsin will do that for you either. If you're a gore goer, appreciate a keen attention to elaborate detail or techno-scare junky like me Abandoned will NOT disappoint you.

For those of you in Category (3), Abandoned’s scare tactics have not changed in 2019. (i.e. walk-through style in your face scares with brief encounters with ghouls) You'll be pleasantly surprised with how many NEW techno-scares await in Hysteria as well as a few new twists in Ambush. (I'm still buzzing with excitement over the new Castle Room...it's SENSATIONAL!) 2019 was my 4th consecutive year visiting Abandoned and my most favorite edition yet!

Miscellaneous thoughts you might find helpful:

* Ever wondered how many ghouls await you at a haunt or what they all look like? If so, Abandoned gives you this chance every night at 6:45pm with "The Rising". Simply put "The Rising" will AMAZE you with how many elaborately made up monsters are onsite to scare you silly. Not to mention the spectacle of the parade is definitely worth the price of admission for it! (side note: viewing the parade is free and is certainly worth checking out!)

* You may have read that Abandoned is comprised of 3 haunts (...named Hysteria, Ambush and Stalker) In my opinion, there are actually only 2 haunts here. The best way to describe Hysteria and Ambush is one haunt with an intermission in the middle. You can't pay for each of these haunts separately like you can Abandoned's Big Brother Haunt Burial Chamber. NOR, are you forced to get back in a long line after you complete Hysteria. While you may notice a slightly different theme between the two sections of the haunt the scare style remains the same.

* While the terrifying tours through Hysteria and Ambush are all inside the waiting area is not. Stalker's horrifying haunt includes both an outdoor creepy corn maze and demented dwellings. Definitely DO come dressed for the elements

* This haunt does NOT offer numbered tickets. To enter the haunts, non-FASTPASS haunt goers must wait in a very slow moving line that's exposed to the elements. (The wait line entertainment is the best I've experienced though!) If you'd rather have your toe nails slowly ripped off than stand in a slow moving line I definitely recommend purchasing the FASTPASS!

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