2019 Abandoned Haunted House Complex Event Reviews

When people in Milwaukee ask me what haunted house they should go to, Abandoned is always my number one suggestion. Year after year, I am blown away by this haunt’s professionalism, fear factor, and constantly expanding space and ideas. This year was no exception. We had an amazing time during our visit to Abandoned!

The haunt has grown over the years to include 3 individual houses, one of which is a combination of indoor and outdoor. The space also includes a (new) axe throwing game, a souvenir shop, food, drinks, and a photo site. It is a very well maintained and managed site, with tons of parking, guides, bathrooms, and entertainment while in line. Our group all had quickpasses as well, and while it wasn’t super crowded, we experienced literally no wait at all for our haunts!

STALKER
Stalker is Abandoned’s outdoor(ish) haunt, and we chose to go through it first. We couldn’t have asked for a better night - the cool breeze rustled through the corn and the moon guided our way through. Within the corn, there was the perfect mix of spot lighting, misdirection from props, and just enough areas of “nothing” happening to build that creepy anticipation. The indoor sections were all really amazing and creative as well - we loved a trailer, a chicken coop, and the creepy coffin room. All of the scenes were incredible, and had the perfect amount of actors, who both knew when to scare and when to hold back. I especially LOVED the final scene!

HYSTERIA
This is such a long, detailed haunt - we loved the different levels you could see down into as well as the different floor types. I love how it begins, with an amazing, dramatic, foggy scene, and then uses a ton of different light types to distract and confuse you as you make your way through. There were a lot of rooms with a ton of attention to detail, and we experienced truly move-like qualities with fake snow, humidity, sounds, and smells. The actors were, again, incredible in this haunt - whispering to us through screens, remembering our names, and clicking in our ears. We also loved seeing a real mouse in this haunt (he was really cute and was obviously a beloved pet being held, not being poorly treated in any way)!

AMBUSH
This haunt had a super fun start to it with some sassy nuns! There were also a ton of startling and creepy people within it, including a girl curled up on a table and an actor who reached out to us from a really unusual place. This haunt featured a chainsaw actor as well, and my favorite scene, the subway car, which is always super unnerving. We also thought some of the actors were funny/scary in this haunt too, which I think makes for a really fun night overall. The only “downside” to this haunt was that we did experience issues with spacing, but it was toward the end!

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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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