2010 House of Bathory (CLOSED) Event Reviews

I first must admit that I was super excited to go to a haunt that combined two of my absolute favorite things, Alice in Wonderland and haunted houses.  I loved the terrain changes and all the crawling, sliding, and squeezing that came along with these changes.  The vortex was wonderful and you were lead into it through a room that was decorated the same with people who blended into  the walls of both.  In my opinion, these actors worked wonderfully to entertain their guests.  There were many scenes that very interesting to visit, including a room where Alice seems to grow taller and shorter right in front of your eyes!  The combination of Wonderland characters and movie serial killers including Jason Voorhees seemed a bit odd but actually worked well.  They definitely got great screams out of our group.  Overall, this is a  haunt like one you have never seen before, part play, part haunt, and all extremely eerie fun.  I highly suggest taking the trip down the rabbit hole into the House of Bathory.

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The House Of Bathory is unlike any haunt I've ever been to.  Across the board, they stand out from all the others.  I was a little worried with the location being downtown Manitowoc.  I like my haunts in the middle of no-where, as it helps set the mood!  But what they lacked for in location, they made up for in creativity!

One of the big differences is the theme of the haunt.  It centers around Alice In Wonderland.  I never really thought of that story as spooky or even remotely scary.  That all changed after attending this haunt.  It's very interactive, making you a part of what's happening.

As we were about to enter the haunt, something happened where they said it would still be a few minutes.  As we waited, one of the employees entertained us with a baby monster puppet.  It was great!  I don't know how many times she had to put on a little show like that with the puppet, but she was great.  I was highly entertained! 

Once we were allowed inside the haunt, we were ushered into a room where we sat down at a large table.  The mad hatter was there, as well as the rabbit.  They made small talk and really took the time to set you up for a big scare that was about to happen.  This happened several times!  Tweedledee and Tweedledum also set us up for another scare.  I sure wasn't expecting it when it happened!   

One thing to note: At this attraction, they are allowed to touch you.  I can't recall the last haunt I've been to where that was allowed.  It startled me!

Another strength of this haunt is their use of sounds and music.  This was the only haunt that I attended this year that played some old school, scary music.  Loved it!  They also used several iconic monsters throughout, mixing the Alice In Wonderland story with more of the traditional monsters that we associate Halloween with.

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In my opinion, the House of Bathory is a definite must see. I first attended this haunt three years ago and have gone back every year to the point where it is now my favorite. They incorporate a lot of the old school haunt. I will warn you they do touch you in there. They are also very interactive. In every scene, they make you feel as though you are apart of it. Just by having you crawl through tight spaces or answering questions that the monsters or demons have for you.

This year they went with the Alice in Wonderland theme. They did a really great job at keeping the theme throughout the entire house. However, I wouldn't exactly call it a Wonderland. You can't even begin to imagine what is waiting for you around the next corner.

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Creative, innovative, intimate, imaginative and startling.

This year's House of Bathory is darkly themed around the recent Alice in Wonderland movie, and its characters and sets represent that story nicely.

This is the first and only haunt I've visited this season that holds one theme throughout, and that made the trip through it very different and enjoyable.

The journey through the house takes you through multiple rooms on different floors that will bring you into direct interactions with the principle characters of Alice in Wonderland, except with startling twists and turns. They aren't quite what you saw on screen anymore.

Your trip through the House of Bathory is at a leisurely pace and staff do a good job of creating distance between tour groups so that you may not run into one another.

Visitors should be aware that some crawling and climbing throughout your tour is required.

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House of Bathory is back again and they continue to go above and beyond every year. The theme this year is, "Alice in Wonderland", but do not expect tea and cookies at this party. It's in your face, or rather I should say "beyond in your face". (Yes, this IS a touch haunted house. If that bothers you, then I recommend going elsewhere). What makes the House of Bathory such a success is the outstanding actors, fine detail, and unique creative designs. The actors are primarily high school age or younger. Think the younger ones can't scare? Think again! Every actor is there on a volunteer basis because they live to scare year round! They even open the Haunt in the summer and may open it in December as well. This isn't your typical 4 weekends and its over ... they live for this stuff.

The Mad Hatter invited us to dinner and he had us laughing and trembling. The details of the rooms do not consist of your typical electronic, technologically advanced props. Most of the rooms and hallways appeared to be something you would see in a classic horror movie. The "Alice in Wonderland" theme flowed flawlessly from start to finish with an added bonus "scene" at the very end! There are no concessions and the wait outside has some ghouls wandering around, but as "Dead by Dawn" explains on their website ... they are not there to serve warm doughnuts, they are there to "scare the S*%@" out of you. And that is exactly what they do best!

We were fortunate enough to go when the wait wasn't very long, but I know from previous years the wait can be long. However, the wait is well worth it as they specifically make sure that every room is properly prepared for each victim. You will never have to worry about being rushed or running into another group. The staging of the haunt is meant to play out like a movie rather than herding cattle through hallways and glancing at rooms. According to the website if you are 21 or older you can buy your tickets at the door and wait at a nearby bar until bartender summons you. PLEASE make sure to bring a designated driver if that is the route you choose. At only $15 a ticket you can't afford NOT to attend this haunt, no matter where you are coming from. I am uncertain the EXACT length of the haunt, but we estimated it at about 25-30 minutes! My group is already making plans for a second visit this year!