2012 House of Bathory (CLOSED) Event Reviews

Another halloween season another new theme for the House of Bathory located in Manitowoc. Last year I found this haunt to be my most memorable and favorite stop last year. So I was excited to make another trip to the House of Bathory, especially when with this year's new Steven King theme. It proved to be worth the trip again with another masterpiece of fright.

New to this season along with the theme is indoor waiting. No more waiting out on the street corner. So if you're familiar with this haunt, don't mistake the lack of a crowd out front as a slow night or that it's not open. Just follow the sign and head around the corner. I was able to get in right away with no wait so I didn't see the waiting area.

When it's your time, you are brought in and given the rules. This haunt allows  touching, this is a cool feature that no other haunt we've been to has. You aren't grabbed or touched in any threatening or inappropriate way. Though an actor may yell and bump into your arm or someone will lightly touch your shoulder. It adds a realistic touch. Once you're given a lowdown. You head up the stairs, past the creepy portraits and into a world you will not forget.

Immediately you're taken into your first scene and enjoy the terrific acting the House of Bathory offers. The characters are unique from other haunts and have an excellent dialog that follows the situation you are put into. Remember, this year they have the Stephen King theme, so each room brings you into a novel of King's imagination. I left the haunt wishing I had read some of them prior to going. Though I did recognize some characters such as the crazy nurse from Misery and, of course, the creepy clown from IT.

Each scene offers a great setting with care to detail. Bringing the scene to life is the terrific characters and their dialog. What always strikes me with the House of Bathory is the terrific performance they get out of children actors. I was taken in by the teenage actors, as you will find out in the scene taken from Carrie.

Since it's from Stephen King there's plenty of fright. I wish I could go into detail of the scenes but I don't want to ruin the surprises. My wife has always been my gauge of how scary a haunt is. We were sent through a situation where we could not see and as we kept moving forward it became harder to get through without almost crawling.  The ending to this situation was so good that  she had tears in her eyes and was truly frightened. At the end of the haunt my wife, and the teenage girl we went through with, both ran flying past me into the street screaming. A tell tale sign of a good haunt.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Most Memorable Moment

Ever wonder what it would feel like to be in the center a real horror movie? The House of Bathory, located downtown Manitowoc, will catch you off guard like no other Haunted Attraction in Wisconsin. There is no more waiting outside, as a new creepy indoor waiting room has been added. Also if you are 21 and up, you can enjoy some food and spirits while you wait at the Fat Seagull. The House of Bathory is unlike any other haunted attraction. Each room is theatrically set with the most precise detail. Customer involvement is mandatory, and there is no hiding behind your friends. The sign clearly states that this is a "Full Contact" Haunted House. Those of you who think you are brave, because they can't "hurt you" ... think again! The Actor's performance is very genuine, I am certain that when the lights go on they all go back to their grave yard or some twisted home for the living dead. The scenes are not filled with animatronics, and they are not covered with fake blood and bodies (those items are just used as "fillers" at other Haunted Attractions). Everything and everyone you see in each scene is real! You will be forced into tight quarters, thrown down a slide, and guided through a haunted basement. The crowd control is excellent, and they only allow one group through the entire Haunt at a time. The entire "act" (and I call it an "act" because it is not just a house you walk through) lasts about 23 minutes. You will not find another Haunted Attraction in Wisconsin that is similar to The House of Bathory. You will still see some classic "favorite scares", but most of the Haunt is "impromptu". The theme this year is predominantly "classic horror movies", so if you ever wondered what it would be like to experience a REAL life horror, visit The House of Bathory and discover if you or live ... or die.