2008 Woodie Awards
Houston's Greatest Thrills and Chills: Haunted House Reviews
Abby Haun & Susan Trawick
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: A & E
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Nightmare on the Bayou
1515 Studemont
Houston, TX 77007
www.nightmareonthebayou.com
Admission: $25
Located next to Houston's oldest graveyard, Nightmare on the Bayou sits in the Party Boy supply store complex under the watchful eye of downtown, waiting to frighten the living daylights out of visitors.
That is, if you scare easily. The attraction is separated into two separate haunted houses and two additional "side shows." Posted signs warn of dangers to pregnant women and people with heart conditions, but I was left only mildly thrilled.
The first haunted house is mostly outside and gives the impression of an abandoned construction site. If you are lucky, a masked man with a fake chainsaw follows you, hissing that you better look up and pay attention to your surroundings or that the $25 you just spent was a waste. Later, a room full of creepy-crawlies stuck to the walls frightens the entomophobic but leaves anyone without the fear of bugs merely grossed out.
The second haunted house is a definite improvement, although parts of it are still lacking. Upon entrance, visitors are given 3-D glasses and led into a room with a rocking bridge they must cross as walls painted in psychedelic, glowing colors spin around them. Trippy, yes; scary, no. The bright colors continue until you come to a section with strobe lights and escaped mental patients, which even the most jaded haunted house veteran would agree is worth a scream or two.
The two "side shows" include a head shrinking shack and a torture chamber. Although they require audience participation, a definite plus, more time was spent waiting in line than watching the actual "side shows" themselves, leaving many audience members grumbling.
If you are looking for a truly unique haunted house experience, look elsewhere.
Abby Haun
Screamworld
2225 North Sam Houston Parkway
Houston, TX 77038
www.screamworld.com
Admission: $22
My expectations were definitely high, prior to visiting ScreamWorld. The Houston Press named ScreamWorld the "Best Haunted House" of 2007 and I have been hearing about this place, from various acquaintances, for years.
The term "haunted house" does not describe ScreamWorld accurately. With concessions, arcade games and five different haunted attractions, perhaps the title of haunted amusement park would be more accurate. ScreamWorld offers an outdoor "Maze of Maniacs," "The Haunted Hotel," "Edge of Darkness," "Movie Monsters in 3-D" and the outdoor "Tobias Strange Family Cemetery."
Walking blindly through the pitch black Edge of Darkness, and having cobwebs hit my face, creepy unknown things brushing up against my legs and actors with flashlights held up to their faces popping out unexpectedly, scared me speechless. Next at the top of my ScreamWorld list is the "Tobias Strange Family Cemetery.""Movie Monsters in 3-D" and the "Maze of Maniacs" were just fillers to me. As a fan of scary movies, seeing famous movie monsters was a bit of a novelty and interesting, even if not very scary. "The Haunted Hotel" featured amazing animatronics and was an overall frightening experience but nothing spectacular.
If you are not a "visual" person or if you tend to be a skeptic of scary movies, a haunted house will be no different and you will spend most of your time laughing, rather than screaming in fear for your life. However, if you find yourself ever being afraid of the dark, pulling the covers over your eyes, or wishing you could leave the room during a scary movie, then there is a good chance that ScreamWorld will leave you with a satisfied adrenaline spike.
Susan Trawick
1515 Studemont
Houston, TX 77007
www.nightmareonthebayou.com
Admission: $25
Located next to Houston's oldest graveyard, Nightmare on the Bayou sits in the Party Boy supply store complex under the watchful eye of downtown, waiting to frighten the living daylights out of visitors.
That is, if you scare easily. The attraction is separated into two separate haunted houses and two additional "side shows." Posted signs warn of dangers to pregnant women and people with heart conditions, but I was left only mildly thrilled.
The first haunted house is mostly outside and gives the impression of an abandoned construction site. If you are lucky, a masked man with a fake chainsaw follows you, hissing that you better look up and pay attention to your surroundings or that the $25 you just spent was a waste. Later, a room full of creepy-crawlies stuck to the walls frightens the entomophobic but leaves anyone without the fear of bugs merely grossed out.
The second haunted house is a definite improvement, although parts of it are still lacking. Upon entrance, visitors are given 3-D glasses and led into a room with a rocking bridge they must cross as walls painted in psychedelic, glowing colors spin around them. Trippy, yes; scary, no. The bright colors continue until you come to a section with strobe lights and escaped mental patients, which even the most jaded haunted house veteran would agree is worth a scream or two.
The two "side shows" include a head shrinking shack and a torture chamber. Although they require audience participation, a definite plus, more time was spent waiting in line than watching the actual "side shows" themselves, leaving many audience members grumbling.
If you are looking for a truly unique haunted house experience, look elsewhere.
Abby Haun
Screamworld
2225 North Sam Houston Parkway
Houston, TX 77038
www.screamworld.com
Admission: $22
My expectations were definitely high, prior to visiting ScreamWorld. The Houston Press named ScreamWorld the "Best Haunted House" of 2007 and I have been hearing about this place, from various acquaintances, for years.
The term "haunted house" does not describe ScreamWorld accurately. With concessions, arcade games and five different haunted attractions, perhaps the title of haunted amusement park would be more accurate. ScreamWorld offers an outdoor "Maze of Maniacs," "The Haunted Hotel," "Edge of Darkness," "Movie Monsters in 3-D" and the outdoor "Tobias Strange Family Cemetery."
Walking blindly through the pitch black Edge of Darkness, and having cobwebs hit my face, creepy unknown things brushing up against my legs and actors with flashlights held up to their faces popping out unexpectedly, scared me speechless. Next at the top of my ScreamWorld list is the "Tobias Strange Family Cemetery.""Movie Monsters in 3-D" and the "Maze of Maniacs" were just fillers to me. As a fan of scary movies, seeing famous movie monsters was a bit of a novelty and interesting, even if not very scary. "The Haunted Hotel" featured amazing animatronics and was an overall frightening experience but nothing spectacular.
If you are not a "visual" person or if you tend to be a skeptic of scary movies, a haunted house will be no different and you will spend most of your time laughing, rather than screaming in fear for your life. However, if you find yourself ever being afraid of the dark, pulling the covers over your eyes, or wishing you could leave the room during a scary movie, then there is a good chance that ScreamWorld will leave you with a satisfied adrenaline spike.
Susan Trawick