RECAP:  A creepy butler greets visitors at the door informing them that, “This is where all your nightmares come to life!” after which he reluctantly shows them inside, where Rosa the Witch ushers them into a painted circle on the floor.  An unexpected surprise awaits, then the adventure begins through an open passageway leading into the darkness of Nightmare Manor.  A chained Werewolf lurks in the shadows lunging forward as the excursion continues down a dimly-lit corridor filled with snakes, spider webs, and an enormous black widow!  From there it’s onto a creepy doll room, where a strange young girl resides and invites you to stay and play! Exiting through a crawl space empties into a large room where a girl screams for help as she searches for her friend Haley, desperately calling her name!  Discovery finds her being held down on a gurney while Leatherface chops off her left leg, then turns his attention toward witnesses hoisting his trusty chainsaw up over his head!  Running out a back door leads into a forest infested with zombies; a scene straight out of The Walking Dead that finds the lifeless roamers coming out of hiding, crawling on the ground, and giving chase from all around. Escape across a wooden bridge is foiled first by another werewolf, then by a murky swamp that’s home to a mystifying voodoo priestess laying on curses with her bizarre chanting!  More zombies encourage entrance into the back of an abandoned school bus, but it’s been commandeered by the walkers as well, and they go into full-pursuit mode scampering across the floor, slithering out from under the seats, etc.

Back inside the Manor finds a path-blocking clown offering two choices for advancement – “You're sure to die!” and “You're still sure to die!” as he dives head first down a hidden slide! Following his lead lands you in a sponge pit for continued torment at the hands of these carnival crazies!  Up next is a hysterical, delusional girl screaming, "Look what they did to me!" as she madly pounds on the walls, seemingly embarrassed by her self-perceived disfiguration that’s followed by “A bat out of Hell" assault that witnesses Jeepers Creepers jumping down from the rafters of an old barn loft!  Still to come is a Ring reenactment that finds Samara moving away from her TV; a loudly screaming nun that first appears as a framed picture on the wall before springing to life; a visit into a secluded cavern that hides a hidden treasure protected by a contemptable pirate; and an assault by a horned devil announcing, “Welcome to my grave!" and "We're having kabobs and you're the meat!

More scenes include a green, laser-lit swamp, a frightening cemetery, and a lightless walkway where spooky whispers are heard warning, "She's gonna get you!"  From there, it’s onto some horror movie reenactments beginning with Ghostface from "Scream," who wouldn't tell us what HIS favorite scary movie is, then a brief “Saw” entrapment with a falling, spiked ceiling.  A spinning vortex occupied by Patchez the clown connects to a short run-in with Michael Myers before eluding Jason Voorhees leads to escaping the inhospitable confines of Nightmare Manor.

ANALYSIS:  Butler’s introduction does a good job of setting the stage for the scares inside.  Witch’s surprise is well done, as is hidden Werewolf on chains!  Horror film recreations are familiarly appreciated with the new Saw scene, Jeepers Creepers, and Leatherface being favorites.  Michael and Jason need a purpose and the Ring girl’s engagement could be significantly strengthened by actually seeing her emerging from the TV, crawling, and/or warning, “Seven days!”  Wrong Way cannibals refrigerator scare was very well done last season and conspicuous by its absence in 2023.  Same goes for stilted Slenderman.  Myers pursuing customers to the parking lot and in some cases back to their cars was a much stronger ending last year as well.

Crawl space and slide are cleverly incorporated into the course. Saw’s spiked, falling ceiling is another powerful addition.  Whispers in the dark provide a most unnerving scare.  Soundtrack still needs attention, especially in the second half of the experience.  Outdoor area adds to the adventure.

Best acting goes to the Chained Werewolf, Slide Clowns, Paranoid Girl, Voodoo Priestess, Devil, Butler, and the entire Leatherface gang that all did an amazing job!

The haunt stays open until 1 AM for your convenience.  Parking costs $2 and the price of admission has increased $3 this year to $20, so try to take advantage of their canned good discount, which saves $2.