Area haunts offer blood curdling horror for adrenaline junkies of all ages
From killer clowns to murderers in the woods with chainsaws, haunted houses all around the Valley offer a surplus of opportunities for spooks and screams. For those brave souls ready to face their fears (and wet their pants) on a local scale, Oshkosh and the surrounding areas offer numerous panic-filled opportunities. The Burial Chambers in the Fox Valley is the closest destination of dread.
For scare seeker Aura Wallace, the location is just a bonus to keep her coming back.
“I came here last year too,” she said. “And I really liked the whole thing, so I came again.”
For others, like Tegan Barfknecht, terror has become a bonding experience
“My friends and I go almost every year,” she said. “I just wanted to have a great night with them, and this was a fun way to do it.”
Newcomers like Maudrine Clarkson must face the unknown to conquer the shadows inside.
“I was kind of nervous because I have a huge phobia of spiders and snakes,” she said. “But overall it was super exciting!”
Burial Chambers offers four possible nightmare attractions for customers thirst for fear: Adrenaline, Insanity, Phobia, and a Trapped Buried Alive Experience. Each offers a different set of triggers. There is also an I-Spy Experience offered that gives attendees the opportunity to win free Fast Passes or a quick trip through the lines. The estimated wait time for each is 20 to 30 minutes, with the actual wait time ranging from 15 to 20 minutes. For some, this dampers the mood.
“Last year the lines took like two minutes,” said Wallace. “This year they have been taking a very long time.”
However, the location offers an abundance of other activities to pass the time, including concessions, actors scaring people all around, and a Halloween-related film playing on a projector large enough for everyone to see.
For Barfknecht, these details make Burial Chambers stand out from the rest.
“They do a better job, and they have the music playing and everything,” she said. “There's a lot more detail at Burial Chambers compared to other haunted houses I've been to.”
Around 30 minutes away, Berlin offers a three-attraction experience called A New Kind Of Hell. This year’s theme features various well-known serial killers and their places of murder, such as Ed Gein’s Shed, John Gacy’s Crawlspace, and a Jeffrey Dahmer Buffet. The attraction also admits new patients into their Asylum and features real haunted artifacts waiting to be found throughout.
For horror hunter Tanya Charles, the detailed appearance of the attractions got the fear rushing.
“The decorations and costumes were amazing,” she said. “There were parts where you had to crawl through on your hands and knees; it was an adrenaline-rushing experience.”
The lines for this event took around 30-45 minutes and offered fast passes for those looking for a speedy spook. Yet, the experience and scare actors proved worth the wait.
“I love how local A New Kind Of Hell feels,” attraction attendee Richard Punch said. “You can really tell that the staff enjoys what they're doing and puts a lot of thought and effort into this event.”
Even if the events didn’t necessitate a change of pants, they still offer a fun environment.
“It’s not quite as scary as some of the other haunted houses I've been to,” Halloween connoisseur Michael Punch said. “But it had a fun and friendly atmosphere and made for a great night.”
A New Kind of Hell runs every year at $16 for admissions and is recommended for teens and up, but that’s only a suggestion.
The Realm of Darkness, located in Kaukauna, offers 16 sets of scares within one large haunted house, with a brand new Blackout Event for those looking to really get their socks knocked off. The sets range from a broken elevator ride to a haunted corn maze, a favorite for many.
“My favorite part was definitely the maze at the end,” Cindy Carson said. “With the strobe lights and overall atmosphere, it created a super horrifying experience that I won't forget.”
The cost of admission is $13 with fast pass tickets at $23. The wait time is around 30 minutes, however, the event offers a snack bar and a bonfire to pass the time and keep attendees warm. And of course, scare actors walk around to jump scare at any given moment. For local Ross Quick, the wait time and prices were worth it.
“I liked this haunted house because it was actually scary and worth the money and the wait,” he said.
Overall, the attraction provided the local masses with a terrifying experience, especially for newcomer Sean Dobbins.
“This was my first time at a haunted house,” he said. “The staff treated you as you would expect; they were very scary and I had a great time.”
By Delaney Smith
Oshkosh West index Volume 119 Issue II
October 31 2022