Immersive Review Rundown: Spooky Season Gets Even Stranger

When are FIVE reviews really SIX — when one of them is doing double duty, covering two LA staples. Or maybe we should count this up to SEVEN, as in Pennsylvania The Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride are glued to the hip.

So yes, SEVEN, SEVEN SPOOKY reviews. Ah. Ah. Ah.

Let’s roll!

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The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride
$45+; Glen Mills, PA; through Nov 2.

There’s something very Jazz Hands! about The Bates Motel, and I mean that in the best way possible.

The actors are the most earnest local high school kids, who even for the random Tuesday I visited were giving it their absolute all. The sets on the haunted hayride are mammoth, all originals with narrow passageways loaded with pyrotechnics and massive, unique animatronics, to the point where they evoke a Disneyland charm in addition to shrieks and thrills. The lot that it’s parked on is haunted by an insult comic clown who just kept screaming “IT GUY! IT GUY!” every time I passed to mock my collared shirt. Everything is tuned to such a pitch that the sincere desire to entertain and delight is as apparent as the smell of apple cider donuts on the wind.

The three attractions, a hayride, corn maze, and haunted house, all feel like they could be the main attraction somewhere else. For a weeknight, nothing seemed to be in B-mode, every scare firing on full cylinders. Frankly, for Halloween marathoners, I would recommend a weeknight for the low lines and individualized attention a lack of crowds allows.

As I walked out, I considered what I could possibly say “no” to, and all that came to mind is that the hay was a little thin on the hayride cart. This is the level of polish, and dare I say love, that has clearly gone into shaping the attraction. Bates Motel is a time-machine to theatre kid days gone by, and perhaps the Philadelphia-area haunt that best evokes the spirit of the season.

–Blake Weil, East Coast Curator at Large

Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary
$40+; Philadelphia; Through Nov 8

Halloween Nights continues to be delightful in much the same way that it has been since it’s grand revamp in 2021. Now more tastefully in line with the historical prison’s mission than the previous scream-fest Terror Behind the Walls, the event has the air of a festival, with strolling performers, bonfires and s’mores, cabarets, and photo-ops. The light immersive character interactions continue to be a fun diversion for more adventurous guests.

Of particular note this year is their new house, “Dark Tides,” playing with both more traditional nautical horror and vague The Shadow Over Innsmouth transformation and corruption. While not necessarily the most horrifying house they’ve ever done, it certainly is their most lavish, with gorgeous costumes, one of the best spinning tunnel gags I’ve ever seen, and beautifully dressed animatronics.

Of some mild concern this year is the shift from a free-roam event to a one-way path through the event. Without the ability to roam, pacing feels off. With two cabarets and a dance pavillion in the very back of the event, they no longer offer the opportunity for relaxation between houses that they used to. It also makes the event less viable for the spooky-curious that it used to serve best of the haunted houses. In addition to less opportunity to wander and enjoy the atmosphere, actors have gotten significantly more aggressive in an attempt to make up for what was lost. While I understand the need to keep crowds flowing and reduce lines, I wonder if even restructuring the order of events would ease some of the tensions this new rule has caused.

Nonetheless, the event continues to be one of the best in the Philadelphia region. Where perhaps it was a buffet, now it’s an ice cream sundae of Halloween delights, horror and camp and theatrics and cozy Autumn vibes all piled one on top of the other. For those who enjoy every flavor of the season, Halloween Nights is still a trip well worth taking.

–Blake Weil, East Coast Curator at Large

Haunted Soiree, Meyer2Meyer
$48+; Glendale, CA, now through Nov 1

For years, the creative minds at Meyer2Meyer have been haunting the City of Angels with their yearly spirited offering and it’s become quite a fan-favorite! Once named House of Spirits, this re-imagined event features breath-taking performances, nightmare-inducing costumes and, of course, delicious spirits. While the show is simultaneously occurring in Seattle, this article refers to the Los Angeles location.

Speaking of spirits, this year’s gathering is a little different than what we’re used to from this experience, so allow me to break it down so you know what to expect. Firstly, the drinks are not included in the ticket price. If you purchase Inner Circle admission, you receive a welcome cocktail, an intimate close-up performance that includes one more drink, and happy hour pricing (drinks average $14, with happy hour pricing setting them at $9). Another main difference is that all cocktails are available at all bars (second floor wine bar excluded). It’s wonderful to have so many options at every location, but it does increase the wait time to order, so bring your patient panda hat.

General admission to this event gets you front-row seats (should you choose to sit in them) to some pretty dynamic performances in their theater in the round, interactions with their over-the top creatures, a scavenger hunt, and let’s not overlook the vibes. The theme this year is Vampires, and it pairs well with their fall show Dracula (running now through November 2nd).

Personally, my natural sense of curiosity and completionism drew me immediately toward the scavenger hunt. Lovingly named the “Creature Hunt,” this immersive hunt has you scanning QR codes to decode clues that lead you to creatures, who in turn give you more clues to find more creatures. Along the way, you are given tokens to return to the host and claim your reward. We found it to be slightly confusing at times, but an amazing way to see these incredible costumes up-close, interact with some fabulous performers, and cover a lot of ground. Although, should you decide a nice seat in an air-conditioned theater is more your speed, there is no shortage of entertainment in the main theater that will leave you spell-bound.

As a 21+ event, I would recommend this to couples for a fun, spooky date night, even small groups would enjoy roaming these gothic halls to take in the spirits.

— Briana Roecks, LA & Social Media Correspondent

House of the Exquisite Corpse V: Blood & Puppets —
Rough House Puppet Arts
$36; Chicago, IL; Through Nov. 1

Performing at Steppenwolf Theatre’s Garage Space, Rough House Puppet Arts (rebranded from Rough House Theater Co.) kicks off Spooky Season in Chicago with the fifth entry in their House of the Exquisite Corpse series. Like years previous, audiences leer through six different partitions while wearing headphones to witness puppet horror peep shows. In this iteration, subtitled Blood & Puppets, while the vignettes are thematically interlinked, each is incredibly different in production design, performance presentation, and narrative storytelling.

For Blood & Puppets, the noteworthy changes to the Exquisite Corpse formula rests in the creative team lineup. Artistic Director Clarie Saxe serves as a producer, handing over directorial duties to veteran puppeteers Felix Mayes and Corey Smith. Similarly, many of the vignettes are from newcomers, the next generation of puppeteers. Essentially, there’s been a heavy injection of new blood.

This year’s stunning standout piece is Blood & Letting from creators madigan burke and Nina D’Angie. This vignette tells a tragic tale of twins in the womb falling prey to a succubus. Heightening the tale is a creepy child narrator and a baby-doll masked, candy striper outfitted performer who’s shadow casting imagery in a blood-filled tank. Yet what elevates this experience is audiences having to put their arm through a hole to squeeze a latex ball, simulating the act of giving blood. It’s an intense act of vulnerability that’s palpably terrifying as the audience’s fate becomes intertwined with the twins. And Blood & Letting never pumps the breaks, going full throttle into a spellbinding finale that must be witnessed to be horrifically believed.

Another noteworthy entry is Blood & Memory by creators Chih-Jou Cheng and Charlie Malave. It’s a soulful vignette that allows audiences to easily lose themselves in its imagery. But bringing it together is a gracefully fluid performance that blurs the line between puppet and performer, a masterfully mixed combination presented by Tia Pinson. Additionally, Blood & Ruin stands out as an expertly executed presentation of classic puppeteering. Created and performed by Justin D’Acci and Vim Hile, the vignette’s massive scale has a stunning level of detail, eliciting an inescapable sense of desperation and dread.

Yet there’s an element present in nearly every vignette that’s historically omitted from Exquisite Corpse productions: the puppeteers themselves. In each vignette puppeteers are clearly visible or easily noticeable through their black coverings and clothing, particularly their faces. While seeing the puppeteers didn’t subtract anything from these vignettes, certainly nothing was added as a level of theatrical magic is stifled. I’ve found the most memorable Exquisite Corpse pieces are those where audiences are unable to discern any puppeteers’ presence and influence. It’s like seeing the strings holding up the assistant in a magician’s levitation act — it’s more awe inspiring when audiences cannot discern the illusion’s practical execution. In seeing the puppeteers, it prevents the puppets from transcending to a state beyond their theatrical limitations.

Regardless of the puppeteers’ physical presence, House of the Exquisite Corpse V is a fantastic amalgamation of Rough House’s work in creating unique puppets and bold stories. Rough House delivers a masterfully crafted and delightfully terrifying Spooky Season experience that’ll enthrall audiences old and new.

– Patrick B. McLean, Chicago Curator & Remote Experiences Editor

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor — Thirteenth Floor
$39+ and $59+; Los Angeles and Long Beach, CA
Now through Nov 2

Rush hour traffic and finding parking at Trader Joe’s notwithstanding, there’s arguably no one bringing a higher volume of horror to Southern California this time of year than Thirteenth Floor. They’re the production giant responsible for transforming two iconic locales into humongous Halloween attractions, Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park, and the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor: Summoned by the Sea in Long Beach. They’re 31 miles apart, but on the surface they’re marketed similarly, both featuring haunted mazes, shows and immersive elements. So what makes them different?

Nestled into an Interstate 5-adjacent picnic area along Griffith’s Park eastern edge, Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is the less intense, family-friendlier offering. It evokes a bit of homegrown harvest festival fun with its signature attraction, the titular hayride, complete with bales of hay seating and even pulled by an actual tractor. But that’s where the wholesome tradition turns dark, as we take a ride through the fictional town of Midnight Falls and learn the dark secrets that lurk in the shadows. There’s a few fun special effects, and some of its citizens will get nice and close to your ride, but you’d have to be pretty jumpy to feel anywhere near terrified.

Haunted Hayride’s other experiences and creatures also skew toward less scary, even humorous and just a touch risque. A perfect example of this is their new maze featuring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, which gets a little spooky, a little sexy, and a lot campy. Another is the Monte Revolta musical spectacular, where a band of the living dead performs humorous covers of songs blended seamlessly with live reenactments of iconic horror movies and moments.

Big heads-up: Haunted Hayride is a dry event, further underscoring the age-inclusive vibe, but while that means beverage offerings are less spirited, they’re still seasonal and plentiful. A big highlight is the hot apple cider from the Midnight Falls Cider Mill, which feels like a warm hug on a crisp evening, topped by an apple cider donut that made me want to light a candle and put on my coziest sweater.

Across town, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is the more grown-up and intense offering. Creatively it draws heavily from the historic ship’s past, both real and invented, bringing to life the rumored souls who haunt the ship in more gruesome experiences and terrifying imagery. With six mazes to thrill, musical and variety performances, carnival games, rides, and additional add-on attractions including axe throwing and a pirate shoot-out, this experience packs in moderate scares with plenty to do. The crowd for this event skews 21+ and is great for groups or couples.

If liquid courage helps you through haunted events, you’ll be relieved to know booze is amply available, which leads us to one of Dark Harbor’s most unique offerings: hidden speakeasies inside the mazes. This year, four mazes feature a premium experience where specially purchased tokens allow you to enter a marked bonus room, where you can step away from the scares and purchase a signature cocktail. There’s different drinks in each maze, including non-alcoholic choices, and the two shipboard locations are incredible — the Infirmary speakeasy is a highlight, taking you down an elevator to explore the ship’s vast hull. From sipping with spirits fathoms below to dining with demon chefs, they’re a fun way to even further immerse yourself in the story of the mazes, and maybe find respite in the chaos.

Thirteenth Floor also offers the scare-free, family-friendly walkthrough attraction Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns in Palos Verdes so that whatever your vibe is this fall, they’ve got you covered.

— Briana Roecks, Social Media Correspondent

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