At Madison’s most prominent haunted house you’ll be grabbed by so many pairs of hands you may wonder if you’re reliving your first co-ed middle school party. Despite the creators’ efforts to create a bone-chilling experience, visitors may find journeying through the labyrinths of Horror in the Dark a bit less frightening than progressing past first base.
Staged in a shed-like building near the Alliant Energy Center, the house exudes an ominous atmosphere as visitors stand in line — especially when a chainsaw-wielding madman chases after every other group that leaves. I witnessed the aforementioned stunt drive a little girl to tears (and nearly elicit the same reaction from one of my friends).
Inside the house, lightless hallways connect themed rooms where visitors encounter a collection of all-too-“friendly” characters. The most memorable actors include a doom-predicting psychic and a demon who demands your soul before revealing the exit to his lair.
As is the case with most haunted houses, the most frightening aspect of Horror in the Dark is the element of surprise. Masked men jump out of dark corners, screeching at the visitors who blindly grope through the maze. Arms reach out from between the cushions of the couch that groups must sit upon.
The standard combination of pitch-black hallways, shrieks and surprise attacks is sufficiently alarming for most of the trek. However, during my visit, the final room in the house nearly ruined the entire experience.
Bands of white cloth cascaded from the ceiling of this room, and a strobe light flashed, producing a disorienting effect that made it difficult to locate the exit.
After more than 10 minutes of searching for a way out with other lost groups, my friends and I attempted to ask a slightly unhinged knockoff of Samara from “The Ring” where to go. She broke character completely, responding to us rudely and screaming obscenities. Was she possessed by a demon, or simply put over the edge by one unintelligent visitor too many? We may never know.
Discounting this incident, Horror in the Dark still delivered somewhat spooky, campy fun — no matter how formulaic.
Horror in the Dark is put on annually by the Madison Metro Jaycees. It is open from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1. Tickets are $8, and part of this year’s proceeds will go toward the Madison Area Community Land Trust.
