Nestled in a sprawling, working factory in Aberdeen, North Carolina, is an attraction known as the Fear Factory. Advertised as the longest indoor haunt in NC, the Aberdeen Fear Factory (AFF) has been in operation for nine years, gradually honing their craft and skills and sets to deliver an evening of entertainment and scares to its visitors. Over 50 costumed actors stalk the dark hallways and immersive sets within the walls of AFF, waiting to startle and amaze. The AFF appears to have a good handle on delivering a night of entertainment and is a place that we would enjoy seeing grow in the years to come.
AFF is occupied by a largely volunteer cast of over 50 individuals. Some of these individuals have obviously invested a great deal of time and thought for their respective characters. While there are a lot of the standard characters one would expect to find in a haunt ‘ victims, psychopaths, clowns, hockey-mask wearing murderers ‘ there are also a few individuals that stood out as being more unique representations of the type. If guests enter AFF imagining the site as an amalgam of a mental ward full of clowns that fell into an industrial park, they’ll be well-prepared for almost everyone they meet.
We visited AFF on opening night, so the fifty actors were a minimum ‘ reportedly some nights that number can start to swell larger and larger. No word on whether those additional bodies are the remnants of guests whose minds have been shattered by fear. The costumed actors tend to skew heavily towards clowns and the theatrically insane ‘ if either of those are one of your fears, then AFF will be hitting you nearly every step of your journey.
There were a lot of screams and a few actors who relied upon oft-used lines, but there were also quite a few of them who were able to deliver quick responses, relying upon their own wit to keep our interest and the lines of dialogue flowing. There were a few occasions when we were hoping for more actors in an area but none of the rooms seemed crowded by too many bodies.
Actors are not afraid to get up close and personal. Sometimes AFF runs a full-contact show; even on regular nights, be prepared to get some light touches and leave any ideas of personal space at home.
Considering that the actors here are largely volunteers, providing much of their own makeup and costumes, it was obvious to us that the majority of them are very enthusiastic about AFF and providing entertainment to its guests.
Variety of Characters – (35% of score)
Complete, Finished Appearance – (30% of score)
Creative, Detailed Costumes – (20% of score)
Creative, Detailed, Realistic Makeup – (15% of score)
There was something of an odd spread to the costumes at AFF ‘ there were some folks whose costumes seemed incomplete, whether from lack of preparation or materials. Contrarily, there were some creatures that were covered literally head to toe, skulking across the complex and ready to appear nearly anywhere to deliver a sudden scare.
Similarly, makeup and masks, where used, tended to appear hurriedly applied and unfinished or highly realistic and complete. Our guess is that some of the volunteers on opening night had not had time to prepare fully since there were some examples of wonderfully done makeup, masks, or both. The actors who had fully kitted out costumes, makeup, or masks were very well done and quite convincing.
While many of the actors were completely within the theme of the rooms and scenes they occupied, there were a few roaming actors that would pop up in seemingly random locations or where seemed slightly out of place.
If Masks, Effective – (25% of score)
Costumes Appropriate for Scenes, Themes – (30% of score)
Easy to Find, Navigate – (25% of score)
Safety – (20% of score)
AFF is located inside the Aberdeen Speed Shop ‘ a sprawling industrial complex housing several other businesses (closed at night). It is easy to find with a large sign out front. Their digital presence is likewise handily displaying ticket information and location. The non-costumed staff seem friendly and approachable, but not all of them are knowledgeable about the Haunt itself. Visitors will need to find the appropriate people if they have any questions about the location.
Much of the haunt seems to be handicapped accessible with ramps and easy passages. There was one area with stairs and a number of narrow, dark spaces that a wheelchair would have difficulty squeezing through, but most of those seemed to have a pass-around close by.
The heavy gravel parking lot is huge and expansive. We were told that there are some nights that they have a bus available to ferry people from the back of the parking lot to the ticket area to the entrance hall. Otherwise, visitors are set to walking from the back of the building to the front and then back the other side ‘ not hard to do, but it could be daunting if the weather was poor.
Staff Professional, Helpful, Friendly – (25% of score)
Ease of Finding Info Before Arrival – (20% of score)
Obviously a Haunt Before Entering – (40% of score)
Prepared for Experience Inside – (15% of score)
While there are a number of costumed freaks and clowns that occasionally stalk the exterior of the haunt and the waiting area, there isn’t a lot of exterior d������������������cor that really screams ‘haunt’ nor that gives away the details lurking behind the walls.
Fortunately, the actors that guests do see before entering are well done and enthusiastic about getting the crowd pumped up for a night of fun.
Sound Effects Effective – (20% of score)
Creative, Original Scenes, Props – (30% of score)
Detailed Scenes – (30% of score)
Achieve, Maintain Suspension of Disbelief – (20% of score)
There were a few very well-done pieces scattered through AFF. Some of these beautifully creepy sets completely surround guests, transporting them fully into disturbing and creepy scenes. We even got to ride a couch during our visit ‘ though it only holds four people, it was still an entertaining diversion and something that we’ve never seen before. Some sets, such as the abandoned cabin, the graveyard and crypts, the swampy bayou, and the industrial hallway full of barrels, were very well put together, giving something to see or feel all around.
There was some sound bleed between scenes ‘ you could occasionally hear the screams of actors or guests, wall-pounding thumps, and the roar of chainsaws from a distance away. On many occasions, this added a bit to the darkened areas we were walking through, but sometimes it only gave away what was around the next corner.
SFX Effective at Scaring, Entertaining – (35% of score)
Could Tell What Theme Was Without Asking – (15% of score)
Theme Well Executed, Believable – (25% of score)
Location Authenticates Theme – (10% of score)
How Scary – (15% of score)
AFF doesn’t really have a single theme running throughout. Clowns, industrial scenes, madmen, Carolina swamps, demons, cemeteries and crypts, cinematic psychopaths, and carnival funhouses all await visitors behind the walls of AFF. That may certainly sound chaotic and unstructured, but the path visitors take as they traverse the thousands upon thousands of square feet within AFF moves with a certain internal rhythm, hitting horror beats with a regular pounding urgency.
It is advertised as the Fear Factory and it is located in a large factory, but aside from a few scenes within, the haunt doesn’t push forward a ‘factory’ theme this year.
Provide Scares to Entire Group – (50% of score)
How Predictable – (25% of score)
Variety of Scares – (25% of score)
The actors at AFF are one of its greatest assets. Though early scares seem to be heavily loaded towards the front of the group, by the time we were deep into the haunt, the actors were hitting every part of the group, looking for the fear in our eyes, and doing their best to crank it up. We think that small groups would be the best size for visitors to AFF or splitting up a larger group into smaller cohorts. There are definitely some areas that are meant for small groups and where a large group might lose out on everyone getting a scare.
There are a lot of jump scares at AFF ‘ sudden startles, monsters hiding around corners waiting to pounce on even the most vigilant of visitors. Like most Southern haunts, be ready to get the full sensation that chainsaws bring ‘ heavy vibration, a roaring engine, and the hot, stinky smell of exhaust.
10570 NC-211, Aberdeen, North Carolina 28315