Final Scores – By Category:

Cast (20% of Final Score): 9.37

Costuming (10% of Final Score): 8.48

Customer Service (10% of Final Score): 9.36

Immersion (10% of Final Score): 8.09

Special Effects (15% of Final Score): 8.5

Scare Factor (20% of Final Score): 9

Entertainment & Value (15% of Final Score): 8.81

Hide This

Final Scores – By Attraction:

Asylum X: 8.86

Yes, yes, yes! This was exactly the madness we signed up for – Asylum X Haunted House in Fort Smith, Arkansas, delivered a wild, immersive experience that had us questioning who the real crazies were: the patients, the staff, or maybe even us for coming here! From the moment we arrived, we knew we were in for something special… and yes, the bugs crawling around were VERY real!

But trust us, the creepy crawlies are the least of your worries. Once you’re admitted, the real challenge is escaping, as the deranged staff (if we can even call them that) and maniacal patients aren’t too keen on letting anyone out. For our visit, we decided to take things up a notch by wearing glowing lights around our necks – a clear signal that we were okay with being touched. We still aren’t quite sure what possessed us to make that choice, but when a clingy clown latched onto one of our legs like a needy ex, we knew there was no turning back!

With a rancid-smelling suitcase in hand, it was time to see whether we were visiting or about to become permanent residents. Spoiler: it’s a little hard to tell when this level of insanity surrounds you!

If there’s one thing Asylum X has, it’s a cast of characters that can only be described as… well, unhinged! From the moment we stepped through the doors, we were bombarded by a relentless crew of deranged doctors, twisted nurses(?), and absolutely bonkers patients who had zero chill. We suppose they were fresh out of those types of medications (we found out later that a nine-iron works rather well).

This crew was fully immersed in their roles, and no matter what we threw at them, they never missed a beat! From start to finish, they had something clever or completely deranged to say – and they stayed locked into character the entire way through. We even returned a second time to look at some props with the owner throughout (not as regular customers), and they were still in character! Bravo!

Right off the bat, the receptionist was not amused when we hadn’t filled out our paperwork (even though no one gave us anything to write with). We tried writing with our glow sticks, but when that didn’t work, she became more perturbed by our attempts to interject comedy. The level of annoyance in her voice made us question our sanity before we even began. A distraught patient in the same room acted like we’d run over her dog, leaving us apologizing for a crime we didn’t commit.

Each cast member did something unique, with supercharged energy that never gave up. One doctor frantically handed us some bloody intestines, only to freak out seconds later, accusing us of holding something that wasn’t ours. His disgusted reaction, “Why would you even do that?!” – confused us. What just happened? After we quickly launched them back into an open cadaver on the table, he was convinced we were the crazy ones and directed us to the therapist’s office. How dare he think we’re crazy?

While many of these characters made major impressions on us, a few additional stand-out interactions include performances from Dr. Kress and a man missing his legs, who grabbed his unattached limb while screaming, “They took my legs!” – safe to say, we had no idea how to respond to that one. The lunatic with the AED who tried to charge us, the patient who threw their teddy at us, and the morgue dweller also expelled great energy and believable performances!

Before getting inside, we were met by Piddles and Puddles, two resident clowns who welcomed us with their unsettling charm before we could get out of the parking lot. They set the tone for the madness as they crawled and ran about on the ground and climbed onto the rooftop!

Clearly, they lived for the chaos, and they made sure we were pulled right into it.

Asylum X had a variety of different costumes going on. But most were mainly blood-covered patients and staff wearing scrubs. Their skin was dirty in appearance, and blood stains dripped down onto the scrubs they had probably been given the day they were admitted into the asylum.

In the queue area, we were greeted by Puddles and Piddles, both wearing dirtied and layered clown costumes. Of course, Asylum X was made grungy and dirty, which looked great! It definitely made us less likely to trust the clowns crawling at us through the parking lot. Their energy, greasy makeup, and costumes made us feel like we had shown up to a deranged circus like no other.

We were rushed into the registration area of the asylum, where a registration clerk was losing her mind! Fill out your paperwork! She wore a white button-down shirt, black tie, and black skirt. She looked like a completely normal person until we noticed the blood she was drenched in. Her performance was intense, and her costume was very believable.

On our journey through the asylum, we encountered various patients. One had live roaches on her! Yep, you’d have to be crazy to be doing that! Maybe they were her friends? The doctor was well-dressed in a tie and apron, but the blood of his last patient was splattered across him! Patients were also seen in straight jackets. One was on a bungee, bouncing around the room with a menacing laugh!

We also noticed a few masks being used, such as a pig skin face and a skull mask. There was also a large mouth appliance with a mouth full of sharp teeth! Mostly, the theme was a dirty and lived-in appearance with ratted hair, lots of blood, and some rot here and there.

As we prepared for our trip, we found most of the information we needed on the haunt’s Facebook page. We didn’t see a website, but they stay active on social media, providing information on upcoming events with some cool posts. Tickets can be purchased online or at the ticket booth.

Our Google Maps had no trouble finding the address. It led us to a small gravel lot with free, limited, self-service parking. The building had a lit banner, but that was the only sign we noticed for the attraction. We would like to see more lighting and signs to mark the destination. Lord knows we could sure hear the screams, though!

The ticket booth was marked, and merchandise was sold near the entrance. Friendly and helpful staff greeted us, were always nearby, and ensured we understood the rules before entering. Even the security guard was welcoming! This was an easy haunt to navigate, and we didn’t notice any trip hazards or anything like that. Unless the patients squiggling around on the floor count?

Before we even put our car in park at Asylum X, a clown appeared in the window of our car, giving us a McDonald’s order. We can respect a clown who keeps their money within the clown community, but Ronald wasn’t the one we were there to see; we laughed hysterically once we recovered from that jump scare!

While the building may not look like your typical asylum outside, Piddles and Puddles, the clown team was there to assure us that we were in the right place and help comfort us while we waited to see the doctor by untying our shoes and giving us their best bloody smiles. Have you ever seen a clown crawl all over a building, including on the roof? We have! Before entry, we were given possibly the stinkiest suitcase of all time, and a loud siren indicated it was our turn at last. Before we took that first step inside, they told us, make sure you don’t lose the suitcase… it’s your only way out! Uh… oh…

Even though the building didn’t resemble a traditional asylum on the outside, once inside, there was no mistaking the haunt as anything other than an asylum as every scene detail and character was always on theme. This immersed us throughout the entire haunt and kept our energy up, scene after scene.

The haunt spat us back out into the parking lot, but don’t forget that they have gifts available in the same spot as the ticket booth, so after you exit, feel free to wind back around for a souvenir! There was also a tarot reader in this area during our visit.

Several scenes in, after making it past reception, they had us handling slimy, wet guts that immediately gave an intense and visceral ick. That was followed up by a Poo-casso painter using, you guessed it, poop to paint the walls of his bathroom. Don’t eat dinner right before coming!

We were delighted to see some over-the-top scene-building, which was a continuous theme throughout the haunt. Some of the rooms were filled with medical equipment (mostly real) while others were taken over by office equipment that you’d expect for an admin section of a hospital, and they even had a complete library for patients to read when they weren’t busy torturing us – which, was like, never!

Lighting was strong throughout the haunt, elevating scenes and adding a level of dread and intrigue. Some scenes had fog so thick we couldn’t see the person in front of us, with only the dim lights diffusing through the fog to guide us. The inmates made full use of anything they could get their hands on, lobbing stuffed animals and threatening to shock us with a defibrillator!

As we made our way through, we wiggled through boxes of files, past a wall covered in tons of words, through a suitcase fort, in front of some morgue drawers (one opened on its own, and some soapy suds were overfilling onto the floor! When sounds were heard, they were realistic and added to the scenes.

We were terrified from the moment we sat down in the receptionist’s office to the time we were running out of the exit! The actors, special effects, and scene-building came together in an awe-inducing combination that left us screaming the entire time!

We navigated the borderline claustrophobic hallways, making our way through doctors, hospital managers, and demented patients. The denizens were irate, demanding, threatening, and jacked the hell up! Most were not pleased with us, no matter what we said or did. We’re fairly certain they all have a diagnosis of being demented! They came at us with shock sticks, bungee-ed at us from above, trapped us in a cage, and had us reeling from giant cockroaches, bloody guts, and strange encounters. This place was off the hook, literally! We had so much fun screaming in there! Also, since we strapped on those shiny glow sticks around our necks, they touched us quite a bit! So, if you want that extra intensity, we recommend strapping one on, too!

Before the finale, we were tricked into being a little silly to shake out all our fears and jump around. Spoiler Alert: The next clown we encountered asked us to help them start their motorcycle and make the engine noises for them, encouraging us to be as loud as we could. This provided a surprisingly effective cover for the starting chainsaw engine and crazed clown who chaotically chased us out of the haunt! We sure didn’t notice that one was coming! You gotta watch out for those double-c’s (clown with a chainsaw)!

We experienced the madness of Asylum X Haunted House for 17.5 minutes. Notice, we said experience. Every room tugged at a fear that we had or didn’t even know we had! At 17.5, their MPD score is 0.70. While this is below the average of 1, which we like to see most often, the immersion, quality, and cast members made this haunt shine so bright it was completely worth the price of admission!

They offer General Admission tickets for $20.00, Fast Pass for $30.00, and Front of the Line for $40.00. And they also provided add-ons to your experience. If you are brave and want the crazies from this place to touch you, that is an additional $5.00. There is also an option for the scaredy cat of the bunch. The Monster Light makes the show less scary for those holding it. It is also an additional $5.00.

We were told that in the future, this haunt will be moving to a much larger location just down the street, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next! Asylum X will also be open for their Asylum X’mas event on the second and third weekends of December 2024!

Our experience here was well worth the price of admission. “Watch out, they love your guts!” We hope you leave with yours intact, and remember, enter at your own risk!