Come not between the dragon and his wrath – that is from Shakespeare. If the Bard had known about this haunt, he might have written: Come not between the dragon Azra and its cataclysmic collection of fears plucked from across the cosmos.
That is the story behind this attraction. The mighty and primordial dragon Azra cherry-picked the worst terrors in the universe and stored them in a Chamber of Horrors, as mighty and primordial dragons do.
And now, a portal to that terrible pocket dimension has opened for visitors to take a tour through Azra’s nightmarish zoo of phobias and freaks. But anyone brave or foolish enough to enter better watch their step and not feed the animals, because the inhabitants here are free-range monsters!
Azra’s cast came out in force, intending to take no prisoners! It was quite an energetic group. Most were loud, challenging, or threatening, with no qualms to come at us and show us what they got. Lots had wacky, unhinged laughs or crazily modulated voices. Very interactive, very forceful, very engaging. A roundup of the best of the best:
The hysterically screaming and sobbing victim in the torture room – as well as the head torturer who was taking measurements for us to go into the devices, and voiced disappointment that “5’11” is too tall!” (There is a treatment for that, what’s the opposite of the rack?)
An uber-contortionist came out of a doll house and freaked the party out with a display of extreme bendiness.
A group of hyperactive, laughing, clapping clowns.
The clown ride attendant who sent us down a slide with a friendly wave and a cheerful “See you all in Hell!”
A cultist menacingly intoning an incantation in Latin.
And the asylum patient with a sock puppet ‘husband’ (we asked, the puppet/husband named Stanley) who followed us around for at least five minutes – that was commitment to a bit.
Azra features detailed, well-executed costumes that add depth to each chamber. While both masks and makeup were used, Azra’s amount of makeup work is what really stood out.
With each wearing their own unique psychotic face paint, the clowns donned neon tights and suspenders. The contortionists cracked porcelain doll makeup, handled the bending and twisting, complete with Victorian clothing. Nurses in the psychiatric ward wore grungy scrubs that looked like they had been worn day after day, and the patients wore dirty medical gowns that seemed never to have been changed.
Sometimes things may not be what they seem like, and when done right, costuming plays a big part in this. Located deep in the layers of Azra is a prop, or what appears to be a prop, and once you cross paths with this demonic figure hidden in plain sight, it is too late. (We know because it got us!)
The haunt features numerous low-light areas that work well for scares but can make seeing costumes challenging. However, each character we encountered was in full costume. From the underlying eye sockets in masks to arms and hands, no corners were cut, and all makeup was complete. This is sometimes missed, but when done correctly, it keeps us immersed and makes us believe that these monsters and madmen might not be just actors.
Located just 5 minutes off I-75, Azra was straightforward to find using maps. Unfortunately, since The Scare Factor’s last visit, they had to remove their giant dragon from the road. With no other signage on the road except for the attached escape and rage rooms, the attraction can be easily passed by.
Between the haunt and the other attractions this location has to offer, the parking lot is on the small side; however, it is not a significant issue, as nearby parking lots are available for overflow. The parking lot and surrounding areas were well lit, and no obvious trip or safety hazards were observed.
The Staff at Azra were very (EXTREMELY) welcoming. The parking attendant was polite and helpful in directing us to the overflow parking in the adjacent lot. Security is taken seriously, with a security guard checking for weapons. However, the guard was great, making light of the situation while checking us over. The rest of the staff were fantastic as well, from the ticket booth attendant to the lady running the merch booth; everyone was happy to help in any way they could.
All the necessary information can be easily found on Azra’s website or on their Facebook page to plan your visit, including ticket prices, location, dates, and frequently asked questions. One last thing that cannot be overlooked. Located in the exit of the haunt in the lobby of the other (add-on) attractions are REAL BATHROOMS, something we do not often get the luxury of while visiting haunts. It is the small things!
Business up front / party in the back? Yup, big time! Park in the lot or adjacent lots, walk past the door going to the escape and rage rooms, and turn the corner to join the fun.
Right past the ticket window we came across colossal props and neat photo ops, followed by a dancing-fool Beetlejuice-ian barker who got us pumped up while showing us to a row of carnival game booths. We tried hurling balls through toilet seat covers and other feats of skill for fabulous prizes.
The whoop-it-up party atmosphere was rockin’ and infectious! DJs spun dance tunes, actors roamed, and a costumed performer on stage spun around a light-up baton. Spooky props were set about the queue area, including the big lizard itself, Azra the dragon.
We watched a rules-reading video combined with a little bit of a skit in the pre-entry area. Only, we could not hear it too well with sound bleeding from the party-hearty queue and had to crowd around the screen. A live person followed up with some more rules recitations and told us to wait at the entrance.
In an anxious build-up, through a billowing curtain we saw glimpses of someone coming toward us and heard the taps of a cane on the ground as the figure slowly sauntered forward to issue a welcome. A delicious opening set piece of anticipation and rising tension!
Inside the attraction, immersion was very good with everything going on in there. Azra is an ‘always something happening’ haunt that throws something new at you around every corner and does not let you catch your breath too much. It can get intense: the action remained hot and heavy, and the actors were always involving us in form of insanity or another.
We exited into a bright entertainment center type of area called the Escape Room Zone. It contains escape rooms, rage rooms, a paint-squirting room called Paint Blast, jelly ball, a merch table, and vending machines – a very nice set-up.
Much of the attraction was quite dark, making sudden bursts of light or strobing appear even more dramatic and dynamic. The darkness also contributed to a grunge-alicious atmosphere of dirtiness and decay further supported by weathered, distressed sets and props.
Azra deployed all sorts of tricks to keep us off-balance and wary. A twisty mirror maze, a very long slide with the bottom obscured, multi-level layouts where actors could be above &/or below &/or at our own altitude, and the vortex tunnel stuck right at the entrance as soon as we walked in, all led to serious disorientation.
Just as tricky were the effective fog blasts and a circus area requiring 3D glass, as well as a squeeze tunnel and multiple laser swamps cleverly presented in creative ways. This walkthrough had that funhouse feel to it – sure, a dark and deadly funhouse, but still.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 7.85
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 6.9
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 8.95
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 7.15
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 6.1
Azra does a great job blending live actors and animatronics to deliver scares from every angle. With insects like wasps and spiders, to the malicious monsters of our dreams, each Chamber visits a different phobia, leaving everyone uneasy as they visit these “Chambers of Horrors.”
While inside the chambers of Azra, disorientation from lighting, fog, or darkness, along with special effects such as 3-D glasses or laser effects, creates a terrifying experience. Combine these atmospheres with energetic actors or realistic, well-placed animatronics, and we were in for well-timed, fast-paced scares.
Within the chambers, all bets are off when it comes to the types of scares. The monsters use distractions like animatronics, lighting, or each other to direct your attention away from the real threat. Clowns are one of the biggest phobias and fears out there, so of course, Azra was going to deliver with high-energy, in-your-face clowns attacking from all directions. With more lurking in the mirror maze, a few of these unhinged, colorful creeps become many, creating an uneasy sense of intimidation and psychological distress.
Unfortunately, the actors tended to focus more on the front of our group than on the entire group, resulting in missed opportunities. However, eventually, we all fell victim to the terror that awaited us.
We made it through Azra’s chamber of horrors in 16 minutes. With a $30 general admission price tag, which equates to an MPD (minutes per dollar calculation) of 0.53. That is not a great number in and of itself compared to our standard benchmark of 1.0, but we had a very good experience inside the attraction and the outside is definitely jumping.
As we have noted in our other Detroit area reviews from this same weekend, most of the other places around Motown have similar numbers, so it’s sort of a what-the-local-market-will-bear situation.
Prices range from $28-39, depending on the date, so for best results you should go on a weekday when the cost is lower. Fast pass is an extra $15 and instant entry $30 on top of GA.
Tuesdays are No Monsters nights – go through and look at all the pretty props and sets without creatures trying to eat your face. Special events include Boo Bash during the afternoon of October 26, High Intensity on November 1 and 2 (an extreme, more in-your-face version of the walkthrough), and Christmas Chaos on December 13 and 20.
Adding in everything from the Escape Room Zone, you might be getting the idea that you could spend most of a night here, and you would be right. They even have dinner covered with the food truck right outside. Azra should be on your must-go list if you are in the Detroit area. Tell the dragon we sent you.
31401 John R Road, Madison Heights, Michigan 48071