Blind Scream Haunted House – Full Review
Blind Scream Haunted House is a Haunted Attraction located in Santa Rosa, CA.
98 Santa Rosa Plaza, Santa Rosa, CA 95401View All Details
Haunt Type(s):
Features:
Free Parking, Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site, Handicap Accessible, Food/Concessions, Gift Shop/Souvenirs, “Old-School” (Low Tech), You will NOT be touched, Original Characters, Indoor Waiting Line, All-Indoor Attraction
How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 8.77
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.69
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.75
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.11
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.54
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.92
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.73
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.62
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.81
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Summary:
After a mandated hiatus from the COVID-19 Pandemic last year, Blind Scream returns to haunt the residents of Sonoma County, California with a vengeance. During previous years, Blind Scream would feature two or three individual haunted attractions, but this year is strictly one haunted house. Due the the pandemic shutdown of 2020, owners Drew Dominguez and Judy Groverman Walker had two years to fine tune their attraction, and the results are abundantly clear. The scenes are more detailed than previous years, lighting is more stylized, and there are more animatronics then ever before. Drew Dominguez is a haunt industry veteran who started working at Knotts Berry Farm, then spent time with haunts in the Fresno area, and for over 10 years has collaborated with events production veteran Judy Groverman Walker to make Blind Scream a reality. The theme of this year is Witch House, and there’s a ‘throwback feel’ to this haunt because it uses many classic Halloween icons from years past. Debbie and I had a great time at Blind Scream, and believe this year to be their best one yet.
Cast: 8.69
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.75
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.5
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8.5
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.75
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There are absolutely enough actors in Blind Scream, which is an interesting point to make, because Drew Dominguez told us that they cut down the number of actors from season’s past. The change in numbers did not hurt the haunt experience at all. The actors were believable and convincing, and nobody broke character. A few actors engaged us in conversation, such as the gypsy and the snake charmer, but the pirate grave digger was the most interactive. He intentionally stopped Debbie and I just so he could warn us about our impending doom. The scary actors who talked to us used original dialogue, but the victim actors used common phrases such as ‘Help me’ and ‘Save Me.’ We found a wide range of actors scattered throughout the haunt, which kept the experience interesting.
Costuming: 8.75
How Did We Get This Score?
Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 8.75
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.5
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.75
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 8.75
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9
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There were many types of costumes in Blind Scream, and they were all complete, finished, and well detailed. In fact, it was hard to tell who was a real actor and what was an animatronic, such as the bride, La Llorona. There were some great makeup styles used, and the most memorable were the two female line actors with the black and white face designs. Masks were used effectively, most notably the werewolf and the corpses in the catacombs. We felt that all the costumes were appropriate for their respective scenes and themes, and nobody appeared to be out of place.
Customer Service: 9.11
How Did We Get This Score?
Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 8.5
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9.75
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.25
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We felt the location of Blind Scream was tricky to find. We found one sign that pointed the way, but the actual building is tucked away behind a mall and a parking garage, so it’s easy to overlook. It was nice to have an available parking garage next door to the haunt, and they were not charging a parking fee. When we arrived, it was easy to find the ticket booth and queue line. Blind Scream is handicap accessible. From our walk-through experience, there were no safety hazards to be found. The attraction’s staff members were very professional, helpful and friendly. Security were the only members of the staff wearing identifying clothes, but the rest of the staff were wearing casual clothes. They did make their presence known to us by offering to use our phone to take pictures, and answering questions. Blind Scream has an updated website, and has a social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Atmosphere: 8.54
How Did We Get This Score?
Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 8.4
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.75
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The location of Blind Scream makes it difficult to create a festive haunt atmosphere, but Drew and Judy do their best with what they got. The building did have a large sign with the name of the haunt, and those lights changed colors at random intervals, which did draw attention. Inside of the front glass door was the ticket booth and various mannequins dressed as scarecrows and other ghouls, which made for great photo ops. Besides the front door was a large rollup door threshold that the entrance of the haunted attraction was located. The entry point was decorated with a ‘Witch House’ fa������ade, and there were other displays to view, such as a coffin and a spiritualist’s table. Despite the constricting space to work with, Blind Scream does create a haunted atmosphere which does build anticipation for what’s inside.
Special Effects: 8.92
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.5
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8.85
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9.25
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9
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Blind Scream is visually amazing. The rooms are so highly detailed, you can’t see it all with one visit. Lighting is stylized from shades of dark and light, to the blue night light in the graveyard, to various fluorescent lights which made scenery piece pop out. There’s a hallway with various flickering lights that cultivate a haunted mood. The voodoo witch’s room and the gypsy witch’s room were both detailed with appropriate props and d������cor. There are various rooms to see, such as a graveyard, a swamp, a treasure room, a scary doll room, and a mutilated body part room. One particularly memorable scene is the catacomb with skeletons and zombies making jump scares. There were projected images used on the ground in our walking path, one being of crawling spiders, and the other being of slithering snakes. One old school effect was resurrected at Blind Scream, electric sparks on a wire fence. There are animatronics throughout the haunt, and some of the more memorable ones are the giant spider feeding on a human’s head, and the two-headed zombie whose heads vibrate. The most notable sound effects were the chirping crickets at the swamp, but there was subtle music throughout the haunt. Altogether, the special effects achieved and maintained the suspension of disbelief, and were effective at providing scares and entertainment.
Theme: 8.73
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 8.75
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 9
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 8
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Blind Scream’s theme is titled ‘Witch House,’ and according to Drew Dominguez, there are sister witches in the haunt who each personify evil. Throughout the haunt, we get to see each witch and their companions. Though this is only one haunt, there’s a sense of walking indoors and outdoors through different homes, so it feels like a journey. This haunt uses classic Halloween motifs, such as witches, werewolves, spiders, snakes, gypsies, ghosts, and zombies. The witch theme is prevalent, but with the voodoo and gypsy aspects, there’s a New Orleans vibe to Blind Scream. The theme is believable and well executed through the whole haunt. Blind Scream is located in a former Sears building, so the location does not authenticate the theme, but there’s enough d������cor and action to suspend the thought of the actual place.
Scare Factor: 8.62
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.5
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.6
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Blind Scream has several scares throughout the haunt. They mostly consisted of jump scares, from either hidden corners or drop windows. There were a few areas where we couldn’t tell whether if something was an animatronic or a live person, so that uncertainty set us up for scares. The projected images of spiders and snakes did make us pause for a split second to figure out what they actually were. Scares were provided to everyone in our group, and they were not predictable. The scares varied in intensity, from intimidating stares to high energy attacks. The finale was a vortex tunnel with a scare actor jumping at the other side, and it served as a nice ‘return to reality’ metaphor.
Entertainment & Value: 8.81
How Did We Get This Score?
Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 9
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8.25
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9
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We were very satisfied with the entertainment received during the main attraction. According to our timer, the time it took to finish walking through Blind Scream was 10 minutes, but it felt so much longer. We enjoyed everything we saw and didn’t want it to end. Excluding the main attractions, we felt satisfied with the entertainment available. The location does not offer much room for extra curricular activities, but the photo op displays and line actors did hold our interest. There were sales booth, one selling candles, and the other selling candy and beverages. For the entertainment we received, $25.00 per ticket is an appropriate price. Blind Scream effectively used all of their available space, and it all contributed to the experience in a positive way.
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Guest ReviewsGuest Average: 10 out of 10
Catherine Merritt – 10/10 – October 31, 2015I say this is the best haunted house I’ve been to out of all the ones I’ve been to!!! I also enjoyed …show more the last ride.
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