Dark Castle Haunted Attraction – Full Review
Dark Castle Haunted Attraction is a Haunted Attraction located in Elgin, SC.
2076 Hwy Church Road, Elgin, SC 29045View All Details
Features:
Free Parking, Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site, Food/Concessions, Optional Games/Midway, Movie Characters, Original Characters, Uncovered Outdoor Waiting Line, Indoor/Outdoor 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: 8.76
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.94
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.81
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.25
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.18
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.55
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.55
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 9.15
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Summary:
Dark Castle is a wondrous and terrifying story that starts in a rather unique full-service funeral home and ends in an extradimensional forest with screaming and running for your life. Every year, the monsters at Dark Castle work harder and harder to create a unique experience that cannot be had anywhere else in the world. The story isn’t the only unique thing, as the team here hand-made costumes, props, and scenes in the interest of being the only haunted house of its kind. Monsters here are passionate, hard-working, and universally in love with the stories they help to craft and create. The work is noticeable, and it makes this an experience that our team loves to have year after year because it’s never the same. If you’re looking for a mixture of horror and wildly inappropriate humor that will have you laughing and screaming from moment to moment, then this is the place for you.
Cast: 8.94
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.2
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.7
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9.1
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 9.6
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9.5
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There are very few casts in the haunting industry that work harder than the monsters at Dark Castle. You never wonder at any point if anyone working here is totally in love with Halloween and all things scary. Monsters’ personalities are all over the place in this horror show, from the wry humor of your military trainer for the zombie shoot to the lascivious sass of the red-robed witch to the dry humor of Maxi your trail guide there is a little bit of everything for everyone. At the start the witty roasting that comes from monsters and guides to each other and the guests is hilarious, and then when the threat of roasting becomes literal everything changes. Monsters are carefully placed to fully utilize the haunt’s three different phases. Also crafted in person this year was an entire actor, who raised our opinions of his scene sky-high. The butcher’s German was extra threatening, Gretel was a sensory delight, and all of the finale monsters put the highest level of scare energy possible in despite us coming through at the very end of their long night.
Costuming: 8.81
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?: 9.2
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 9.3
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 7.9
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 9
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.7
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Just like every other detail of the Dark Castle experience, costumes are unique and matched perfectly to the tone of the creature wearing them and the scene they are in. The hand-made details on Pennywise and Frankenstein caused our group to be a problem since we had to stop and gawk. The finale’s incredibly large and in-charge monster is a brilliant combination of things to create a creature that is utterly inhuman in size and scope. Costume masks are not the norm in Dark Castle, the majority of creatures have their own bespoke makeup, but where masks are used they are well-fitted and properly worn. Headpieces, prosthetic pieces, and camouflaging clothing are also utilized effectively to create truly terrifying sights.
Customer Service: 9.25
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?: 9
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 10
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9
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Dark Castle has high production with a family haunt feel to it. Our team has been going here since before we started reviewing, and since our first visit the team here are considerate of guests, passionate about everyone having an excellent visit, and careful with guest safety. Monsters and t-shirt wearing staff members alike are more than happy to answer questions, help with concerns, and discuss any questions, compliments, or concerns. Signs for the building as well as the fa������ade are clearly visible from the road and the parking lot is well lit and easy to navigate. Safety precautions for Covid are in place and effectively utilized to minimize the impact on guests’ experiences while protecting their safety ‘ masks are required and hand sanitizer is plentiful. The website is organized and has all of the relevant information from pricing to hours easily accessible.
Atmosphere: 8.18
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?: 8.8
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 7.25
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The front fa������ade of the Dark Castle haunt is a beautifully created and intensely personal piece of spooky art, which is true for the rest of the haunt as well. From the imposing gate by the ticket booth to the beautifully detailed River Styx scene on the other side of the entrance there is no shortage of things to look at that will inspire you to wonder and fear. Queue workers and characters make the rounds through lines and other spaces to keep guests entertained and frightened as they wait to enter the next phase of the haunt. All three settings, the house, zombie shoot, and walking trail, have their own personal openings with strong thematic tones and visual cues. The darkness of the woods leading into the zombie hunt, the beautiful mixture of color and shadow at the trailhead, and the yawning entry portal to the house all have their own story and particular scare factor.
Special Effects: 8.55
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.8
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.2
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.9
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There are a number of special effects throughout the three parts of the Dark Castle. Home-built props range from gears used for grinding large cuts of meat to walls creeping and crawling directly in front of you. Drop panels are not as common as drop walls, surprise moving set pieces, and electronic animal terrors that dart and sway and skitter to you. Special effects are not super heavy in any one particular scene as the haunt is driven more by the creatures, but every scene has at least one trick that makes you ask how they did and if they’ll do it again. A lot of the special effects within the house are truly massive, leading guests through rooms and then scaring them back again towards the room they came from. A little trip through Hell, the Frankenstein lab, and the finale all stand out on this front.
Theme: N/A
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?:
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?:
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?:
This score is left “N/A” when we believe the haunt is trying to target a random variety of themes or phobias, rather than a single overarching “Theme” or “storyline.”
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There is not a single theme for the whole of the Dark Castle attraction. However, the interior haunted house is definitely geared towards more traditional horror movie monsters this year, while the trail includes a little bit of everything from fairy tales to modern pop horror icons. The zombie zone, of course, is geared towards zombies with a dash of technology.
Scare Factor: 8.55
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 7.4
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.6
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.1
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Our team was lucky enough to be put together with another little group who are far less cynical than we are. We planned to use them as a benchmark for how scary the Dark Castle really was. We ended up not needing that, as our entire time in line for the house and the shoot was soundtracked by the screams of patrons fleeing from one of the three phases of the haunt. By the time we reached the walking trail, all the other guests had run and it was just our little group. Here we got to watch as members of our stone-faced team jumped, shrieked, and laughed our way through to the finale. Dark Castle is very much a haunt that has a higher emphasis on entertaining, spooky story-telling than on being an all-out terrifying experience, and they excel at this every year.
Entertainment & Value: 9.15
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?: 9.3
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 9
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9.3
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 8.8
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For $22 you get access to all three stages of the Dark Castle haunt. For $58 you get to skip all the lines, get included snacks, a Dark Castle collectible, and a seat in the RIP room where you can press buttons to scare the heck out of the other guests using the haunt’s special effects. The collectible is certainly nice, but having the joy of scaring strangers while sipping cool water and sitting on a comfy couch is truly priceless. The RIP package also grants a custom-made Dark Castle washable face mask.
The price for general admission, $22, is reduced this year because of the pandemic. The indoor portion of the zombie hunt has been cut from the attraction and accordingly the price has dropped. Too, this year, guides take guests between each of the three attractions instead of leaving it up to the guests to wander around. Purchasing tickets online includes the option to book an entire block of time just for a small group (up to 8 people) for an even bigger discount.
If you’re not going to make it during spooky season for some reason, or you realize after October that you desperately want to experience again the unique Dark Castle experience, they have year-round events including online and in-person escape rooms, a break room, a live Among Us style game, zombie laser tag and capture the flag, and holiday-themed events.
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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Promo Images:
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Guest ReviewsGuest Average: 10 out of 10
Brittany – 10/10 – October 15, 2022So much fun! We took my little sister (11). She was so scared she wouldn’t let go of me. Most of …show more their adult humor went right over her head. It was a lot of fun and so different from any haunt we’ve been to. The ticket ladies were super nice as well!
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Past Awards
2022 Awards
Best Recreation of a Movie Scene - Candyman (Given by: Team Jefferson Starship)
Socko - Matthew Wright (Given by: Team Jefferson Starship)
2019 Awards
Best Zombies (Given by: Team Jefferson Starship)
