Elgin is blessed (or cursed, depending on your viewpoint) with the presence of the Dark Knight and his Dark Castle. Three attractions await you here: a haunted house full of unique and bloody scenes, a zombie laser hunt with a catchy jingle, and the Dark Knight’s trail, taking you into another dimension of terror. Rich in detail, humor, and sass, this is a place where monsters can make you laugh right before making you scream.
Dark Castle is a fully fleshed-out world of its own that contains monsters and fears from all over the globe. The ghouls here are characters, each one with a backstory and a unique voice, and there are world-building bits we heard for the first time this year that really blew our minds. Make sure you come prepared to finance your own EZ Life zombie servants, because the government does not want you to have them, and you know that means they are good. By the time you leave, you will swear you have stepped through a portal into someone else’s nightmare and did not come all the way back.
We have never left Dark Castle with a reasonable number of cast shout-outs. The haunters here create characters that lurk, leap, and lure while riding the knife’s edge of terror and comedy.
In the house, Rig and Sy Ko start the experience off strong, introducing us to the overarching storyline and keeping us entertained while in line. Shortly after entering, we found ourselves in a one-of-a-kind mirror-lined hallway where a Nightmare Legend stepped into our world and towered over us. Every time we thought we had escaped him, he would catch us again. We were assailed by a wave of ghouls, and from the helpful Eye Scream Man to the charming Cruise Director that entertained us all the way to the sea, each monster was unique.
After the house, we went to the EZ Life Booth, where a smooth-talking representative tricked us into financing zombies. We were saved by a delightful ally from the PETA for Zombies movement, and then he introduced us to his daughter, who kept us safe all the way to our escape. In the central area, one of our team members managed to break free from a bloody bag-headed maniac, whom they then named Norbird, so we could warn them if Norbird was coming.
Flatulence the Clown was in attendance, his booming voice and sharp wit sharing the rules before leading us into the Dark Knight’s realm. Our trail guide this year was Cooter, and while there are parts of his guided tour we cannot remember for some reason, we do remember he was a great man in black. Like the house, there are so many unique characters out here, including a woman handing out suspicious candy while her child captive looks on, manic clowns that a prophecy warned us about, and the Dark Knight himself.
Few haunts balance narrative, chaos, and charisma this well, where every cast member feels like part of a grand, unhinged universe.
Because of the variety of characters, the outfits here are all specific to the characters wearing them. When the Candy Man steps out, he is the Candy Man recreated from head to toe with prosthetics that blend with the iconic costume. The outfit on our Cruise Director worked very well within its scenes that it created an extra bit of stunning glitter in the dark space. Tiny details like the Eye Scream Man’s apron being in the world branded are found everywhere here. Each clown had its own unique look and carefully done makeup, and Flatulence added cartoonishly evil props and his name big and bold on his sleeves to the distinct face makeup. In the EZ Life portion, the costumes were more grounded in reality (if reality included zombie servants), and we’ve never seen another haunt manage to perfectly recreate the look of a sleazy sales rep and make that a natural part of the horror that comes next. The Dark Knight is stunning this year, and the fortune-teller has every detail down to the captivating headscarf. I still don’t think that man was a real arachnologist, but he certainly looked like one. Every detail, from airbrushed wounds to purpose-built accessories, feels handcrafted rather than store-bought, and that attention to detail elevates immersion.
The Dark Castle puts a lot of work into creating an experience that is frightening while being safe. They make buying tickets easy, and they have plenty space to rest in between attractions in case you need a breather. If a member of the party is less interested in being scared there are Chicken Sticks at the front desk that will make sure they can enjoy the haunt without being overwhelmed. We noticed additions to the trail this year that made us temporarily forget we were in the woods of South Carolina, thanks to how easy they made the trail to navigate. Dark Castle runs events all year long, including a horror-themed version of Among Us that you can bring a group to and a smash room for venting energy. There are merch options in the center area (we bought great earrings and Dark Castle cups) and a concession stand that is cash only and has goodies aplenty. The staff is helpful to a fault, and they make sure that there is always someone you can easily spot and approach if you have questions. The Dark Castle crew radiates the same playful energy as their monsters. It is clear this haunt is a labor of love built by horror fans.
From the moment you pull into the Dark Castle parking lot, you are introduced to an evil extra-dimensional entity to set up shop next to a castle and a corrupt zombie enslaving corporation. There is a distinct story in this haunt, and it is everywhere you look. In the house’s waiting area, we were surrounded by set pieces that matched the haunted castle vibe, but we were also introduced to the EZ Life corporation that is part of this universe. When we left the house and came out into the EZ life booth, we were greeted with an in-world radio jingle and then in-world music selling us on the concept of the next attraction. From there, it was straight to the looming entrance of the trail, where you stare in trepidation at a huge and intimidating black portal. This is an entire world lovingly crafted with an insane amount of detail and each attraction is linked to one another despite being different experiences.
Dark Castle is full of set pieces they have created for themselves using a mixture of engineering and creativity that is truly wicked. The Candy Man hallway is such a fascinating combination of tricks, and the relic room was full to the brim with details on the cursed items that make you want to slow down and look. A diver in the depths of the ocean was brilliantly lit, fogged, and shared a message with us that we cannot repeat. In the Eye Scream scene, there was a different disgusting twist to each flavor, and each one enhanced the story. Out on the trail, there are sensory tricks that shift the ground beneath you or entomb you in sticky webs and fear. The sounds behind those webs were a source of intense discussion for our team on our way home as we tried to figure out the source. Details abound, ritual components spread out of altars, lanterns, and lights hung in the trees and on the buildings to really create a living nightmare that is also breathtaking, and the world’s least soothing mobile clown. Sound design is another hidden weapon here: voices echo from unseen corners, static cuts in and out of the ‘broadcasts,’ and mechanical growls bleed perfectly into creature roars.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 8.9
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8.58
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 8.85
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 8.8
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 9.05
While we were sitting in the center area sipping drinks and catching our breath, we watched as a group of four young men in their late teens came out of the house’s exit, at first slowly, and then not so slowly at all as they scattered, screaming, and one was chased all the way to the exit of the trail. If you want to feel existential dread, old school horror, shame at your helpless giggling, crass humor, or shock, there are scenes for each feeling. It is the perfect blend of funny and frightening. A haunt that makes you laugh just long enough to let your guard down. The sheer terror on the faces of the people running from an attraction into the midway was fun to watch, and even more fun to be a part of. The monsters utilize every inch of this place for their wicked delights. The Dark Castle excels at timing in both their comedy and their horror, and while you are looking one way and laughing, something else is coming through a solid surface to remind you of the alien spawn around you is not the only danger.
It took us an hour to get through all three of the Dark Castle attractions. Tickets for general admission are $30, and for $50 you can get the RIP pass (Really Impressive Package, of course), which lets you skip lines, see behind-the-scenes secrets, and get a snack and Dark Castle merch. This is one of our favorite haunts every year, and there is no question that you get more entertainment than you should for only $30. If you need a little spooky in your life when October ends Dark Castle runs annual events and offers a year-round break room, laser tag, and a horror-themed live action game deduction game that is like Among Us. The Dark Castle has so many things to see and to do, and seats to collapse into if you need a break between screams. Between the three attractions, the year-round offerings, and the evolving storylines, Dark Castle easily delivers more content and creativity per ticket than most haunts twice its size.
2076 Hwy Church Road, Elgin, South Carolina 29045
