Every haunt season, we try to find a different area we have yet to visit. This year, we found ourselves in the Quad Cities area for a couple of attractions. One that has been on our list for a while now was Factory of Fear (FoF) in Moline.
Currently in their 32nd season, this attraction offers three floors of fear for those brave enough to walk through. With great scenes and killer actors, FoF provides guests with some of the craziest frights east of the Mississippi.
The cast did a fantastic job keeping the interaction going without resorting to yelling only. In the house, two girls were interacting with us, giving us their ages, and walking us through living situations in their respective rooms. We talked about food and mentioned we had leftovers from a Chinese restaurant we had just visited, which seemed to have intrigued them.
A lot of actors had the opportunity to work in large rooms by themselves or with another actor. The call center scene was the best example of this. There were multiple cubicles as far as the eye could see, and no one in sight. An actor appeared at the appropriate time to deliver their lines and then disappeared for a good portion, but their presence could still be heard.
Down in the dark basement, the actors took advantage of their given environment to hide and pop out at the best times. While there was little to no interaction down here, the actors made up for it by hitting their points and then retreating. This helped with creating an uneasy feeling without needing a lot of actors. Job well done!
FoF does a fantastic job with their costuming, which consists of highly detailed airbrush makeup and costumes. Their piercing eyes also make a statement to complete the look.
Depending on their respective scenes, the actors had highly detailed makeup that covered their full faces. The night we attended was very warm, and their makeup did not show any streaking due to quality airbrush techniques. The nurses in the hospital took on a more diabolical look.
While masks were not really used in the haunt, there were a few creative uses of other types of headwear. In a lab scene, an actor wore a military hard helmet that went well with the scene and their experiments. Another item to note on the costumes in the lab scene was a few of the actors that had ID badges with a photo that matched their characters. This gave the costumes an authentic feel. A nurse wore a vintage nursing cap matching the nurse’s dress so well.
Overall, elements were used well to make costumes and makeup that complete the characters.
This was our first time here, and parking was not a hassle at all. We found some open parking spots on one side street, though on the other side of the building, there was a dedicated parking lot that we missed from the route we took to get there. The website lists the different types of payment methods accepted and the prices.
After walking up the main entrance stairs, the ticket booth is labeled according to your needs. Do not forget to have your picture taken! The staff were super helpful and attentive to our needs and answered all questions we had. It was a great time complaining with them about this weird heat we have been having!
While there weren’t any dangerous areas due to the effective visibility, stairs were used to walk up to the attraction and to maneuver between the three floors. The basement maze was the closest to pitch black, but the actors were either behind openings on the wall or in a hidey hole. They also kept enough space in the maze to keep us from panicking.
Walking up to the building, we noticed that this is a former factory building, which quite fits the name. After the stairs and entering the building, there was a queue line appearing in the dark with ambient illuminating lights. The inside had an industrial feel with the use of rust, metal, and peeling paint on the ceiling.
The immersion inside FOF was completely insane, one for the books! The walls were packed with props, and the ceiling was more enclosed with hanging items. This left us feeling a sense of claustrophobia and immersed in whatever scene we were in.
A few examples of how they kept us immersed in the scenes are the way we were able to investigate multiple rooms, which were like a never-ending nightmare (clever). The sounds were used to create full immersion. Down in the basement, darkness embraced us and did not let go. Not knowing where we were going or what was to come was unnerving.
After the last scene, we stumbled upon a FoF gift shop and a vintage toy store, which I hate writing about because these were collectibles from our time. We are always in and out of thrift shops looking for a piece of nostalgia, and this was exactly something that we came across while traveling.
FoF did not skim on effects. There were plenty of high-end scenes that were elaborate and well thought-out throughout the attraction. A great example of this would be the opening scenes of the attraction. We stumbled inside a black mass, which felt ominous and gritty. The podium had an upside-down cross and a pentagram, and the stage had a fantastic long-horn steer looming over it. The build team added plenty of animal skulls around here, adding a touch of realism to the scene. Another well-done scene was the cemetery/crypt rooms. Everything here was dark and lit up slightly with select lighting, including dim candles. Within the fog, mummified props were lurking in crypts alongside well-placed actors to help terrify guests.
FoF did well on hitting all senses and adding to the scenes in the best way. One scene that was a great example would be the office area. There were endless cubicles throughout, and a continuous sound of a ringing phone. When looking at any of the phones on the many desks, it was noticeable right away that all the phones were missing their receivers, yet the ringing continued until we find out who was calling. Another example of senses being attacked would be inside the experimental science scene. Guests were hit with a decontamination area, which created an awesome effect with fog and lighting, allowing guests a moment of sudden panic.
Along with the finale, FoF had some large animatronics worth mentioning. There was a large lizard-like creature inside the attraction at leg level that approached uniquely (a well-hidden scare)! It was easy to see how one could be caught off guard by this.
Another large animatronic found in the haunt was the Minotaur. This one made sense in relation to the attraction, as it featured various longhorn steers, including costuming and taxidermy pieces. Overall, there were many amazing effects throughout FoF, so much so that they take up multiple floors!
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 8.8
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8.8
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): 9
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 8.75
FoF was able to provide scares on every level of the attraction. Actors not only provided great banter throughout but were well timed on pop-up scares. One of the more effective times a pop-up occurred was in the experimental science scene. The actor who popped out at us did so in a small window area. It was unexpected since the window did not seem big enough to do so; however, they invaded our space quickly and effectively.
One portion of the attraction appeared to be a building in shambles, resembling a deteriorating church of sorts. It was scary walking through, as the floors were uneven. The halls were narrow as well, and it was difficult to check any corners as the scene was tight and made us feel very small. It was amazing to think this was inside a factory building, as this scene felt consuming.
Another scary portion worth mentioning must come from a long corridor where an unexpected actor legitimately walked the wall the entire time stalking us. They didn’t take a break or slip, but they crawled the entire portion. This made it feel like the scene went on for a while, building fear.
Fear Underground was a pitch-black experience. The number of scares here was high as we lost our vision and couldn’t see our hands in front of our faces. It always makes me wonder how actors in black-out rooms time their scares, yet they did so effectively here.
Between all three floors of terror, our walkthrough time was 30 minutes. With general tickets priced at $30, this made the Minute Per Dollar value at 1.00. The average MPD in our area, at least, is usually under 1.00. With an attraction that performed as well as FoF, I have doubts that any guests will leave unsatisfied.
We were told of expansion being planned for FoF in the upcoming years, which is crazy news as it already packs a punch. It will be exciting to keep up with this haunt and see what fears they add for their 33rd season and beyond.
5027 4th Avenue, Moline, Illinois 61265