We could be in the kind strange eons where death may die, but the screams at the Factory of Terror are eternal. With the help of a dedicated staff of monsters, COVID-19 precautions, and the long-standing reputation of scaring anyone willing to try its twisting and turning halls, Factory of Terror is open this year with a reduced schedule but a consistently terrifying haunt. Customers are highly recommended to buy tickets online as all ticketing is scheduled by time and the Factory sells out early almost every night. Of the five fear-packed houses that make up the Factory’s line-up, visitors can see three different ones each Friday and Saturday night in an effort to ensure that the only danger patrons face inside the Factory is the monsters inside. The Factory has also added two new bars this year and food trucks for fair-style concessions.
During Friday nights, visitors will venture through 1300 Lost Souls (a somewhat traditional haunted house), Lafayette 13 (a decrepit cemetery in the Louisiana swamps), and House of Nightmares (a strange place where the surroundings come alive).
Saturday nights, the show consists of Industrial Nightmares (the old core of the factory), Lafayette 13 (a decrepit cemetery in the Louisiana swamps), and Massacre on Mahoning (a somewhat traditional haunted house).
Friday’s overall: 9.21
Saturday’s overall: 9.23
Our team had a consistent experience with the monsters inside the Factory on both Friday and Saturday night. Monsters are on point, offering the gamut of interactions from silent stalking to witty banter. This year Factory cannot be a touch house, but they’ve found workarounds to keep scaring patrons despite COVID-19 restrictions.
Lines are actively being scared by actors both inside and out, and our team had a delightful time watching a punk rock demon send multiple victims running each night in terror despite remaining socially distanced. A Parisienne Princess fell in love with Doug and offered raunchy banter before falling back to send customers screaming, a towering clown wielded a hammer with speed and skill, a priest offered final absolution, and one brilliant actor pulled off sneak attacks that were on par with any movie ninja. On Saturday we spotted a gigantic maniac jester dancing nimbly in a tutu that managed to delight and terrify. Our team also spotted one of the most topical and hilarious monsters of the year, Covid Karen, working the lines and enforcing the rules.
F: 9.3
S: 9.34
Variety of Characters – (35% of score)
Complete, Finished Appearance – (30% of score)
Creative, Detailed Costumes – (20% of score)
Creative, Detailed, Realistic Makeup – (15% of score)
Due to safety restrictions, this year monsters were not allowed to sport fake blood or latex add-ons. Despite this change, the Factory brought strong and well-thought-out costumes and makeup. Big thanks to the magic of Julie, Zoe, Hannah, Cole, and Caitlynn who went over the restrictions and steps with us.
Masks to protect the monsters from pandemic exposure were blended seamlessly into makeup or worked into larger masks to hide them completely. New characters were added and layered onto and each fit within their setting inside of their house. Temperature reactive masks, unique character/costume concepts, and carefully layered effects really set some of these monsters apart.
If Masks, Effective – (25% of score)
Costumes Appropriate for Scenes, Themes – (30% of score)
Easy to Find, Navigate – (25% of score)
Safety – (20% of score)
Despite having to pare down on some of their regular offerings, the Factory of Terror stepped up its excellent customer service game this year. Increased lights and signage to highlight the fa������������������ade, clearer parking directions and dedicated assistants, and all digital ticketing make the Factory more accessible than ever. On top of all of this, they have added food trucks and a new mobile bar called Thirsty Tim’s at the entrance and the All-American Axe Bar at the end that offers axe throwing, darts, pool, and other games to offer more entertainment beyond the haunt.
COVID-19 protections are plentiful, with clear markings to keep social distancing, long times between groups, dedicated COVID staff that enforce mask-wearing, and a ton of sanitizing stations.
Staff Professional, Helpful, Friendly – (25% of score)
Ease of Finding Info Before Arrival – (20% of score)
Obviously a Haunt Before Entering – (40% of score)
Prepared for Experience Inside – (15% of score)
Every year the Factory of Terror cheats at atmosphere by having the good sense to place their haunted factory inside of a haunted factory. With the addition of Thirsty Tim’s and the fair food options, the front of the Factory has seen an uplift in spirits, both literally and figuratively.
Queue monsters are still very active, although now they both terrify and remind about safety precautions. The Factory has also added more scenes at the entryway to enforce social distancing and help with spreading out groups. The atmosphere is firmly haunted house.
Sound Effects Effective – (20% of score)
Creative, Original Scenes, Props – (30% of score)
Detailed Scenes – (30% of score)
Achieve, Maintain Suspension of Disbelief – (20% of score)
The special effects at the Factory of Terror are a blend of modified big budget items and uniquely crafted effects by the build team. The uniquely crafted effects are the majority of the haunt, so one of the biggest offerings of the Factory of Terror is that a lot of what you see there you will see nowhere else on earth.
There is little in the way of sound bleed despite the very specific and different sound effects between rooms. Music is paired beautifully with scenery, sound effects compliment monsters and environments, and environmental noises are crafted perfectly for scenes. Props and scenes create a number of other worlds, from the deep bayou of Louisiana to the dusty backwoods cemeteries of Ohio there is a place for every scare and an effect for every place. Make sure to go through on both nights so you can see the entirety of the world Factory of Terror produces.
SFX Effective at Scaring, Entertaining – (35% of score)
Could Tell What Theme Was Without Asking – (15% of score)
Theme Well Executed, Believable – (25% of score)
Location Authenticates Theme – (10% of score)
How Scary – (15% of score)
From the beauty of the old-school horror scenes in Massacre on Mahoning to the gory realism of the Industrial Nightmares terror, there is a lot to say about the Factory’s thematic dedication. All five houses have a different theme that dictates the scenes, props, and characters. It’s impossible to pick a real favorite, and due to COVID-19 restrictions, a different group of houses runs each night with Lafayette 13 being the only show in common between Friday and Saturday.
It’s highly recommended to go both nights so you can enjoy the full story of the nightmares being manufactured at the Factory.
Provide Scares to Entire Group – (50% of score)
How Predictable – (25% of score)
Variety of Scares – (25% of score)
There is never a shortage of screams at the Factory of Terror, and our experienced group of reviewers can not get enough of seeing people flee in terror from monsters and effects. Because of the Factory’s varied themes scares come from all sources and angles here. Monsters run the gamut from shrieking nightmares to silent stalkers, special effects creep through the edge of your vision and explode in front of you, and monstrous puppets and effects swing into your subconscious to follow you home.
Big shoutout to the creatures at the end of Lafayette 13, the scenery blending monster in the crypt, and the punk rock demon working the entryway. Also, this year a beloved portion of Massacre on Mahoning received a major facelift that caused one of our members to grab us and shout, ‘Why is it so much scarier?’ Our team was over the moon to see the brand-new finale added to House of Nightmares that will make for an incredible show finale once all five houses can be run as they were meant to. As it stands it certainly sent a large number of patrons fleeing for the exit Friday night.
4125 Mahoning Road NE, Canton, Ohio 44705