The Factory of Terror has several major changes this year that will be immediately obvious to any experienced visitor. The team at the Factory has moved some pieces around, changed out the iconic mirror maze, and added on to fan-favorite scenes. All five houses have seen some updates and upgrades, and if you didn’t notice them, you should go through them a second time and see them again.
The crew of monsters and madmen at the Factory were in fine form this year, bringing high energy and big fear to each encounter. Buying a ticket for the Factory of Terror means visiting a factory, a cursed swamp, the bottom of the ocean, and countless other scenarios covering a wide range of thrills and chills.
Energized monsters greeted us in the entry line, and that level of energy stayed steady throughout the evening. As we climbed the stairs to enter the haunt, we were greeted by the brash sassiness of Cleopatra and her hairy chest and the silent lurking of a man with a well-used axe.
Inside the haunt, we heard a lot of clicks and growls, screams, and witty retorts. An undead puppy girl followed us dreamily through the asylum, a strange ghoul in the kitchen offered us a head instead of a hand, and a masked factory worker stalked us silently through the second house.
There was a lot of work on the part of the crew to immerse visitors in their separate worlds and utilize the haunt’s dark corners. Monsters inside kept the tension high. A masked worker lurking around the lines was a favorite as he loomed behind unsuspecting victims. There was a lot of hard work on the part of the cast this year, and they made the event unique and memorable.
How complete, unique, detailed were the costumes, accessories? – (35% of score)
Were the masks, makeup creative, detailed, realistic? – (30% of score)
How appropriate were the costumes for the respective scenes, themes? – (20% of score)
How believable-, detailed-looking were the queue actors? (See Note if N/A) – (15% of score)
The Factory has an excellent makeup artist crew, and the cast puts a lot of work into making their characters believable and unique. We saw some new costumes this year, and Baphomet was particularly horrifying.
There were many new approaches to older character types. The two bloody women in the first house after the lab were disturbing and will probably haunt us for the rest of our lives. There were minimal issues with untucked masks, and all the monsters paid attention to the cohesiveness of their costumes from head to toe.
The makeup was detailed and delightful, carefully applied to create all sorts of different monsters. The zombie puppy was fun and full of little details to make the character, and a stitched-together man wandered the lines with painted stitches carefully applied everywhere. There was a vampire at the entrance to Lafayette 13 who was absolutely stunning in his detail and costume and ended up being just as classy as he looked.
How easy was it to locate, park at, navigate the premises? – (25% of score)
Safety (Only dock points for TRULY DANGEROUS hazards!) – (30% of score)
How professional, helpful, friendly were the staff members? – (25% of score)
How easy was it to find pertinent information before arrival? – (20% of score)
Since our first visit, we have been impressed with the level of customer service at the Factory. The crew here truly loves what they do, which shows how they interact with their customers. Signage is clear, and they ensure that the public areas are as safe as a dark room full of killers.
The website also contains a very considerate feature; the Lost and Found button takes you to a page where you can read the haunt’s approach to lost items, report lost items, and even look at a list of unclaimed items. The staff can be spotted either in costume or haunt shirts, and they keep a close eye on the safety of everyone.
The bars on offer are gorgeous and detailed, and the team has found ways to make them convenient for anyone not up to the complete set of houses. They also have vendors in the midway, tarot readings, and a Dance Dance Revolution-style dance floor. It’s important to wear closed-toe shoes so that your toes are safe when you’re trying to sneak past the monsters in the dark.
How well did the pre-haunt areas ("vibe") prepare you for the attraction/s? – (25% of score)
How obvious, creative, believable was the storyline? (See Note if N/A) – (20% of score)
Were you completely, consistently immersed inside the attraction/s? – (40% of score)
How well did the "vibe" flow after, between the attraction/s? – (15% of score)
The Factory of Terror spans a wide range of environments, and to make that work, they must strategically employ a large collection of special effects, careful monster placement, and rolling sound effects. There can be some sound bleed in a place this large, and they are undergoing changes, meaning there are some places where you can see the transformation. Despite this, the moment you enter, there’s an entire haunted front yard for the looming façade of 1300 Lost Souls that immediately pulls you in.
The whole building is Halloween at its best, and every time you exit one house, you step into another land built around the house you’re about to go through. We adore the grand entrance to Lafayette 13, the homey front of Massacre on Mahoning, and the bright and energetic gaze of the Abyss at the end.
There are photo ops galore throughout the building, and even the bars have fully fleshed-out themes. The Factory is amazing at detail and world-building, which is displayed this year.
How effective were the sound effects? – (20% of score)
How realistic were the scene designs, details? – (30% of score)
How effective, realistic were the props, animatronics? – (30% of score)
How well did they use creative, special, sensory effects? – (20% of score)
The Factory is full of custom-built and bespoke special effects that create the environments within the haunts and the tiny details that enhance the scares. Sound and light are always paired carefully, and sparking fuse boxes cause distractions to allow monsters to surprise and scare you. There’s a maze where the sounds are so intense your heart starts to beat harder, and you feel pressed forward.
The animatronics outside of Massacre on Mahoning need a special shoutout because they are possibly one of the spookiest things we’ve ever seen, and the contrast of their expressions against the haunted house around them was fascinating and spooky as hell. Fog machines, deep rolling sounds, and flashing lights throw you off balance, forcing you to look around and see even more horrifying things. The finale of Massacre on Mahoning this season is intense and disorienting, and we loved every moment.
How scary was it? – (35% of score)
How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? – (15% of score)
How predictable were the scares? – (25% of score)
How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? – (10% of score)
How strong was the ending / finale? – (15% of score)
We rate the Scare Factor high based solely on those animatronics outside Massacre on Mahoning. Still, more places caused us to jump, more scenes where we saw people screaming and trying to get past us, and at one point, a lone visitor sped up to join our team and not be alone. There was a clown misdirect that underlined how treacherous and dangerous clowns are.
We also saw our normally stoic Desi become utterly flabbergasted at the clown betrayal that booped her. The pirates in the Abyss managed to create a lot of surprises, and some suspicious bushes in the swamp scared the group behind us.
The Factory manufactures nightmares, and it has for many years. This year, the team of monsters seemed extra driven and passionate to scare everyone who walked past them, and man, they were successful.
How satisfied with the entertainment provided by the MAIN attraction/s? – (50% of score)
How satisfied with OTHER entertainment INCLUDED with the ticket price? – (25% of score)
How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s? – (25% of score)
The Factory of Terror has a lot of admission options, including one for the thirsty faint of heart! It took about 47 minutes to go through all the haunts, and for the price and the quality, it is well worth it. Online general admission is $30, $35 on peak nights, and $2 upcharge on the day of the event. VIP Fastpass admission is $42 on non-peak nights and $47 on peak nights. Parking is $5 or $10 for premium, and there is a lot of space to park in.
If you’re a haunted house super fan, the Season Pass Holder ticket is $150. It gives you unlimited fast passes to the Factory of Terror and Akron Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory and discounts on guests you bring and merchandise you buy.
If you want the atmosphere of a haunted house rather than the actual one, the Zombie Pub Crawl gives you backstage routes to move through all five horror-themed bars. This option is 21+ only and costs $17.
4125 Mahoning Road NE, Canton, Ohio 44705
