Frightworld is celebrating its 22nd year of fear. This entirely indoor attraction offers an impressive midway with five haunted houses: Grindhouse, Nightstalkers Reloaded, Eerie State Asylum, Boneyard Carnival, and the brand-new MAINFRAME MASSACRE. Each haunt is completely unique, providing a different atmosphere and experience.
Throughout this attraction, you’ll find intricate scenes, creative costumes, well-designed props, and impressive lighting effects. We’re unsure how often these scenes are updated, but each one looked amazing.
Throughout each attraction, the cast members were engaging, memorable, and convincingly in character. Although we don’t know the exact number we encountered, it felt like there were many, each bringing impressive energy to their roles. Their training clearly pays off, as we did not see a single cast member who wasn’t engaging with us.
Our visit began with Nightstalkers Reloaded, a funny coincidence given our team name, Nightstalkers. From the start, cast members swarmed us from all directions, making it impossible to track how many we encountered. Some of the same performers appeared more than once, keeping us on our toes. Unlike other attractions, the cast had no dialogue, relying instead on creepy, realistic noises that were both believable and immersive. The eerie sounds lingered with us long after we left.
In Grindhouse, Eerie State Asylum, and Boneyard Carnival, you will encounter classic haunted attraction cast members. These performers interact with guests through engaging dialogues and conversations, making their characters appear very convincing and believable.
In MainFrame Massacre, you’ll meet a few live actors searching for one another as AI robots have taken control, and for most of the attraction, around 75%, you’ll interact with these robots. Their movements and behavior felt incredibly realistic. We do wish there had been more live actors, as this was the most captivating part of the evening.
The costuming across the entire attraction was impressive. We encountered many masks and unique makeup designs that were new to us. In both Nightstalkers Reloaded and Mainframe Massacre, the masks were especially well crafted, and the costumes fit each theme perfectly. It was evident that a lot of the costumes were either handmade or professionally created, adding a sense of originality and uniqueness to the experience.
Eerie State Asylum had incredibly detailed costumes that made you feel truly immersed in the asylum setting. Boneyard Carnival is also impressed with its distressed and detailed costumes, mainly worn by clowns who filled the entire attraction and added to the unsettling atmosphere.
While we loved the costumes at every attraction, MainFrame Massacre’s stood out the most. The robot cast members looked exceptionally realistic, thanks to impressively crafted costumes that made them truly resemble robots.
The queue actors were impressively dressed and appeared very realistic. You’ll come across clowns and even a zombie. Throughout the midway and attractions, many cast members wore realistic accessories, which made our experience even more immersive.
At Frightworld, customer service clearly comes first. Entering the address into the GPS led us straight to the right spot, making it easy to find. The large parking lot outside minimizes parking stress. As you enter, you’ll pass through a security checkpoint and a metal detector, ensuring a safe environment.
All the staff inside the attraction, including those managing the lines, working at the merch table, and operating the concession stand, were exceptionally friendly, helpful, and kind. Throughout our visit, we consistently experienced excellent professional service from every team member, which left us very satisfied.
When lining up for the five attractions, we found it a little confusing to know which of the three lines to join, as the signs were quite small. Our only suggestion would be to make the signs larger to help guests easily find the correct lines and reduce stress.
We inspected all five attractions and found them to be safe, without any tripping or slipping hazards. Frightworld provides a completely safe environment for staff, actors, and guests.
From the moment you entered the indoor scream park, you felt immersed thanks to the black lights, lively music, and screen projections throughout the venue. The air was filled with guests laughing and screaming as queue actors kept them entertained in the midway area. While the attractions didn’t have true storylines, it was always clear which attraction you were in, as each had a distinct and recognizable theme.
We were thoroughly immersed in each attraction, with nothing out of place or distracting from the experience, no cast members’ water bottles or bags in sight. Entertainment is constant, and surprises lurk around every corner, making every scene highly immersive. The attractions flow smoothly from one to the next. When you exit, you’re right back in the midway, greeted by lively queue actors for even more entertainment. Trust us, they’ll make sure to interact with everyone!
Every attraction’s special effects left us thoroughly impressed. Frightworld provided a wide array of experiences, including claustrophobia and vortex tunnels, each delivered exceptionally well. The lighting and sound were equally immersive, with perfectly calibrated volume enhancing the atmosphere. Animatronics further contributed to the overall effect.
Nightstalkers Reloaded featured many cool, realistic props that added to the atmosphere. Boneyard Carnival immerses you in traditional carnival sights and experiences. One standout effect is an air blaster attached to a gun, which can unexpectedly blow your hat off. We also enjoyed the abundance of stuffed animal props, creating a creepy vibe throughout the attraction.
Inside Eerie State Asylum, you’ll find numerous hospital props, many of which are genuine and greatly enhance the overall experience. We thought the lighting here was the best among all five attractions. One unique feature is the shower room you walk through, complete with dripping water that creates an immersive sensory effect. This was a new and memorable experience for us, making this attraction stand out even more.
Grindhouse features a wide range of props and impressive effects. We loved every detail of this attraction, but our favorite part was the incredibly realistic car crashing through the garage door, making it look just like someone had driven through.
Lastly, Mainframe Massacre is their newest attraction and features fantastic effects and props. As you walk through, you’ll pass through a fog-filled decontamination unit. Robot props and a few playing TVs add to the immersive atmosphere. In what seems to be the process center, robot arms move above you, and drones use projection mapping on the ceiling, a unique feature we haven’t seen anywhere else.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 9.23
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 9
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 9.08
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): 8.65
Every attraction is loaded with jump scares, and yes, there are plenty! Expect to come across drop doors, sliding doors, and breakaway doors at various points. These elements make the scares unpredictable, and the cast members are outstanding at surprising guests. For us, Nightstalkers Reloaded stood out as the most intense experience among the five attractions.
The Grindhouse had the most memorable ending. A cast member burst out of the door, jumped onto a car, and revved a chainsaw, making the experience even more intense. As we exited, they came sliding out on the ground with the chainsaw, which really showed their enthusiasm.
Mainframe Massacre delivers a wide variety of scares. Rather than relying on sliding or drop doors, actors blend in with the props, standing motionless until guests approach, then springing into action. I really enjoyed this approach because it set Mainframe Massacre apart from the other four attractions.
Tickets begin at $39 plus tax. For $50, you can upgrade to a Frightpass for VIP access, or choose the $76 VIP Immediate Access Pass, which lets you skip all lines and enter your favorite haunted house twice. While tickets are available online, keep in mind there are service charges; we recommend buying them at the gate. Several discounts are also listed on their website to help you save money.
We experienced all five attractions in a total of 30 minutes: Nightstalkers Reloaded (5 minutes), Carnival Boneyard (7 minutes), Eerie State Asylum (7 minutes), Grindhouse (5 minutes), and Mainframe Massacre (6 minutes). Our Minutes Per Dollar (MPD) came out to 0.77, a bit lower than our preferred 1.0. Despite this, the attraction is extremely fun and intense, and you get your money’s worth.
This place offers a wide range of entertainment, from lively music and numerous photo ops to engaging queue actors along the midway. We especially enjoyed the actors; the zombie was our favorite, thanks to his interactive performance and the way he followed us as we left. For a moment, we half-expected him to join us for the next haunted house, but with a two-hour drive ahead, we doubted he’d want to ride along! The midway is well-equipped, featuring a fantastic merch shop, an excellent concession stand, and, conveniently, public restrooms, an amenity not always found at similar venues.
If you’re unable to visit Frightworld during the regular season, consider attending their Lights Out event on November 7th and 8th. Alternatively, check out their escape rooms, which come highly recommended. If neither option works for you, be sure to plan a visit next season – this attraction is a must-see, and you won’t be disappointed.
1001 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, New York 14216
