Features:
✓-Paid Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Food/Concessions✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs
How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 5.07
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 4.65
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 4.3
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 7.88
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 7.3
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 4.1
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 4.7
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 4
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 5.05
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Summary:
Welcome to the Haunted Majestic, a floating nightmare that has seen some things. The two barges that comprise this attraction began as sand barges, then served as transport ships for our military and a floating hospital for our wounded soldiers throughout three foreign wars. Dubbed ‘the ship of death’ due to massive deaths that have taken place on board, many believe that real spirits are abound lost in another time. Despite the permanent guests, the barges have been used as steamships, a restaurant, and offices after their hospital days. Beginning in 2019, the new role of the barges took form to host a seasonal haunted house and after-hours paranormal investigations.
Haunted Majestic has three different sections. Visitors begin on a trail leading to the boat, then board the ship, and finally walk back through a parking lot to another trail up to the exit.
Customers are required to climb stairs and be exposed to strobe lights, fog, and loud noises. Visitors will be asked to sign a waiver. Customers must buy tickets on-site. Cash and credit are both acceptable forms of payment. Regular tickets cost $20, with a fast pass upgrade for $10 more. Parking is $5. Oh, don’t forget, there are also paranormal ghost hunt tickets one can purchase for $20 for an after-hours investigation!
Cast: 4.65
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 5Explanation:
We did encounter some actors but also ran into a bit of dead space. This is an issue many haunts have and will require a lot of thought and creativity to seem fully staffed.
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 5Explanation:
The zombie limped and growled as a zombie should. The asylum characters screamed as one would expect a lady would when caged. The clowns giggled some. Some creepy staring characters are ok, but when short staffed, there needs to be more interaction and less staring to fill those voids and make the experience more meaningful.
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 4
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 4Explanation:
With a show like this, many customers will need to feel like their interactions with the actors are personal, like they are being singled out somehow. One way to accomplish this is to have staff talk with us and banter when we reply. For example, we encountered one actor who said lines to us, but no one “played” with us in terms of improv.
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 5
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Trail 1: We saw a skeleton-masked character, two clowns, and three kids along the way. The skeleton mask-wearing actor used a dropdown door to get us. The hidden character on the bus gasped at us as we walked through. The clown/bus driver offered us a red balloon and gave us a clown’s cackle when we boarded. We also received a pop scare from another clown, both entering and exiting the bus.
One child looked possibly traumatized from the horrific scene; he must have just survived, among the wreckage and ambulance and fire engine lights, as he stood off to the side and watched us as we passed through. We heard a scream from inside a building along the way. We met an unfortunate little boy whose prosthetic hand he had tucked into the sleeve of his jacket comedically fell out and onto the ground. There was also a teenage girl sitting on the floor holding a prop. We believe she was injured in some way. We also saw a scarecrow jump off its pole at us.
Boat: We were stopped at the dock by a staff member who played an announcement over a speaker regarding the rules we must follow. Two guides walked out a group of visitors and then led us through the boat. The guides’ focus was to keep us all together in a tight group. Unfortunately, we felt that they missed some opportunities to play up the haunted aspect of the boat (the theme of the attraction) and did not interact with us directly much. We wondered if they could have also been in character in some way to help reflect the haunted past of the boat. Instead, they were dressed in street clothes. The guide in front would occasionally yell out to the group to watch their step along the way as we changed flooring throughout.
We met a lady behind a screen asking us if we had seen the doctor. Later on, we got another pop scare from a masked creature who ran off as soon as we saw him. We then encountered a cook (mannequin) and the masked creature who grunted and made noises at us. We turned a corner and were greeted and then followed by what appeared to be an ax-carrying zombie. After that, we saw two young ladies that seemed to be asylum patients in a holding area made of a chain-link fence. They were screamers, and one did attempt to climb the fence on us.
Next, we arrived at a smoky laser swamp room that was not entirely dark. We met a man in street clothes joking about adding too much fog and talked with one of the customers in our group about the Michael Myers costume the visitor was wearing. After this discussion played out, the staff worker in the room asked us to find the hidden character in the room. Once we pointed out the person in the ghillie suit, they let out a little squeal and exclaimed, ‘You found me!’
Downstairs on the boat, we encountered the captain hiding behind a treasure chest. He provided us with a scripted spiel, and we were then escorted out. At the exit, we were approached by a lady wearing a red cape spinning around while the bubble machine spat out foamy bubbles everywhere.
Trail 2: We first needed to walk through a barren parking lot to get to the other side of a building to start the final trail. We entered another bus with a cackling bus driver and entered a clown area with three clowns who jumped out at us or stared at us as we walked by. One clown was pounding on the wall. Later in the walk, one of the clowns popped up from a side door to block our path for just a second. We were handed cards with various statements printed on them by some ladies wearing a cape, and they asked us to read our cards.
Costuming: 4.3
How Did We Get This Score?
Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 5
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 4Explanation:
The zombie had a bloodied costume, but we saw a lot of street clothes that can’t be considered costumes.
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 4Explanation:
Makeup seemed rudimentary. We know the zombie was a zombie from actions, costume, and the treatment on his face, but its application was a bit below standard compared to other techniques that we often see.
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 5Explanation:
We saw a nice jack-o-lantern scarecrow. Other masks seemed small, and at times, we could see hair poking out of them.
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 4Explanation:For an ex-military haunted hospital boat, there was no military presence. We saw general haunted house characters, but very little specific to the “haunted boat” history. We were unsure what to make of the red-caped lady at the last scene of the boat twirling in bubbles.
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There wasn’t a lot to see in regards to costuming. The captain had a jacket and a captain’s hat. He was positioned behind a large chest that obstructed the view of the rest of his costume. The zombie was wearing bloodied scrubs, and his facepaint made him appear like a zombie with rotting flesh. The cook was wearing a chef’s jacket. Another person was wearing a pig mask and basic dark clothing. The skeleton mask wearer was also wearing basic street clothes; however, they were dark-colored. The ghillie suit was full and would have effectively hidden the wearer if their environment would’ve had any greenery. Finally, a pumpkinhead scarecrow in the trail had a well-fitting mask and a complete-looking costume.
Customer Service: 7.88
How Did We Get This Score?
Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 7.5Explanation:
We received a quick run through directions on the trail, but we remained confused as to when exactly we were to stop to wait for our guide. The tiki tourches helped to a degree, but were spaced far apart, just enough to make us second guess ourselves.
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 7Explanation:
In addition to telling those in line to watch their step, we feel that adding lights to uneven thresholds would help visitors see where they are placing their feet. Those in the middle or back of our line often did not hear the guide’s warnings.
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 7Explanation:
The staff on the boat are young. We felt that they often ignored their visitors and had non-in-character conversations while we were present, taking us out of the moment. At one point, we witnessed staff completely stop the haunt and have a conversation with a patron about their costume, and none of the non-acting staff were dressed in any costume or makeup.
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 10
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The Facebook page provides directions, the website, access to messenger, and a phone number. The website includes an FAQ section and other helpful information, including the calendar, hours of operation, and ticket pricing and options. GPS got us to the property without a problem. We parked on a field with lights provided to see.
Navigating the property was difficult for us first-timers. The staff provided us with instructions before we started, but there were so many turns and such that we couldn’t easily remember what we were told. Trail 1 had some tiki torches, but they were spread out a bit, just enough to allow us to be unsure of the way. A hidden clown did reassure us that we were headed the right way. The boat had guides to prevent any of us from getting lost. Trail 2 was challenging to find, as we saw only one tiki torch at the far end parking area that was seemingly the size of two football fields.
Safety was a slight concern. One of our group members tripped and stumbled over a 1-foot square hole in the cement at the first area on trail 1. The actor heard us yell out, and they moved a light over to the area to see that hole. The boat had several hard step downs with a 3-inch break between the two walking surfaces. The guide (at the front of the line) did remind us to watch our step. However, only the person directly behind her was able to hear her at the time. Some lighting in these areas might help customers know better where they are putting their feet. The metal walkway leading to the boat over the water was also just a little more pliable than we were comfortable with, so this had us on edge to be spooked inside! We did see some security here, as well.
The ticket booth, line staff at the entrance, and games staff were fun, professional, and enjoyable. The guides and staff at the boat were polite, but they did enjoy a bit of side chatter with each other during our experience.
Atmosphere: 7.3
How Did We Get This Score?
Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 7.5
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 7
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There was signage provided to guide customers to haunt parking. Once parked, we could tell something was going on behind a tall fence. Family fun music was playing over a loudspeaker, there was a ticket booth and a tent selling concessions, and we found a selfie station and midway games with ease. The midway games were fun and reminded us of the fun little school-sponsored festivals we went to with our families as children. We were able to board a docked sternwheeler to check out souvenirs and meet the special guests for the night. On our night, there were three guests. The entrance and exit to the main attraction were clearly marked. The exit to the attraction was the same place as the entrance.
Special Effects: 4.1
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 3.5Explanation:
We heard very few sound effects at all in the haunt.
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 5
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 4Explanation:
We felt that many of the scenes and props on the boat were basic and appeared staged rather than realistic. For a quick example, the mannequins were stiff and weren’t fooling us into thinking a person might be under the costumes. Also, some of the details didn’t make a lot of sense, like fluorescent food. This could’ve perhaps been explained with some creative dialogue or themeing, but these were also mostly absent from our experience.
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 4Explanation:
We felt rushed and unable to really get into the moment before we were whisked away. Inside, we saw orange cords plugged into electrical sockets halfway up the wall, an open storage door with paint supplies inside, and a mannequin at the pipe organ with about 5 inches of a metal rod exposed in the “neck” area.
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 4Explanation:Our guide struggled several times to activate the room and the animatronics. There were several [animatronics] that also looked as though they should move but didn’t.
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There were few sounds overall, but most of the trail was very quiet. However, there was a great, super loud water cannon that surprised all three of us! Organ music was playing right at the entrance/exit of the boat, and we heard a loud alarm go off inside.
A few animatronics seemed to be in place, but they, unfortunately, did not activate when we passed by. Our guide struggled with activating some of them while on our guided tour as well.
We saw several wrecked cars, boats, and a completely obliterated plane with lighting to make it appear it was on fire. Later on, we saw an ambulance with a skeleton scene inside and a firetruck, both with their lights on. We walked through a school bus in almost complete darkness and past some other “surprising” animatronics. We saw a spider in some fluorescent-colored food that jumped out toward us. There was some use of bright paint and blacklights for additional effects. There was a laser swamp set up, but the main lights in the room lessened its impact. On trail #2, we walked past some jumping barrels and ended with a culvert and some clowns.
Theme: 4.7
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 5Explanation:
We were told about the boat and the reason it is haunted. However, the trails didn’t go into much detail to tell their unique story about the haunted ship or the dock area.
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 4Explanation:
To help bring this theme to life, we felt that the haunted military hospital needed haunted staff from the military and hospital. The other creatures on the boat helped to create variety amongst them, but the addition of a few main characters could really help sell the story to customers.
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 6
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Before beginning the main attraction, a staff person at the line told us about the haunted past of the barge. This story appeared to be the theme: a haunted military hospital boat!
We did behold some occasional things that one might expect to be on a haunted boat and, further, inside of a hospital. However, most of what we saw did not reflect the further details of its use by the military. We’re anxious to see how the haunt expands on this story and makes it more evident in future seasons!
Scare Factor: 4
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 4Explanation:
There were some scares, but the lengthy dead spaces between them were the primary reason for this score.
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 4Explanation:
Actors followed us some, but few people in our group got any attention. The entertainment that we did get mainly targeted the front.
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 4Explanation:
We did catch a couple of characters unprepared for us, and some got out of character before we left the area. Others never were in character. The actors were our main focus for this score since the props and animatronics weren’t providing many startles during our visit.
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 4Explanation:
With low staff and little interaction, there wasn’t much variety in the scares.
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 4Explanation:
The finale didn’t stand out from the rest of the attraction.
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Actor scares primarily included jumping out, lunging at us, growling, snorting, cackling, and screaming. The water cannon was debatably one of the most effective startles of the night, as it got everyone in our unsuspecting group! Some alarms and a few moving animatronics also got our attention.
Entertainment & Value: 5.05
How Did We Get This Score?
Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 4
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 7
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 5
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 4
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Customers can purchase general admission tickets to board the Haunted Majestic for $20. Fast Pass tickets are available for $30, and guests can acquire season passes for $60. To tour the vessel for Paranormal Investigations after hours, reservations can be made for $20.
Pricing includes admission to the haunt and access to the special guest/s that are present. With our 20-minute tour time and the general admission price, the MPD (minutes of entertainment per dollar spent) for this haunt is about 1.0. This is only slightly lower than the national average, but we did end the night feeling a little underwhelmed with our overall experience. However, if you’re interested in some frights on one of the few floating haunted boats on the Ohio River, then make sure Haunted Majestic is on your short list of haunts to visit this season!
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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