There is nothing quite like fall in New Mexico. The leaves start changing, the smell of chile fills the air, and haunted houses pop up throughout the state. Located on the famous Route 66 is the Lobo Theatre. Many guests have seen movies or live music at this venue, but this October, something more sinister takes place in the theatre.
Haunted Scarecrow: American Horror Theatre resides within the Lobo Theatre this fall, with many sights and frights within. When you purchase your ticket, you can get a drink at the bar, which has a view of the haunted house or you can enter the haunted house.
While walking through the Haunted Scarecrow, we saw a varied cast. Each room we entered had at least one actor. Each actor had their own character; some had unique dialogue while others slithered out of the darkness. Each denizen we encountered stayed in character, adding believability to their scenes.
One of the most memorable interactions we had was with a butcher who was decapitating bodies. When a head rolled to our feet, he had us pick up the head and give it to him. His dialogue and interaction with us was great. Throughout our walkthrough, we did not see a character who did not fit the scene.
The actor in the queue was also excellent, we loved seeing the pigman miming the rules while the ticket taker gave them.
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)
Within Haunted Scarecrow, the costuming is very detailed. The clothing of the actors fits their character. It seemed like some of the costuming was custom-made. The appropriate wear and grime on the costuming also was well-used to add believability to their characters.
Haunted Scarecrow used a variety of masks and makeup. The masks were tucked into the clothing, adding to the believability, and we noticed that actors who were wearing masks had makeup around their eyes to help with the blending. The makeup on the actors was very detailed. We especially appreciated that the makeup extended beyond their faces.
Throughout the walkthrough, each complete costume and mask or makeup fit with the room. On the occurrence that an actor followed us out of their room, then they did not fit the theme.
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)
Located in the heart of downtown Albuquerque, there is no specific parking for the haunted attraction. There are paid parking lots. In our case, we parked at a nearby retail lot. The Lobo Theatre has a large marquee, so it is hard to miss. When you walk up to the theatre, there is signage that will direct you to the haunt.
Throughout our journey, we always felt safe. There were emergency exits that were well labeled, and there was staff to help us with any concerns or questions. Every member of staff we encountered was very friendly and professional. The website is also very user-friendly. You can get the address, and using a navigation app, it was easy for us to find the haunted attraction. It is also easy to buy the tickets online.
We did notice that some guests seemed confused about where to queue for the haunt since the queue line and bar line were next to each other.
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)
From the moment you step into Haunted Scarecrow, you are enveloped in the haunt. The seemingly custom soundtrack that plays throughout the experience gets the blood pumping.
The only pre-haunt space we saw was the bar. The unique part of the bar is that since it is on a higher level than the haunt, you are able to see most of the layout of the haunted house.
There is no specific theme at the Haunted Scarecrow. The haunted attraction has rooms that each have their own theme, but they blend well together. Walking through, we did not encounter anything that took us out of the story. There is only one attraction at the Haunted Scarecrow, the American Horror Theatre, but guests are immersed from beginning to end.
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)
For haunted attractions, sounds are very essential for a good attraction. With Haunted Scarecrow, there is a soundtrack blaring over and inside the indoor attraction. There were several times we also heard well-timed bangs from the actors, as well as some of the props that had some startling sounds.
The scenes throughout the attraction had some good theming. We noticed that a few rooms had only part of the room themed. Actors in those rooms did a good job of guiding guests’ attention. Some of the standout rooms included the doll room and the butcher shop. The spider room had some webbing you had to navigate around. The laser swamp could have used a bit more fog and possibly a better way to contain the fog in the room. We noticed a few animatronics that were timed well, but Haunted Scarecrow is more of an actor-driven haunted attraction.
The use of strobe lights was very well-timed; there were portions where it was hard to get your bearings. The claustrophobia tunnel was also well-used, with a well-timed actor waiting to pounce. It seemed like there might have been a smell in the butcher scene, but it was very faint, if there was one. We also liked how well the space was utilized, as the walkthrough had stairs and platforms.
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)
Haunted Scarecrow had a good level of intensity. The actors used a wide variety of scares; some would stare at us, but most had lines and were quick to respond in character to our responses. The spacing of the groups was also well-done, as we did not run into any groups or have another group catch up to us.
Actors throughout the haunted attraction did a great job of scaring everyone in our group. The butcher and pigman especially stood out for having long interactions with us. Jump scares were also well-timed, and actors had some great hiding places. Scares throughout were fairly unpredictable; even when an actor was in the open, they had a good startle scare ready for us.
There is a wide variety of scares, from actor scares, like stalking and pop-up scares, to scares from props, like air blasts. The ending had a great scene in a butcher shop that literally had heads flying! Beware of the final scare from something that escaped from the butcher shop.
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)
Overall, Haunted Scarecrow is a great haunted house for anyone who wants a good scare off Route 66. It is also a great haunt for those who might want to have an adult beverage before or after the haunt with a unique view. The ticket price is also good for the entertainment you receive.
3013 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
