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: 9.35
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 9.5
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 9.6
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.53
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 9.33
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 9.5
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 9.48
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 9.05
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.95
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Summary:
If you grew up in or around St. Louis, you’ve heard plenty of ghost stories about the Lemp Brewery and its adjacent mansion. Once the largest family-owned brewery in America if not the world, a series of family tragedies and suicides have rendered both sites and the cavernous subterranean tunnels that connect them a hotbed of alleged paranormal activity.
What a perfect place for a haunt.
The Lemp Brewery is a one-of-a-kind attraction that will keep attendees on their toes from start to finish. Their use of high- and low-tech props and their brilliant use of deceit makes this one of, if not THE, best haunt in Missouri.
The dark, dank caves you will be navigating will send shivers down your spine knowing that this is one of the most haunted locations in the US, but even if there wasn’t a paranormal aspect you would be in for a wild ride of scares and history.
Cast: 9.5
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 9.33
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 9.33
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9.67
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 10
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9.33
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The cast, for lack of a better term, is talented. With jump scares, original dialogue and freaky characters who seem to emerge out of nowhere, they are some of the best in the biz. You’ll encounter everything from Satanic nuns to evil little girls who are chained up and just out of reach to grab you. Not once did I feel like I was in a room or scene where I was with an actor. It felt like everyone was ‘real’ and all they wanted to do was scare you. Their professionalism was fantastic’ albeit scary.
Costuming: 9.6
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?: 10
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 10
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 9.33
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 9.33
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9.33
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All of the costuming was original and of the highest quality. The high-end silicone masks are filled with character and emotion and look particularly realistic. Makeup was clearly done by professionals and very convincing.
Most times when I am going through a haunt the scare comes from an actor being able to catch me off guard, but not here; the costumes actors wore made me jump out of my skin.
Customer Service: 9.53
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?: 9.33
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 10
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 10
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Almost immediately upon entry, actors randomly show up to spook customers waiting in line, and don’t you dare try using the toilet or an evil nun will do her best to make the experience an uncomfortable one. The non-acting employees are all very nice and polite, and there is a police presence to make sure you feel safe during your visit.
The only complaint that I have is the timing they give groups between one another. I know due to its popularity that they need to get a very large number of people moving through the attraction as quickly as possible. However, we found ourselves being rushed or even backed up 3 groups deep while trying to get out of a room or get into a room. While it didn’t happen the whole time, it was enough to ruin the suspense on occasion.
Atmosphere: 9.33
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?: 9.33
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 9.33
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Located 100 feet below ground level in a ‘real’ haunted site, you couldn’t ask for a more atmospheric location. With the old Lemp Brewery tower looming over you while you wait in a line that weaves between the historic buildings all with their own history and legends, you can’t help but feel like you never know what is around each corner. With the actual haunt being so far below the surface you have no way to judge if attendees are being scared due to the fact that it’s quiet. The only thing you hear while on the surface are the actors hired to keep the crowd scared and fired up, which in and of itself makes it even spookier since you don’t actually have any reference of what you’re going to be experiencing. This haunt offers a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that will be hard to beat with such a historic location.
Special Effects: 9.5
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 9.33
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9.67
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9.67
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9.67
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9
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This haunt is, for the most part, character-driven. However, they do a great job with what animatronics they do use. They are all very high-tech and no expense is spared for quality. At one point you are confronted by a 15-foot animatronic demon who was ‘summoned’ by the occult scenes you walked through just moments before. You would think that being so far underground and in old dank cellars would make it difficult to have such machines running effectively, but they do it and they do it well.
Theme: 9.48
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 9
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 9.56
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 10
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One of my biggest fears is the occult. The thought of a group of hooded figures sacrificing for or summoning a demon sends shivers down my spine, and of course, The Lemp Brewery was all focused on the occult. This is carried on through the entire haunt from start to finish. You feel like you are being chosen as a sacrifice to whatever being they are trying to conjure. From scene to scene and room to room, occult figures and symbols linger and it’s executed fantastically.
Scare Factor: 9.05
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 9.33
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 9.3
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.5
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Let me say this again, I am scared of the occult, and the Lemp Brewery scared the heck out of me nearly the whole time. From the subject matter to the actors, this experience was something to be amazed by. The one thing that stands out the most is the fact that whoever was in charge of blocking each scene is a master of deception. Almost every scene features mannequins, sounds or scenery that will distract your attention in one corner, and the next thing you know there is a creep or monster jumping across a room from the opposite side, catching you off guard almost every time.
If you are a believer in ghosts than you are in for a treat as well, you will be attending a haunt at one of the most haunted locations in the world. I got the opportunity to ask a few actors and the manager if they had ever experienced anything creepy or supernatural, and to loosely quote the manager, ‘We have had to tell actors that they HAVE to go back to their scene even though they thought they saw or interacted with a ghost.’ So keep that in mind, if you love ghosts and the paranormal then you can not miss this place.
Entertainment & Value: 8.95
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?: 10
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 6
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 10
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9.67
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$25 gets you into the scare and for $10 extra bucks you can get a speed pass which will help you bypass the very large line. This haunt is worth every cent you will pay at just over 30 minutes for the whole attraction. It’s a great deal.
While there really isn’t much to do outside of the main attraction, it would almost feel like they were losing money if they had to shell out for even more without raising ticket prices. They sell t-shirts for $20 and if you are a veteran you can get one for $10, which is always awesome to support or vets!
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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