Features:
✓-Free Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-Indoor Waiting Line✓-All-Indoor Attraction
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: 8.16
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 7.98
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.42
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.12
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.8
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.59
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.32
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 7.15
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Summary:
My Morbid Mind is located just southeast of Olympia in Lacey, Washington. This attraction started as a Halloween yard display before growing into its current location in 2008. Each year, the ‘master of macabre,’ Kevin Noah, adds features to this barn haunt and it definitely shows.
If you are looking to be impressed by a haunted house, My Morbid Mind is an absolute must-see despite its humble looking exterior. There is a slow build-up to the incredibly well-built ticket booth. You’ll be treated to a well-organized queue line with plenty of loud music to set the mood. Once past the queue, the experience will be a delight for all your senses.
Cast: 7.98
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 7.67
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.33
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The actors started coming at us after entering through the swinging door next to the ticket booth. Going through the experience, we found the actors extremely creative with their scares. The available ways for them to interact with the audience are varied and intelligent, with actors seemingly popping out of nowhere and constantly hitting you from all angles.
The clown, who played with the 3D set by bending through the wall, caught our entire group off guard. Another actor ran across the grate overhead as we passed under, then later emerged from the laser bog to suddenly appear right next to us. There was an actor who was able to disappear and re-emerge four separate times as we walked the perimeter of the scene.
While there wasn’t much dialogue from the actors, they did engage with the audience at every opportunity they could, even going so far as to leap over portions of the set to close the distance. Despite the fact that we only counted eight unique actors, we would never guess it given how much energy each of them brings to the numerous scares they each hit you with.
Costuming: 8.42
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?: 8.67
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.33
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.33
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 8
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.67
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All the costumes were fitting for the spaces and the characters they looked to embody. From what we could see, all the actors’ costumes and props were realistic and detailed. The clowns were an amalgamation of black light colors and the chainsaw maniacs wore distressed and bloodied white jumpsuits.
The actors’ makeup was also appropriate for their costumes, with great detail fitting the overall design and feel of the sets the actors were placed in. For some actors, they decided to forgo makeup in favor of masks particularly near the end of the haunt. The end of the haunt was a pitch-black path where any makeup detail would have been lost.
Customer Service: 8.12
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?: 8.33
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 7.33
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 8.67
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 8.33
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The GPS led us directly to the correct spot – though the website warned that some GPS will incorrectly take you to Marvin Rd NE. Marvin Rd SE is correct. Once we were there, the sign off to the side of the road was clear and well lit. With the placement of the well-lit parking lot and a few parking attendants, it’s very easy to find our way to the entrance of the haunt.
Once we were at the ticket counter, the staff was kind and helpful, and they’re happy to see us there. There were a few branded items such as t-shirts and sweatshirts available at the ticket counter.
It was easy to find basic information about My Morbid Mind from their website. It could benefit from a FAQ but the staff is responsive through phone or email. Be sure to pay attention to their Facebook page for updates and any special deals.
Atmosphere: 8.8
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?: 8.67
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 9
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The haunt is built within a barn out in farmland which lends itself to being a creepy, remote space that is well suited towards the experience. The front of the barn is well lit to be able to take in the backlit sign, one that shifts colors and has letters that appear to burn out every few minutes. That sign that appears to be failing mounted on a structure with flaky dried paint and chain-link path were all that we could view from the exterior.
While being corralled by the chain-link, we felt loud nu-metal music vibrate through the ground. Entering the barn, there is a crooked hallway clad in aged wood boards and vintage lanterns. This took us up to the ticket counter that has white tile with split boards in the ceiling. All of this is a great introduction to the space that prepared us for entering a haunted house.
Special Effects: 8.59
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8.67
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.67
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.67
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9
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We were asked to put on 3D glasses – which you’ll really want to do too – for the first section of the haunt. The sets were done up with 3D blacklight reactive paint. This paint camouflaged the definition between 2D and 3D objects. In addition to the blacklight detail, the sets are incredibly well designed to allow actors to sneak through different parts of the haunt quickly, allowing them to hit us, again and again, many scenes apart.
As we proceeded further, the ground we were walking on started to slope and slant. It made walking feel disorienting in the best kind of way. This also allowed for excellent use of space, making it so we passed under and over paths we’ve already gone through. This physical shift in the set provided a claustrophobic experience without having to push through airbags.
The downside of this is it really isn’t accessible to those with any sort of mobility issues. The disorientating paths could provide injuries to those who may fall or trip in there – if you were to attempt to run through after a well-timed scare. Be careful as you’re going through those parts.
Theme: N/A
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?:
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?:
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?:
This score is left “N/A” when we believe the haunt is trying to target a random variety of themes or phobias, rather than a single overarching “Theme” or “storyline.”
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Scare Factor: 8.32
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 9
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.67
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.67
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7.33
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The scares were definitely varied and well-executed from actors having multiple ways to hit patrons going through the haunt. Actors also made good use of the environment to pop out at us from unexpected angles. Depending on your own fears and proclivities, there are a good variety of scares for everyone. The scares came at a fairly rapid pace, slowing down only just before we existed.
The actors worked to try to scare everyone and, when some of us failed to respond, they began targeting the people who appeared the most scared. Even though this tactic can be seen in most haunts, it still gave a great experience for everyone else in our team for a bit of schadenfreude.
Entertainment & Value: 7.15
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?: 8.67
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 1Explanation:
The chainsaw maniacs, who were waiting at the exit, did well to entertain customers as they entered the haunt but there isn’t any other entertainment offered outside the haunt.
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9.67
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9.33
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It took us 15 minutes to travel through the haunt. General admission tickets range from $12 to $18 depending on the night. The price for tickets for the night that we visited was $12. By our estimate, this attraction is valued at about 1.25 minutes per dollar. This is nicely above the national average of 1 minute per dollar.
With a low ticket price, as compared to other haunts in the area, and the high value of the experience, a visit to My Morbid Mind is very much a worthwhile experience. We would even consider this worth a bit of travel to head over from the nearby metropolitan areas. We’d also advise going earlier in the month to avoid some long lines or wait times.
If you are looking for an attraction that has an energetic cast and great sets, then plan a visit this season to My Morbid Mind. They provided top-quality scares and it’ll be hard for any haunt in the area to compete with the value. We are looking forward to our next visit.
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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