Necropolis Underground Haunted Attractions Review (2021)

Disclaimer: some of the cast members in this attraction use strong and vulgar language. If this is something that offends you, you have been warned. Also, these attractions are set up to allow the actors to easily move behind the scenes and scare you multiple times in the same haunt. We did experience this during our review visit, so we must disclaim that other guests may or may not experience these types of repeat encounters.

The House’s actors were debatably the most diverse at Necropolis. Each of them had something different to say, and some – especially the schizo – had more* than enough for multiple personalities! When he came after us and started fighting with himself about who’s going to work the street for spare cash, bickering about who forgot the mayonnaise, or other much more vulgar sayings’ we couldn’t decide if we needed to run away in fear or stick around for the laughs! Jokes aside, these paranoid people were very good about relating their scripts to their scenes, keeping the energy levels high, threatening us with their various props (even with a toilet brush’ successfully!), and warning us not to go any further’ you know, because that’s where the bodies are buried!

The Cemetery’s demons contrasted starkly with those in the house. These were much more intent on stealing our souls (or other body parts) and making sure we felt we were in a living Hell! After being greeted with Mama Brigitte’s promises of decapitation (and castration for any guys that scream louder than the girls), her eyes rolled into the back of her head, Baron Samedi called for his children (with his albino danger noodle in tow), and all manner of undead denizens rose from their graves – and torture chambers – trying to stop us from making it all the way through. Baron’s overshadowing declarations of, ‘Welcome to Hell, motherf*ckers’ could be heard on several occasions, and it seemed that each time he said it, the monsters got bigger and more violent. Some were crawling on the floor, others were hurdling over graves, and more were sprung from some of the most cleverly disguised hiding spots in the complex. Screams, yells, and war cries seemed to fill the air almost as much as the ambient soundtracks, which certainly kept us looking over our shoulders for where the next attack might come from.

The Dead and Breakfast’s bellhop was undeniably our most comedic encounter at Necropolis! But, you’d better brace yourself for some ‘punny’ jokes and witty back-and-forth comebacks. Mr. Robin Graves helped check us in, gave us some pointers on how to make him ‘come’ if we needed him, and thanked us in advance for the YouTube video that he was about to watch from our room! I mean, what else can you expect for a pay-by-the-hour hotel room, right? Beggars can’t be choosers here, folks. As we wound our way into room 13 (multiple times), we encountered a new set of inhabitants each time, each of which had their own distinct, crazed, or violent roles to play in the purgatory-like repetition of this ‘No Checkout’ D&B.

Ted (and his dino puppet ‘Chomp’) welcomed us to The Bunker this year, asking if we felt sick, needed a shot (neither seeming ‘rona related), or were interested in some of his pills. Be careful’ he bites! After warning us that the doctor had lost his vision, but could hear and sense any changes in the room, Ted sent us on our way to try and escape before the blinded bad guy could find us. This was one of the best cases we’ve seen of a collective cast commonly connotating a singular ‘boss’ character’ ‘Dr. Cutter.’ Crazed patients kept calling for him and asking to, ‘make it stop.’ Other patients and practitioners violently assaulted their corpses, warned us that ‘the doctor’s here,’ (and, of course, he was), wanted to scoop out our eyeballs, or drooled into each others’ mouths (we’re hoping those two are a couple, IRL). It seemed like no matter how far we made it through the haunt, he was always managing to find us’ sniffing and feeling and grabbing around the rooms trying to capture us. His all-white eyes, sharp teeth, and growling voice kept us tip-toeing through the’ examination rooms (betcha thought we were gonna say ‘tulips,’ didn’t ya!?).

Many of Necropolis’ barbarous brutes carry many of the same qualities as other haunts that are operated by Sindicate HHG’ which certainly isn’t a bad thing! Makeup generally consists of a lot of shading and darkened facial features to help magnify their malicious mugs, as well as distress and dingify (is that a word?) their displayed dermis. This shading was accompanied by sores, blood, and other wounds, or tribal or skull-like designs and markings (with the latter particularly true in the Cemetery). Some of the looks were finished off with crazy hairdos, bone jewelry, or other accessories. Some of the roaming characters that we saw multiple times had costumes that were universal enough to not be too jarring when we saw them in the separate haunts’ but they still fit in some spots better than others.

One of the most ‘creative’ looks in the House include the guy with underwear on his head’ and, of course, he was ear-deep in a toilet partaking in his favorite meal! In the Cemetery, Brigitte’s skull makeup and tribal attire and staff, along with Baron’s bone-clad top hat and tailcoat, and the wildlife-inspired wardrobes of a couple of other characters, were stand-outs that we won’t soon be forgetting. (This ‘Voodoo’ stuff is one of the few haunt themes that seems to tolerate incomplete costumes well’ as long as there’s adequate makeup/body paint to still create a complete look.)

The two most commonly encountered characters in Dead and Breakfast – Mr. Graves and the female bellhop – had excellent costumes with lots of makeup layering. We did notice a mask on the guy in the office-type area, but can’t quite figure out how to describe it other than ‘nightmarish!’ In The Bunker, Ted’s outfit (which we were able to examine for quite a while as we spoke with him) clearly had a lot of detail in it’ along with a super-sharp set of teeth and what appeared to be various types of blackened bodily broths (and who knows what else)! The doctor’s pale white eyes (and teeth as well) were mesmerizing, and the wounds and blood and distressing on the other malpracticers and patients served as evidence that they were not ones to be meddled with.

As you approach Necropolis’ parking lot, a well-lit parking sign by the road reinforces your arrival and points you in the right direction (well, left direction) to pull in. From there, additional banners and a parking lot attendant are in place to help you find a spot to station your wagon. Parking is free, paved, and well-lit by the surrounding buildings and lot lights.

The haunt is not wheelchair accessible, as there is a somewhat lengthy set of stairs to go down to enter the building’ then back up again in order to leave. Although we do miss the dramatic elevator ride to the basement, we certainly appreciate that the queue area (well, the entire haunt, for that matter) is completely indoors! No more standing out in the cold’ yipee!

Speaking of stairs, there are several smaller sets of these and ramps to navigate as you make your way through the haunts. Some areas may require you to duck or crouch, depending on how vertically challenged you are. Try to keep these in mind as you’re getting scared while going through’ no one likes a busted head or a rolled ankle.

Everyone that we spoke with at Necropolis was extremely friendly and able to answer any questions that we had. There was also a dead-icated spokesperson for the new Dead City Festival area, letting exiting customers know about all of the new (optional) games and other interactions that are available. Necropolis’ website is up-to-date and helped us find pretty much anything that we needed to know about the place! They also have an active social presence on Facebook and Insta.

Although Necropolis Underground is located beneath an old phone factory, the building itself left us guessing as to what we were getting ourselves into. Since the ticket booth and queue area are now completely indoors, there wasn’t a lot going on outside… except for a few signs, security staff, and a parking attendant.

As we’re sure you already understand, and as the name implies, these attractions really are housed in a basement, underground! Once we entered the building and headed down the stairs, the overall atmosphere shifted towards the darker side. When it comes to haunts, our inner children get gitty, and going into a haunt under the Earth’s surface did just that!

In the basement, the walls have been painted to give off more of a dilapidated look. Bumping music flowed through the large areas. Multiple signs and painted murals reinforced the fact that we were, indeed, at a haunted house (and Necropolis, specifically). As guests waited, multiple roaming characters made their way up and down the line. Some even slid across the floor under the chains separating the lines!

Upon escaping the first attraction, we were dumped into a waiting area with a decorated facade. From there, each haunt showcased an appropriately decorated entrance. Each of the caretakers to each attraction also welcomed us in which really added to the atmosphere. We also watched Baron Samedi chase teenage girls around with his real snake, so that will do it too! It almost seemed like his reptile companion enjoyed chasing them as much as he did…

Necropolis has always showcased scenes that make us drag our jaws across the floor, but they continue to add and tweak, making the experience more encircling. The underground attractions are comprised of a combination of old-school and animated effects.

As we’ve mentioned before, don’t trust anything in Necropolis! This is, by far, the most special effects-deceiving haunt we’ve come across! Just when we thought something was a simple mirror or door on a cabinet, we were proven wrong. They use everything to their advantage, working with the sets and scenes very well (as long as there are plenty of cast members to do so).

Outside the house, an abrupt car horn blasted and we found ourselves weaving in and out of fences and the entrance to a dilapidated house complete with an old mailbox outside. Inside, we were blasted with some remarkably decorated sets. Some rooms had so much going on, it was hard to know what to focus on. Items hung from and were strewn across the ceiling and all walls at times. Toys, games, spider webs, clothing, shoes, household accessories, books, and kitchen items were literally everywhere. Even a unique, above-ground cemetery was complete with dirt.

Spooky music and some louder noises accompanied and fit in with most areas. Once it seemed like we exited the house into exterior portions, the effects became more subtle but still effective. The new bridge addition was very impressive! A nasty bathroom, a ghostly CGI, lots of coffins, and an enclosing hallway were also effective.

The Cemetery of the Damned is a giant, above-ground cemetery with a few other areas mixed in. We weaved within many mausoleums and crypts. There was an ambient soundtrack throughout and, at times, we heard other sounds such as the beat of tribal instruments. We also caught an unexplainable sound at the end that was like an odd white noise, and we heard some metal music that seemed a bit oddly placed.

A book of the dead laid wide open as if they had just been recently using it, we faced a never-ending tomb, swaying mausoleums, an entire moving room, a large pumpkinhead, and the blue hue of light made it appear as if it was nighttime in the cemetery. Near the center of the Cemetery, we stumbled upon some sort of torture chamber with an electrical surprise that didn’t seem to match as well, but the horse statue, tons of foliage, fences, and gates all reinforced that we were still in the depths of some burial grounds’ or their very own version of Hell itself!

We haven’t quite seen an attraction built like the Dead and Breakfast before. This inn will take you to your 13th room of doom, more than once, and by design! When you visit, you’ll get what we mean. Another CGI surprise, a secret passage, possessed beds, a bottomless pit, and a closet monster helped this attraction stand out. This one left us feeling as if we’d literally gone crazy.

Tons of clothing, suitcases, belongings of past guests, and lots of clutter obstructed our path. It was storming outside when we entered (by way of a CGI screen that was perfectly placed within the lobby window). The seemingly endless hallways of guest room doors were the shining effect here, though.

Upon entering The Bunker, sinister sounds and real screams and yells from patients echoed into the check-in area. We feel that since this facility doesn’t want to be found by the public that we may get in trouble for telling you this, but some drastic experiments were witnessed down there. The patients that are still living have clearly gone mad. They’ve resorted to calling the many hanging dead bodies ‘meat popsicles,’ so they’re clearly not okay.

Tons of jarred specimens and appalling atrocities were scattered about the medical lab. We came face to legs with a giant spider (that had very good sounds to go with it) along with a room full of surround sound that really gets to your head – no wonder that patient in there keeps hearing voices! A padded hallway and several looks into experimental rooms alluded to the fact that we were in some sort of unorthodox hospital.

Each haunted attraction at Necropolis Underground features a small story on their website. We do recommend giving them a read before visiting, as we feel it helps bring the themes to life when what you read happens right before your eyes.

We started off outside Nightmare House. They say that every old and decrepit house has a story. Well, it seems that this one has many! It has claimed many humans and feeds on their energy, trapping them within its walls forever. We can attest that there are many souls trapped within the walls (literally), and they WILL make themselves known.

Cemetery of the Damned seems to be the most obviously themed haunt at Necropolis. Within, there are many souls trapped between life and death. As soon as Baron Samedi and his wife greeted us at the front door, we knew we were walking into some territories in which we did not belong. They welcomed us and continued to sic their demons on us and call out to Papa Legba, requesting him to connect ‘us’ with them. No thank you! They say Baron is always watching and, again, we can attest that they are correct!

The Dead and Breakfast features a very unique theme. At one time, tragedy struck, turning this delightful inn into a world of disordered demise. One night, a murderer broke in and took the lives of nearly every guest and employee. The few that survived still dwell within the hallways, waiting to make you face the tragedy they faced on that dreadful night. Welcome to room number 13. No matter how hard you try, it won’t be your last visit.

Before entering, Mr. Graves warned us that there was a panty-sniffing maniac on the loose. However, he did not tell us that he had already killed nearly everyone in the hotel. Regardless, their story on the site says the Inn is a great place to take shelter from the storm (and it was storming during our check-in!). The staff also reiterated the ‘hotel’ theme by referencing ‘breakfast’ in several different ways.

Last, but certainly not least, we made our way into The Bunker. This is supposedly a hidden facility from the public, and they’ve done a good job since it’s underground and advertised as one of the ‘haunts’ at Necropolis. ‘This is an Area 51 offspring location.’ We’re not quite sure what they’re experimenting on in there, but we can tell you, the doctors don’t really seem to have a method to their madness’ or DO they?!

As we noted last season, when there are hundreds (and we mean hundreds) of hidey holes in the walls with cast members utilizing them and coming at us from all directions, it’s really hard to predict what or when something is going to emerge or suddenly move. We just hope that they’re able to do this with most customers as they did with us’

In the house, threatening dialogue was quickly flung at us. Inanimate objects viciously shook as we passed, creatures emerged from the woodwork, and unexplained noises helped keep us on edge. Although we were constantly on our toes looking for the next body to emerge, the variety of scares relied heavily on these hiding spots. There were a few cast members totally above us and crawling or rolling about on the floor, but the most effective scares were by far the new bridges!

As we made our way amongst the rising dead in Cemetery of the Damned, they tormented us most of the way through. If you’re afraid of snakes or curses, this one’s going to call you out real quick! Before entering, a real snake was perched across Baron Samedi’s shoulders. This was no small snake, either. In addition, Baron and his equally creepy wife stalked and followed us most of the way through, chanting and demanding their demons and ‘children’ to rise. Of course, the demons listened and they seemed to become more agitated the further we progressed.

Maniacal laughing, confined spaces, additional danger noodles, intimidating stalkers, and a large creature trying to grab us were also filtered in through their fright curses. This haunt was also a harder one to predict, as we never knew when these beings would be around the corner or come trailing up behind us.

When we checked into the Dead and Breakfast, a window shattered before us, sending us quickly on our way to our room. Although guided by staff, actually getting to our room proved to be much harder than it sounded. Again, good hiding spots seemed to be an effective culprit here. However, the variety increased a bit more in this attraction.

Not long after getting ourselves acquainted with our room, the deja vu started to set in, catching us off-guard and leaving us to wonder if we’d already seen some common areas before. Irate guests, moving furniture, characters within the walls, dark hallways, and shocking surprises sent us into a jumping fit.

We felt that we experienced the largest variety of scares at Necropolis in The Bunker during our visit. Things started off with an encounter with an odd gentleman, and things just roller-coastered from there. The run-in with the blind doctor was spine-tingling, especially when he would sneak up and warmly breathe on our necks! Yikes! At one point, we caught ourselves staring at an object at the other end of a hallway that resembled a mirror, but it featured an unexpectedly nice surprise.

They’ve added a scream-inducing spider scare that’s partnered with some jolting sounds. It’s not often that animatronics on their own deliver scares, but there’s a convulsing body in there that made each of us jump! Even more threatening dialogue was heard throughout and we witnessed an act of violence that let us know these crazies weren’t playing around.

Our group was small, only consisting of 2, but we feel that they did a good job of targeting the front of the group and then revealing themselves to the back. The final scenes for each attraction varied in intensity with the standouts being the giant creature/actor combo in the Cemetery and the patient/doctor combo chase out of the ‘offspring’ facility.

Ticket prices remain the same as last season at $35.00 per brave mortal for general admission and $50.00 for Fast Pass. For those that want a little extra, GA + a T-shirt can be purchased for $50.00 or Front of the Line passes are available for $75.00.

Our time inside all attractions equaled out to 34 minutes this season! They even eliminated the freight elevator ride and still managed to keep us longer. That brings their MPD (minutes of entertainment received per dollar spent) to 0.97 which is still just below the benchmark of 1.0′ but it’s certainly getting closer! For those that would like a breakdown, we spent 10 mins. in the House, 9 in the Cemetery, 8 avoiding becoming breakfast, and 7 with the crazies and doctors.

They’ve added the Dead City Festival area at the exit of the haunts this season. In this area, there’s a variety of things to do to add to your night of fright, but each of these comes at an additional cost. In the future, they plan to add a lot more’ but currently, they offer the Grimm Inn 10-minute escape room for $10.00, a VR ride, axe throwing, tarot card reading, and more! We did try our luck at conquering the escape room and we barely failed (if that’s possible), but we do highly recommend giving it a try, it’s even pretty spooky in there!

As we waited to enter the haunt, a handful of entertaining monsters came out to interact with us and the crowd. One, in particular with sliding gear and hair hanging out of his backpack, continued to slide at people all night, scaring them before they even entered. There were also some R&B tunes to listen to that helped pass the time in line.

We’ve been visiting Necropolis off-and-on since about 2016, and we are happy to say that this haunt just keeps getting better and better! The characters are more intense, dialogue has been amped up, there are more creatures to attack, and many of the things that didn’t seem to work before do now. They’ve added some of their own unique touches to this already one-of-a-kind haunted attraction that mixes old-school-style haunting with modern tricks. We can’t wait to make a return visit!

Necropolis is known for being open during the off-season for a variety of events, so be sure to give them a follow so you can stay updated. All in all, we had a great time and appreciate all of the extras they’ve added for a single stop for nightly fright.

‘Have you been to the NEW Necropolis yet?’