Nightmare Dungeon Haunted Attraction Review (2016)

There are comparatively few actors inside the Nightmare Dungeon. Around three dozen actors lurk inside, performing small scenes and frightening guests. Visitors are led through the haunt with the aid of a guide ‘ probably helpful given the twisting passages, tight hallways and the overall journey up and down again. We wish that the actors in the various scenes would have had more interactive dialogue, but with as many visitors as there are pouring through the Dungeon each night, it must be tough to keep up with more than a growl. We especially liked the plaintive cries of the caged girl before the buzz saw apparently split her from her words. The guides were entertaining as well.

Nightmare Dungeon does some interesting things with set design. As you move through the haunt, you can actually see glimpses of scenes through small windows or cut-outs in the walls. These glimpses are usually from different angles than when you actually reach the room/scene and let you get little previews that are full of details. The actors work within their scenes but can also use those little windows to not only let you have a small vignette of what’s to come, but also launch part-way through them to reach out for you! From the creepy initial interaction with your guide to the final blaring scare at the end of the second haunt, Nightmare Dungeon does quite a bit with what they have.

This haunt actually changes its theme a bit every year, so if you went this year, be prepared for something different next year. If you went some years ago, visit again and see what’s changed. It won’t be the same experience again.

Nightmare Dungeon this year is mostly an old-school haunt. There are some traditional scenes and scares as you move through the haunt; some of these are executed particularly well. Though there are lots of dark or dimly lit hallways, you know there’s always something else coming around the next bend that will serve to make you jump or set you on edge.

This haunt moves you through very quickly. From the front door to the back is probably a 12 minute trip. At a cost of $30, that only comes out to .40 minutes of screams per dollar. However, given the size of the house and the twisting nature of all the passages, we’re not sure how much more can be fit inside. In the future, we hear that the haunt is going to start to expand back out into the yard or even have additions built onto it; that’s something we look forward to. The line for Nightmare Dungeon can be long. It winds around two sides of the house and across a small yard. Even with pulling groups of 6-10 people through with alternating guides, it can take a while to navigate the line. Since there’s not a fast pass option, be sure to get there early!