Nightmare Factory Review (2021)

The cast of Nightmare Factory does an excellent job of staying in character throughout the night, even during the hourly ‘monster rushes’ where most if not all the costumed staff rush from the haunt to terrorize the queue area for a brief time. During these monster rushes, not only are the various costumed staff on full display in the bright light of the waiting area on the street, but they also get up close and personal with waiting guests.

SCUD the Zombie did a great job hosting the sideshow events out front as well as making sure that those waiting for their turn in the queue were both entertained and made aware of the haunt’s schedule and what to expect. His outgoing personality helps keep both the cast and the guests excited and ready for the next thing to come.

There are a variety of these nightmarish ghouls ‘ zombies, asylum patients, crazy clowns, and more ‘ enough to tickle the fears of nearly everyone. We would have liked to have had more conversations or seen more of these delightfully creepy creatures.

Because of the hourly monster rushes, all the inhabitants of NF have very elaborate and complete costumes and makeup. Masks are seldom seen here, but everything is amazingly detailed. We were able to see most of the crew close up and in the bright exterior lights. Inside the haunt, all of this detail is displayed with great effect with a variety of lighting. All of the costumes fit their respective various locations within the Factory ‘ the morgue, the clown house, the psych ward ‘ as well as the Chainsaw Zombie run outside. Too, they all bear a unified appearance despite their different roles that mark them out as inhabitants of the Nightmare Factory. It’s not uncommon to see some of their non-cast employees also dressed up, and just like the cast the attention to detail is spot on.

Though the haunt’s waiting area spills out into the street in front of NF, the area is well lit and a lot of care and caution has gone into making sure that the crowds and the occasional slow-moving vehicle are at a safe distance from one another.

NF has a digital queue that is joined by scanning a QR code. That helps guests enjoy the atmosphere that they’ve set up as well as letting people social distance, eat and drink, and even sit and rest if their feet are tired, all without having to worry about missing their spot in the line.

The monster rushes every hour are used by the non-costumed staff to clean frequently traversed areas inside the haunt as a health and safety precaution. During the middle of each hour, a sideshow act takes place out front ‘ giving most of the costumed staff a brief respite for a break.

It was clear to us that the management of Nightmare Factory is concerned not only with the safety of their guests, but their workers as well. That dedication is paid back not only with some loyal fans but with a growling, screeching cast that does everything it can to provide scares. Early in the night, the show is family-friendly, with the more extreme sideshow acts (and a slightly more vulgar dialogue from the cast) happening after 9 pm.

In addition to some fairly detailed sets and creative use of lighting, there were a number of great practical effects spread throughout Nightmare Factory. We enjoyed the NF take on a 3-D maze, constructed with some unique takes on lighting, mirrors, and laser light. Small little touches like the sounds of water bubbling as we entered a laser swamp or a roof that popped up and down as if it were about to rip off in a storm were nice touches that blew us away. There is a little bit of sound bleed throughout NF’s interior space ‘ something that can hardly be avoided in such a small space ‘ but most of that works to add an extra layer of ambiance to the walk-through.

Nightmare Factory ticket prices vary depending on the night or weekend. Be sure to check their website for exact prices before your visit. Tickets can also be purchased online before arriving. The haunt itself is very short ‘ though the quarter-mile walk is a crazy amount of fun, we would really love to see what the crew of NF could do with space to grow. However, they have definitely squeezed terror out of every conceivable inch of space that they do have.

Too, there is almost always something going on outside. From the hourly monster rush when spooky-themed music turns to pounding rock as the denizens rush from the factory through the crowd to a variety of side-show acts, we definitely found ourselves entertained. In fact, we easily spent two hours on-site taking in everything that we could. We were sad that we had to leave for our long drive home, but we are absolutely planning a return to the Nightmare Factory.