Nightmares End Haunted House Review (2024)

The lost souls at Nightmare’s End had us tangled up in terror from the start. Hambone, Crowbar, and Rosie worked the queue like pros, snapping selfies while stirring up tension like it was a family reunion gone wrong.

Inside, most characters nailed their roles, taunting us with chilling threats and dodging in and out of the shadows, although a few more actors could’ve filled some of the quieter spaces. We encountered sneaky stalkers, fixed starers, and even a deranged singer who serenaded us with “Ring Around the Rosie” while absolutely covered in blood. It’s not a haunt if you don’t get a personal soundtrack from a madman, right?

Additional stand-out performers included Amos, who was downright scary, the Gate Keeper, and the morph suit stalker!

The costumes were a gruesome parade of twisted imagination! The queue actors stole the show – Rosie’s mask looked like she’d given her sewing skills a new (and unfortunately human) twist, and the others featured disturbingly realistic masks.

There was a nice mix of masks and makeup, with bloody military folks in camo pants and gore-stained shirts who looked like they’d just stepped off a battlefield. A few characters went with minimal makeup or t-shirts, which made for some unexpected “casual Friday” moments, but for the most part, the costumes fit the scenes well. The Gate Keeper’s clown mask was another excellent addition.

Many of the characters’ attire didn’t feature layers. However, Amos’s hatchets looked disturbingly real, even for a haunt. We recommend adding layers, trinkets, grunge, and that lived-in look to the costumes.

Using our GPS, it wasn’t difficult at all to locate Nightmares End. After driving through a quiet and calm neighborhood, we hadn’t a clue what to expect. We passed a sign for the haunt as we got off of our exit, and as we arrived, we were met with a much bigger and illuminated sign, even though the distant screams and revving chainsaws made it obvious enough where we were! Their parking lot was well-lit for the most part, too, and easy to navigate. Their ticket booth, where you could also purchase merch and/or concessions, was right up front and easy to find. And their separate queue lines were right beside that, easily distinguishable between general admission and fast pass!

Given a majority of this haunt was set up outdoors, there were some uneven steps here and there, but nothing too bad! All of the staff members we met were extremely friendly and helpful, and made our visit all the more enjoyable. It was visibly important to the staff that all customers had the best possible time.

At this time, Nightmares End does not have their own website, but they do have a haunt Facebook page you can visit to find hours and dates of operation, ticket prices, directions, and customer reviews! We would love to see a full website in the future with additional FAQs and haunt info.

Very tall and menacing animatronics on either side of the ticket booth were just a fraction of the spooky vibes our group was already feeling before even heading inside. There were three intimidating actors regularly returning to mess with us whilst we were in line, getting us ready for the attraction. The chain of ominous red lighting around the queue area and atop the house we’d soon enter made us all uneasy. Some more decorations though could definitely enhance this space.

There might not have been a central theme for this haunt, but we soon realized that the nightmare (relating to the name) was more than fitting. Once inside, we went through the twists and turns of the small home until we escaped and came face to face with the Gatekeeper. He gave us the rundown of the haunt and made us laugh quite a bit, too! He was the perfect intro to our thrilling adventure through the remainder of the attraction, along with a great transition between areas at times. The Gatekeeper kept us aware of the themes of the next few sections, and our group was even getting excited to see him after each one! Speaking of seeing characters more than once, there were occasions in which actors from previous scenes would sneak and scare us later on, and while they did succeed, some of them did feel a bit out of place.

The end of the haunt brought us back out beside the queue line, still close to the concessions as well as a cozy firepit. Perhaps some additional entertainment or things to do afterward would make the experience even better!

Within the space utilized for Nightmares End, they sure had their share of special effects! We ventured through some very detailed scenes, including an enclosed cemetery with gravestones and the undead. Natural foliage on the outside portions was used to enhance the swampland area. The spooky-as-ever red lighting in the shed, where all of the tools (or rather weapons) were spread across the walls, didn’t give us a good feeling about what might happen to us. There were a few transition areas or plain walls that could’ve used a bit more spooky decorating. However, animatronics such as the creature flailing around above us in the house and the witch after the claustrophobia-inducing tunnel were placed strategically to get the best scares when we least expected them.

We braved through strobe lights, squeezed through inflatables, and forged on through the spinning vortex tunnel. This haunt also used pure darkness to their advantage! There were many blackout tunnels we got turned around in, with things hanging from the ceiling brushing over us that gave us the creeps and worked great as a sensory scare. Some more ambient noise or music would have been a nice touch to some scenes that were relatively quiet (however, we were informed that staff turned down their normal music during our visit so it you may experience more music). On the opposite end, though, some areas were so dead silent it brought more tension than we may have ever felt at a haunt!

Now, to bring up the big question of this attraction: Was it scary? Let’s just start by saying that this place might have you screaming even if you’re not typically a screamer. While we did go through it in a small group, everyone was equally targeted and interacted with, which we both loved and appreciated. Scares weren’t constant, but the atmosphere for the majority of the haunt was eerie in itself. There were multiple instances where we were given a false sense of security before an actor would appear out of nowhere!

The blend of animatronics, scenery, and actors provided many spooks. More variety of scares from the actors would be cool to see, such as more silent stalkers or them working more with props from their scenes instead of just jumpscares (even though a good jumpscare never fails!). For the finale, a more detailed area for the chainsaw-wielding maniac might build more tension, plus he deserves it! A further chase and higher intensity could prove to be more effective in the future, or adding in a second chainsaw for an element of surprise would be good, too! But chainsaws are always a phenomenal choice for an ending.

For Nightmare’s End, the $20 general admission price might seem a bit steep, especially for those traveling in, but it’s still a solid deal for locals looking for a good scare without the gore. Clocking in at about 10 minutes, the haunt’s MPD (minutes per dollar) comes to around 0.50 – a bit lower than we’d like. However, don’t let the run time fool you! This haunt packed plenty of jumpy moments into those ten minutes, rivaling even some of the larger haunts we’ve visited.

Remember, parking is free, and some great queue actors taunted the line during our wait. Music filled the air, and there were a few things to take photos of. They also have a gift shop where you can purchase some merchandise.

And while it’s family-friendly, don’t expect it to be tame. With intense scenes and strong performances, we found ourselves jumping more than expected. If you’re in the area and up for some good, spooky fun that’s safe for the whole family, Nightmare’s End is well worth a stop.