Features:
✓-Free Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-“Hi-Tech” Attraction✓-You will NOT be touched✓-Indoor/Outdoor Waiting Line
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: 8.65
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.6
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 9.35
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.55
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 7.4
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.3
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.8
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.15
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.9
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Summary:
Lurking in their new permanent location off of Highway 20 in Douglasville, GA, is Nightmare’s Gate Haunted House. Nightmare’s Gate has been thrilling people for almost ten years, and this year is no exception. The new location is fully air conditioned, giving a much needed relief from the Georgia heat. This haunt brings in scary and dark images suggested for those 17 and older with strobing lights, heavy fog, and some graphic scenarios. They pull no punches in the search for thrills and chills.
Nightmare’s Gate offers its patrons not just a spooky haunted attraction, but also axe-throwing and escape rooms. This haunt prides itself on creating memories with both their haunt family and customers. This can be seen in the efforts every cast and crew member puts into the haunt and towards their customers. This is definitely a haunt worth a visit! Just follow their iconic spotlights to the horror.
Despite this being the beginning of the Halloween season, this was a thrilling experience.
Cast: 8.6
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 9
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 7
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 10
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 9
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9
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Doctors, patients, and deceased monsters greet people as they traverse the halls of Nightmare’s Gate. The actors really leaned into the fact that they are in this infected version of Georgia. We really enjoyed the techniques the actors used to scare us, especially using the handrails in the hallways to climb on and crawling on the floor, then popping up. Also, their nurse in the maternity ward was very effective and into her character. She really integrated our group into the story as she offered us a stay.
While some of the dialogues were a bit cliche, most were uniquely spoken to our group for our version of the story. It was clear that all the actors were passionate about haunting and that translated to a great energy and fun time for our group.
Costuming: 9.35
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?: 10
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 9
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 10
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 10
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The costuming and makeup were well designed and implemented. We specifically enjoyed the full-body suits that made the actors look exactly like the haunt’s fake bodies, so that there was always a question as to whether or not a body was a person or a fake. That is not to say that the characters not in the full-body suits were less effective, as they were clearly made to look like their distinct characters. The blood was tactically dripped and the airbrush makeup was well executed.
Overall, the attention to detail was what sold each character’s looks.
Customer Service: 8.55
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?: 9
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 6
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 10
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 10
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In checking Nightmares Gate’s website, people can find ticket purchasing for the fast pass and the regular tickets; note there are also VIP tickets you can buy at the site which includes the fast pass plus a shirt. The website also allows customers to sign up for text discount codes and promotions.
Finding the physical location was as simple as buying the tickets online. The parking lot is clearly marked with giant spotlights just like they used at their last location.
The haunt owner spoke to us about his safety protocols and explained that there is not a single area in the haunt that is more than 20 steps from an emergency exit. He also mentioned that there is an alternate route for those disabled or larger as there are some very very tight squeeze points and some animatronics that are close to entryways. In a behind the scenes tour, we saw the back paths and the fire exits, which are well lit and marked. He was also proud to say that all the electronics that were within reach of the customers were not more than 12 volts. Customers can rest assured that while they might feel endangered, they are actually very safe.
Atmosphere: 7.4
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?: 7
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8
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The actors on the outdoor line entertainment were dressed to impress and were both creepy and hilarious. We adored Edgar the exterminator’s artwork he was doing on the sidewalk and the entire crew was definitely not camera shy. Also, don’t miss a really cool photo opportunity right next to their ticket booth in the form of a huge saw. One of the owners also clued us in that he had some plans for the line area to make it more spooky, but this was their first night so they didn’t have that up yet. But even without that, we had a blast with Edgar, Patient Zero and the gang as we got ready to enter the haunt.
Special Effects: 8.3
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
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 10
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 7
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9
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Within the haunt in Nightmare’s Gate, people will find very realistic operating rooms with actual operating footage, a maternity ward literally dripping with bodily fluids, and a lot of moving saws. Blood, guts, and gore are painted on the walls and floors. The use of footage is not just limited to surgery as they also use a great fake CDC warning for Georgia which was very appreciated. The one area that felt a little disjointed from the rest of the story was when the path suddenly felt like you are behind the scenes of the haunt, but the tight corridors were nerve-wracking. Once through the corridors, we were back to the story sets with bloody saws on the walls and ceilings, coming to remove our giblets for the sake of finding a cure for the disease.
Theme: 8.8
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 10
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 8
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 9
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At Nightmare’s Gate, our group appreciated that the story line of the haunt was placed in Georgia and that the haunt included actual references to the fact that the haunt’s altered reality was still Georgia.
The website states that the haunt is about Douglasville infected by a terrible, incurable disease that causes the infected and those desperately fighting the infected to become violent; that is exactly what you will find in the haunt. CDC officials, medical experiments, and hostile infected people are around every corner. We really enjoyed the diner where they took our orders before letting us pass, then the CDC warning was playing on the diner’s television.
There were a few areas that seemed to not fit with the overarching theme and were confusing but overall the theme was carried out well.
Scare Factor: 8.15
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
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7
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Nightmare’s Gate preys on the classic fears of hospitals, tight corridors, and violence without mercy. No one in our group was safe as they provided us with terror from above, below, in front, behind, and beside us. There was a wide variety of jump and psychological scares to keep us on edge. The pacing was a little off, with a large valley in the middle, then a peak before the ending but overall it was set at a classic building pace.
Currently, the ending is being changed up, and from what the owner told us, the haunt is only going to get better.
Entertainment & Value: 8.9
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?: 9
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 10
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Nightmare’s Gate was a wonderful experience and it was definitely a great value. Our group had a blast both in line and in the haunt itself.
If a group member feels like they can’t handle the scariness, they also offer a blinking pacifier you can purchase to hold in your mouth. For busy night’s they also offer a fast pass and VIP passes which are VIP plus a shirt. We went through the haunt in 20 minutes walking at a quick pace.
We wholly recommend heading to Nightmare’s Gate this haunted season because you will have a frightfully good time.
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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Promo Images:
Click to Enlarge
Awards:
2019
Most Grotesque Maternity Scene
2017
Hardest Haunt to Escape Alive
Actor Shout Out Award - Mental Patient in Queue and Voice-Box Guy