Features:
✓-Free Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-“Extreme” Attraction✓-You may be touched✓-Original Characters✓-Uncovered Outdoor Waiting Line✓-Indoor/Outdoor Attraction
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: 8.84
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.95
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.68
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.45
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 9.3
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 9.08
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 9.2
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.25
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Summary:
The best thing about the haunt community is people with different ideas getting to show those ideas off to the world. Scare House of the South is definitely one of those platforms for showing a set of one-of-a-kind ideas to its guests. This haunt is a rated R experience with 360-degree interactions and pauses for scenes to be seen and experienced by all. The cast and crew clearly have a tight-knit unit feel and a passion for the amazing show they are putting on. This haunt was an experience we were not expecting when our group got there. We were very impressed with Scare House of the South.
Cast: 8.95
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?: 8.5
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9.5
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8.5
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9.5
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Scare House of the South has a set of actors who can connect with the guests in intimate and scary ways. We were completely speechless in the doll room as the dolls played around and with us, caressing our faces and holding our eye contact. The cast had a wide variety of talents, including acting, creeping, and even dancing dirty. Our group vastly enjoyed the headshot area with the Magic Mike-like dance that ended with a bang and an Ewww! But the best part of the cast was just the overall surprises that they kept giving our group. The total cast was just so interactive, it was like they were there to entertain just our group. The different ways the cast interacted with the group was always shocking and we were blown away.
Costuming: 8.68
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?: 9
(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)?: 9
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.5
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Scare House of the South was dedicated to creating truly gruesome and R rated characters. While the characters tended to be scantily clad at times, they were not dressed as such just to be R rated. The lack of clothes made sense within the sets. The masks were especially well done, increasing the creepiness of the characters by at least double. Also, the effects makeup on the victims were well done to give the illusions of missing body parts. While some haunts are able to hide the costuming mistakes, a great deal of the settings stopped the group and forced them to observe the characters. So we were able to take an up-close and personal evaluation of the costuming, and we found them to be on point for the setting and overall feel of the entire haunt.
Customer Service: 8.45
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?: 8
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9
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A manager’s mother welcomed us to Scare House of the South at their ticket booth. She was very friendly and clearly loved what the haunt was accomplishing. Getting to the haunt was a bit of an adventure and there is only parking on the side of the road, but once out and about at the attraction, everything is clearly labeled.
Scare House of the South has a great website that pulls no punches when it comes to the dos and don’ts for their haunt. The haunt was overall pretty safe with a clear concern for the safe fun of their guests. Our group even witnessed the haunt staying open extra late for a group who was lost and had called to get directions; now that’s dedication! (Please don’t expect to be sold a ticket if you’re late.)
Atmosphere: 9.3
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?: 9.5
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 9
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Scare House of the South is very clearly a haunt upon entering, and very clearly a rated R haunt. Within the first few moments of entering the haunt line, we met their scantily clad Scare House Queen (who is featured on their site), their shirtless crazy clown who is just looking for love, and their mad and mangled rat pack stalker who went up to one of our group to greet her with a cheek caress and an eerie eye contact moment. The haunt rules are posted on huge signs all over the area so there is no misunderstandings of what people are getting into and they have a few decorations and photo opportunities. This all gets the guests warmed up for what is about to come in the haunt itself.
Special Effects: 9.08
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 9
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9.5
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.5
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9.5
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Scare House of the South lived up to the claims on their site of being ‘extreme.’ This haunt was epic in terms of their special effects. The way they brought in groups, had them go along until they hit a stop, then do a scene, then open the access was very unique and allowed everyone to see the scenes. While the scenes were being acted out, the haunt would have other actors appear, or drop a wall, or have a window, all of which turned the haunt into a 360-degree experience. Additionally, the water and air effects offered some great jump scares and some disgusting moments. The props also offered some very interactive moments when we would be touched by removed body parts or by the implements used to remove said body parts. The haunt was well designed to prey on all the senses.
Theme: N/A
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?:
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?:
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?:
This score is left “N/A” when we believe the haunt is trying to target a random variety of themes or phobias, rather than a single overarching “Theme” or “storyline.”
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Scare House of the South didn’t have an overarching theme. However, each room and especially each acted scene were themed and planned to the minute details. The scenes were designed with the thought that people would be forced to watch them. As such, they were as thorough as if they were the set of a play. The actors were then able to use those themes to help generate their characters and their scares. Each building also tended to have its own feeling as the guests went from building to building. Even the exterior was well themed and detailed with beautiful lighting and a wild bridge over an underlit combine blade slowly spinning.
While the whole haunt didn’t have a unified theme, it had a unified feel that was scary and eerie.
Scare Factor: 9.2
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 9.5
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 9.5
(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?: 10
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Scare House of the South was a very scary experience. The way the actors were able to target every person individually and really lean into scaring them was terrifying in areas. The scares came from everywhere and they were always keeping our group guessing as to where and what would happen next. The methods of scares were all over the place and kept the whole haunt from becoming predictable. The most unpredictable part was definitely the ending which was a shocking and very scary experience as the whole room was shook.
Entertainment & Value: 8.25
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?: 7.5
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 8.5
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Scare House of the South was a ton of scary, edgy, fun and we felt it was beyond worth its $20.00 general admission or even the $50.00 fast pass admission. A really neat thing this haunt does is that they limit the number of fast pass tickets that can be purchased so that the fast pass is more effective.
The haunt was just over 30 minutes long for our standard pace so the general admission minutes per dollar is 1.5 which is a good value. Additionally, the amount of haunt a person gets for the cost is well worth the price. The haunt has no midway, so the additional entertainment for the ticket price is mostly limited to a few photo opportunities and the fun of watching others emerge from the shocking ending to the haunt (which is hilarious).
Scare House of the South was an amazing experience and our team wanted to go back again just to go through for fun. We loved the unique setup this haunt has and the truly scary and visceral horror of this place. It is definitely an R rated place and is really not recommended for anyone younger than 18 or at least a mature 16. For those who are old enough, our group 100% recommends checking them out because Scare House of the South was a haunt worth seeing!
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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