This attraction was reviewed by Team Zombillies, Team Living Dead Duo, and Team Lone Wolf on October 10, 2025.Fear is the lock, courage is the key.
The 17th Door decides who walks free.
Cry for mercy, beg or plead,
The Warden takes what victims need.
Hands shaking. Hearts pounding. Minds racing. No other haunt has made us question our sanity before the doors even opened quite like this one. That’s because we were standing before The 17th Door, California’s chaotic chamber of challenges, and one of the wildest experiences in America! In 2025, they’re celebrating their 10th season, and they’re blowing customers away… Literally!
Maybe it was pure dumbassery, maybe it was the fact that a few of us aren’t the freshest corpses in the crypt. Either way, the Lone Wolf lured us here for her 40th birthday bash, one we weren’t entirely sure we’d live to see the end of!
The 17th Door has cast its lot inside Perpetuum Penitentiary, one of the most horrendous prisons imaginable. Perpetuum is less of a correctional facility and more of a circle of hell, where twisted engineers toy with human suffering like it’s a science experiment. And of course… we’re up next! But first, we had to sign our lives away on that waiver, on camera!
Mercy is a myth here, and at The 17th Door, survival is the only sentence worth serving before making parole. Who cried mercy? Or did any of us make it out without breaking?
When you’re being sent into a prison where The Warden is a freaking clown, you know you’re in for a sentence you won’t experience anywhere else! The 17th Door had no storyline, preferring to use a general prison theme with a touch of asylum included. As a result, many of the characters we saw were either other inmates or sadistic prison staff. At intake, a receptionist with a Russian accent accepted our waivers and led us in a “singy-songy” chant so we’d be prepared to face our sentence. We got a chuckle out of the officer who led us onto the foggy bus to our doom when she scolded us for “smoking and vaping” in there. Hey, we were about to be locked up for a LONG time… we had to get our fix where we could! The penitentiary’s barber not only rocked an impressive mullet, but had the drawl to match it as he invited us into his chair for a shave. One group member took him up on it – earning him a nice fat 17 on the back of his head! An extremely nervous inmate wearing a bandana appeared to be plotting an escape… and might’ve been on something. Wide-eyed and fidgety, he demanded to know where someone in our group hid “the stuff” – then bolted when the guard showed up to unlock and inspect his cell. (Under threat of tasering, we were quick to join him. Runnn!) We also met the janitor, who decided to show us what a great job he did with cleaning the facility’s toilets… while flinging the wet contents of his plunger on us. Ewww!
In the spinning room, some serious clowning around was going on! Two of them were crawling and leaping around us. One even engaged a group member in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors as we spun – cute! Too bad the grim-faced guards on Death Row weren’t quite as playful. They pushed us into stalls, asking us questions like, “Have you been good? Do you know why you’re being punished?” while working hoods over our heads. Multiple attempts were made to execute us during our sentence: firing squad, suffocation… yikes. Thankfully, we managed to earn our freedom, and the red-haired guard in charge of checking us out treated us to a fun little dance party before it was over.
Most of the characters we met, along with their behaviors and dialogue, matched the attraction’s theme, and nearly every room had at least one person working in it, keeping gaps to a minimum. Some interactions did seem a little random- having spiders placed on us in a lab, being locked up in a freezer full of dead animals, etc.- and we felt these could’ve been explained better. There was a lot of interactivity, especially in the form of actors doing things to us (one-way interaction), but sometimes we would try to get a response from a character, and they seemed unsure of what to do, so they didn’t react.
The 17th Door was definitely committed to the prison theme, and the overall costuming effort was complete. Most of the characters looked the part, decked out in military-style gear for the Prison guards and, of course, the obligatory orange jumpsuits for the prisoners.
The masks and makeup were detailed and, thankfully, realistic. Most of the actors were in makeup, often just simple streaks to give that grimy, dirty look you’d expect in a prison. The skeleton makeup on the guards was especially well-executed, using matte white and black to look more authentic rather than cartoonish. The clowns wore masks that were nicely blended around the eyes and edges. If we were to offer a suggestion, it would be to shake up the character selection a bit. Throwing in some different character archetypes would really add variety to the haunts we encounter.
As for the theme, the costumes were entirely appropriate and believable for the respective scenes. The queue actors were particularly stellar and really set the tone. We had a clown in a jumpsuit with a nasty aura; he’s the second-best clown around, and he knows who told him that! We also had a Prison guard who was intimidating just by standing still. At least 6’5″, he projected a calm, quiet demeanor that screamed “don’t make me have to take care of business.” Plus, we got a send-off from a clown pimp who clearly enjoyed his role of sending us into the prison for our scares.
From start to finish, the staff at The 17th Door were phenomenal. They were welcoming, patient, and ready to answer every question we had. They were on top of the waiver process, making sure every brave soul signed their life away before setting foot inside Perpetuum Penitentiary.
Finding the entrance took us a moment, but once we spotted the illuminated sign tucked between two mall stores, we knew we were on the right path. Their website even includes a handy map marked with a big red X to help pinpoint the location. As we made our way down the corridor, fog rolled in and a glowing sign confirmed it – our doom was imminent!
Once inside, navigating the haunt was seamless. Even when it looked like we might have multiple paths to choose from, the cast was quick to guide us where we needed to go. They also went the extra mile to ensure safety, particularly in the spinning room where timing and movement are key. And while our hearts might’ve been screaming otherwise, we always knew we were safe. This team clearly puts guest safety first, no matter how wild the experience feels.
Before our visit, their website provided tons of helpful information about what to expect, though we’d love to see the glow necklaces (and exactly how they factor into the experience) mentioned in the FAQ section, too, for easier reference.
At first, it was apparent we were at a large mall, which is not exactly the creepiest place to start a haunt experience. But then we saw it: a towering sign for The 17th Door guarding a narrow walkway, and that’s when the unease began to creep in. Fog spilled from the drains beneath our feet as we followed the path toward a larger illuminated sign that confirmed that our nerves were about to be tested. Once inside, things got downright eerie. We found ourselves alone in a long, decaying hallway where the flickering lights felt like they could give out at any second.
That unsettling corridor led straight to Perpetuum Penitentiary, complete with fencing, waiver signing stations, bold warning signs, and roaming guards armed with tasers that instantly snapped us into the reality of what we’d signed up for! Oh, and let’s talk about the sounds we heard while waiting. Those alone were enough to make us want our mommy! The air was filled with deafening booms, echoing screams, agonized cries, and unidentified noises that seemed to crawl straight under our skin.
What got us most prepared to enter was the roaming actors. A few intimidating brutes stepped out to size us up right away. One deranged barber slid a long lock of our hair between his scissors, grinning like he might actually snip it. Another warned he was about to rip our eyelashes off, and when we told him they were real, he leaned in closer and said the only way he’d stop was if we cried mercy. Turns out, it was just a test, and when we didn’t give in, he smirked and said, “Ah, you came ready to play!” Yes, yes, we did!
Inside, there were a few transitional hallways between the main rooms that weren’t as detailed as the rest, but that was the least of our worries. The unpredictability of each moment kept us fully locked in. We never knew what was coming next! Would we be running, ducking, dodging, or getting tased in the ass again? The 17th Door made sure our nerves stayed shot from start to finish!
The special effects are where The 17th Door really shines, delivering a massive sensory attack. The experience starts off aggressively with sound effects that include some loud, shocking “bomb-type” sounds. The subtle track playing in the waiver room and the consistent, low rumble soundtrack playing throughout the haunt did a great job of building suspense. The haunt also uses the actual equipment for sound, like the 113 mph wind tunnel, which sounds incredibly intimidating all by itself, giving you a different, more visceral level of scary in each room.
The scene designs are truly elaborate and highly detailed, perfectly fitting the theme of a prison that has clearly been taken over by zombies or other chaos. When it comes to props and animatronics, they are very realistic, from a wet and dirty plunger, live spiders and insects, and realistic-looking machine guns to a real Tesla coil.
But the real meat of the show is the creative, special, and sensory effects. The experience begins right away with a realistic and bumpy bus ride that even includes fog bursts from the floor. From there, it’s non-stop: you get hit with 113 mph winds, you’re zapped by tazers that literally shock your senses, and you’re forced into a freeze chamber where you’re sprayed with cold water and then hit with a cold blast of air to freeze it. Then, you experience a jarring earthquake room! The Tesla coil room is another highlight where the walls and ceilings close in on you while visible bolts of electricity climb around the coil and walls. And yes, you even encounter bibles that shock you! The creativity and high-level sensory engagement here are top-tier and unlike any other haunted attraction we’ve experienced!
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 9.81
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 10
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 9.88
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 9.56
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 9
The hallway leading into The 17th Door sets the perfect creepy vibe for how insane this haunt really is. The midway characters do a great job of getting you pumped up before you even step inside, and once you do, it’s game over. The 17th Door is easily one of the most terrifying and chaotic haunts in the country. From the second you walk in, it’s pure, high-energy madness.
If you sit in the barber chair, prepare to lose some hair for real, and if you’re rocking fake lashes, just know they’re not making it out alive. The chaos kicks off with a crazy bus ride to jail that’s loud, wild, and absolutely hilarious.
From there, it’s nonstop intensity. There are tarantulas, roaches, tasers, shocks, tight spaces, spinning rooms, hurricane-force winds, and even a few dead animals thrown in for good measure. You’ll get wet, you’ll get frozen, you’ll get executed with a pellet gun, you’ll get buried alive in balls, and somehow you’ll still be laughing and screaming the entire time. It’s the kind of chaos that’s so over the top you can’t help but love every second of it. And just in case you were wondering, yes, all of those things we mentioned are real!
Their actors are on another level and do a great job of truly terrifying you to death. What’s wild is how they manage to scare everyone in the group equally. Nobody gets a break, and they pull it off perfectly. The energy from the cast is unreal and keeps the adrenaline pumping from start to finish. The ball pit finale was more fun than scary this year, but it still ended the experience with a bang.
The 17th Door is unpredictable, relentless, and absolutely unforgettable. If you think you’ve seen it all, think again because this haunt will test your limits and have you begging for more.
On the night of our visit, tickets started at $44 (including fees), though prices fluctuate throughout the season and climb closer to Halloween, especially on weekends. Weekday tickets can dip as low as $39. Our total experience lasted about 30 minutes, giving a minutes-per-dollar (MPD) of 0.68 at the general admission price the night we attended.
No matter how long it lasted, the sheer originality and psychological chaos made The 17th Door worth every penny! We’ve truly never experienced anything like this before: part haunt, part endurance test, part “what did we just sign up for?” thrill ride. And if you end up in that barber’s chair, you’ll even get a free haircut tossed into the deal! Seriously, where else can you say that happened? You know you’d like a nice “17” carved into your hairdo!
Beyond the main attraction, the entertainment kicks in before you even step through the doors. Actors stalk and taunt guests in line, music fills the air, and there are a few photo ops to capture your “before” face, because who knows what you’ll look like after. Most of us were a wet, soggy mess!
This is, without a doubt, the wildest and scariest haunt we’ve tackled in California. Hell, all season! The 17th Door isn’t just a haunt, it’s a full-blown psychological meltdown! Good luck begging for parole… you’re gonna need it!
8420 On the Mall, Buena Park, California 90620
