The Nevermore Haunt Review (2022)

Nevermore hits a sweet spot in terms of actor count, as well as a nice balance of speaking vs. nonspeaking masked actors. Actors weren’t sparse by any means but placed strategically throughout the haunt to keep us guessing on when the scares would come. A number of interesting characters also provided both fun and scary entertainment while we waited in line for the main attraction, scaring us even as we picked up our tickets.

There are a few key points of dialogue – one at the beginning with a fashionable Madame Theadora, who can speak to the dead, letting us know that they are restless. She sent us on our way wishing us luck to escape, noting that the dead may follow the living. A few other highlights include the demented doctor who chatted with me about his electrocuted patient and former mentor, as well as a tarot reader who split our group apart on a path of pain and suffering. A wheelchair-bound invalid eating her own leg was another gruesome star. Excellent variety while still keeping a vaguely late 1800s theme!

Overall silent actors and those with speaking alike roles shined and brought a focused energy to their performance. While generally, these actors welcomed banter and interacted with us well, there were some who remained in character as undead.

Costuming and makeup were executed on a professional level. All actors were dressed to the period with no obvious anachronisms. Corsets, top hats, and flowing skirts fit the period neatly. About 25% of the actors were wearing high quality masks, always supplemented with an appropriate costume and accessories, like tattered clothing and long claws.

Each costume was appropriate for its respective scene (evil doctor in medical room, butcher in the meat market), though it sometimes took us a second to transition if the costuming and set wasn’t boldly obvious. The true costuming standout lies in the final room by the dinner hostess wearing what appeared to be custom gloves to enhance her arachnid look.

Nevermore is located West of Johns Hopkins on a formerly abandoned street. The website lists the parking lot address for your GPS, though we ended up going straight to the haunt address. We had to go around the block to get ourselves to the parking lot, but the team of parking staff were incredibly helpful on guiding us there (others seemed to do the same thing we did) and directing us to the haunt (about a 1-minute walk from the parking lot).

The staff were welcoming and the customer service counter was easy to find upon arrival, and the haunt’s website is easy to navigate and has a simple but helpful FAQ. While nothing felt overtly dangerous to us within the haunt, note that this haunt uses a lot of darkness and some moving sets throughout. Contact the haunt for questions on accessibility.

The setting outside the haunt is unique – it feels like you’re stepping onto the set of something straight out of Hollywood as it lies in the middle of a street with abandoned row homes, factories, and shops on either side. The buildings surrounding the area are dilapidated (one even caving in on itself), but the haunt welcome area is wide and well lit. The pre-haunt area was equipped with scare actors and entertainers, as well as food and beverage options. Pre-haunt actors were vaguely steampunk in theme but not specifically 19th century. The pre and post haunt vibe could be made to be more cohesive with the inside of the haunt, but note that there is separate entertainment outside of the haunt.

Nevermore has a light storyline in which visitors travel back in time to witness haunting spirits of Baltimore’s past, but there is no consistent narrative throughout the haunt. The focus relies more on individual scenes and the creepy transitions that bring you from place to place. These various scenes (tarot, creepy doctor, dock/port, dinner party, etc.) form a tapestry illustrative of the 19th-century Baltimore theme.

The Haunt set is winding and indoors but feels expansive. Narrow corridors, curtains, and intersecting paths kept us focused and determined to push forward while dark corners kept us on our toes for jumpscares. We found no distractions to our experience inside of the haunt – we were completely focused. Additionally, visitors are sent through the haunt with very small groups, usually just your party. As a party of two, we felt the attention was completely on us and weren’t distracted by others.

Nevermore’s special effects, though at times somewhat simple, were very effective. Throughout the experience, there was a mix of sounds and music played over speakers, though there was no blanket track throughout the haunt. However, this added to the different rooms and scenes that we walked through so that each part was unique and kept us guessing as to what would come next. Additional sounds like banging, rattling, and screaming, with the occasional heaving breathing from actors also added to the ambiance.

Various scenes throughout the haunt left you never really knowing what was coming next. With abandoned surgery rooms, hotel-like hallways, graveyards, and more, Nevermore’s 19th-century theme is present throughout, if not following one particular storyline. Large spaces were well decorated to the theme, with varying levels of actors, props, and some puppet/animatronic features throughout. Depending on the setting you move through, some fog and other lighting tricks were used. However, in some of the hallways you walk through from set to set, the lighting was dark enough to confuse your path, and scares coming at you from around the corners in these areas became more predictable as we moved throughout.

One of our favorite moments through the haunt was winding our way through a spooky dock, where haunted merchants followed you up a gangway into a room designed to look like you’re inside of a ship. What took us by surprise is that once we entered the ship, it actually moved, rocking us back and forth as we maneuvered our way past aged barrels and hanging ropes to exit through the other side. A really unique use of set design that immerses you in that particular setting of Baltimore’s history within the haunt. Though a great feature, we recommend checking with staff if you have any concerns regarding mobility just to be safe.

The end of the haunt is where we thought their special effects really shined. As you enter a darkly lit banquet, a Victorian woman with glowing green eyes on the palms of her hands greets you and encourages you to join in on the feast. Without giving too much of the ending away, other actors and large props descend on you from different angles as you make your way to escape. Overall, the variety and use of different types of props were very effective.

Nevermore’s scare factor lies in a few strategic decisions. The first is lighting or lack thereof. Much of the haunt is very, very dark. At some points, this became a bit of a hindrance as we were truly feeling our way along, but it really upped our trepidation and anxiety for the shocks awaiting us. The next is actor spacing. Because actors were spaced sporadically (not sparsely, as there were many of them), we could never truly tell when a surprise was lurking in the shadows. Finally, the attention dedicated to you because of how they space groups out leaves you to totally navigate the haunt without a sense of what’s to come, and gives the actors free reign to give you a full scare. The psychological anticipation combined with the darkness creates a perfect storm with a wide variety of scares.

The creepiness of the haunt transcends the Victorian period. The theme doesn’t hold the haunt back, as there is a mix of period-appropriate scary dolls, characters, and props that create a unique scare experience.

Though veterans of horror attractions, there were many times throughout the Nevermore experience where our group “got, got” as we like to say, with several unexpected scares.

Nevermore offers different prices for different days through the month of October (averaging $25 per ticket), as well as Fast Pass and VIP options for additional costs. Doors are open from 7 pm till 10 or 11 pm, depending on the night.

Overall, Nevermore provides great entertainment value for the price of the tickets. The haunt itself was immersive and unexpected, really keeping you on your toes. The pre-haunt area was staffed with a few scare actors, an illusionist, and fire dancers (though it was a bit windy the night we visited). The free parking, food truck, bar, and entertainers outside the haunt itself offer additional value for the costs of the tickets.