Boulder City, which is a short drive from Las Vegas, is a small town with a quaint downtown with shops and restaurants. It’s a nice break from the bright lights of Las Vegas. Boulder City is also known for its spooky museum. Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum has been entertaining guests for years. This Museum is filled with movie history, screen-used props, and the special effect and mask makers’ film used animatronics and masks. There is also an alien museum in the same parking lot. During the spooky season he also has two haunted houses, unfortunately the night we visited one was at a block party we were not able to visit. The haunted house is called Blackwell Manor, and it is conveniently located behind the Monster Museum.
As we made our way through the manor and its surrounding grounds, most rooms featured at least one actor, each adding their own flavor of fright to the experience. While there were a few quieter spots, those pauses actually helped build tension between scares.
The actors we encountered generally stayed in character and delivered believable performances, with several offering bits of dialogue to draw us deeper into the story. One actor missing his toes became a memorable highlight – when we asked what happened, he matter-of-factly replied, “The manor took them,” which sent a chill through our group.
There was also a motionless child actor who caught us off guard by simply standing still, so still, in fact, we weren’t sure who startled whom first! From the eerie Pig Man to the gritty miner (who truly appeared to be missing toes), each character added personality and variety to the show.
The costumes and props all fit the time period. Their costumes were complete from the head to the shoes. With Tom being a makeup and mask maker for movies, the makeup was very detailed. Each character had appropriate makeup with prosthetics blending into the makeup. The masks the actors also wore were custom-made with very intricate details, with makeup blending the mask into the skin. Each of the actors’ costumes fit with the theme of the rooms they occupied. From the residents of the manor to the miners, each costume looks like it came from the late 1800s.
There was only one queue actor, but he was dressed appropriately for the time period as well.
Located right on the main street, Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum and haunted attraction were easy to find thanks to clear signage and a large haunted house banner out front. There’s also plenty of free parking available behind the building, which made arrival simple and stress-free.
Throughout our visit, the staff maintained a strong presence and carried walkie-talkies to ensure everything ran smoothly and safely. Everyone we interacted with was friendly, approachable, and eager to answer questions about both the haunt and the museum.
Their website is also easy to navigate, providing clear pricing, directions, and a helpful FAQ section, making the entire experience, from planning to parking, straightforward and enjoyable.
The haunt’s detailed façade set the tone right away, giving us a glimpse of the dark story waiting inside. While there isn’t a traditional pre-show area, the two adjacent museums help build anticipation and tie into the overall spooky atmosphere.
Before entering, an actor briefed us on the tale of Master Blackstone, a sinister figure responsible for the townsfolk’s mysterious disappearances. The storyline flowed well as we moved from the manor to the graveyard and mines before looping back to where it all began. This progression helped the experience feel cohesive and cinematic.
For the most part, we stayed immersed in the world they created. However, a few small details, like a modern water bottle sitting on a table and a chain-link strobe section that didn’t quite match the period, momentarily broke the illusion. Still, the overall theme remained strong, and those who include the museum visits in their ticket will find it adds a nice layer of atmosphere to the experience.
Throughout the attraction, there are some sound effects. There was music playing outside the attraction and subtle noises like farm animals throughout. The scenic design was solid throughout. The manor had photos on the walls, closets, and all the furnishings you would find in a late 1800s home. The mine shack also had mining equipment that you had to walk around. There were also a lot of gruesome details in the butcher shop.
One of the standout rooms was a cave made entirely out of skeletons. There were a few animatronics that provided some scares; they were well timed. There was an animatronic display of animals eating some sort of flesh that we had never seen before in a haunt. There were also some fog and well-timed strobe effects used in portions of the haunted house. One unique special effect was the fountain in the well with water coming out of the skeletons’ mouths.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 5
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 6.5
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 4
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 4
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 4
Blackwell Manor does a great job of building anticipation. There are startle and jump scares, but nothing too intense. The actors tended to scare towards the front of the group, but we did have the butcher try to scare each of us. We only saw one actor who did not go for the scare. With this being a child, we assumed we scared them before they could scare us.
Quite a few of the scares were predictable, but a few scares caught us off guard. The grave digger, sparking the shovel across the graveyard fence, was an effective scare. There was also a very well executed statue scare of an actor dressed exactly like a mannequin on the other side of the room. Scare-wise, most of the actors went for a startle scare. The actor missing his toes did a great job of a gross-out scare. The ending of the haunt caught us off guard, as we were not expecting the actor to pop out where they did, but we’d like to see a stronger finale overall.
At around thirty dollars for two haunts, Tom Devlin’s haunts offers strong value for the experience. While we were informed where the second attraction was located, time constraints kept us from visiting it during our review night. Even so, the ticket price remains fair for the uniqueness provided.
For the best experience, though, we recommend upgrading to the fifty-dollar ticket that includes access to both museums. The Monster Museum is a horror fan’s dream, packed with screen-used props, animatronics, and memorabilia, including a spider gremlin and several recognizable pieces from Full Moon Pictures. The Alien Museum adds a fun twist with detailed displays and handcrafted extraterrestrial models.
When combined, the museums and haunts make for a whole evening of scares, movie nostalgia, and creative artistry, all crafted by a talented special effects creator who clearly loves what he does.
1310 Boulder City Parkway, Boulder City, Nevada 89005