Seasonal Highlights
ALL POSTS
Spirit of the Season Alive with Hallowe’en Nights
The skies were clear and the scares mild; it was a perfect night to stroll the jack-o’-lantern lit streets of Hallowe’en Nights at Greenfield Village. Each district was decorated and aglow with the spirit of All Hallows’ Eve; costumed revelers snapped photos and delighted in the festive merriment. Here and there all manner of characters greeted children and parents whilst…
The Magic of Fatherhood
I became a father last winter when my son, Lincoln, was born. It was a proud and surreal experience. I take a lot of joy in being a dad and I know that in years to come he and I will carve pumpkins, plot scares and construct wicked costumes. Tonight, Lincoln will get his first taste of fall traditions when…
Horrorlust Radio Episode #017
In episode #017 of Horrorlust Radio, I’m joined by author, Kasey Pierce. In this installment of Horrorlust Radio, Kasey and I discussed her horror anthology, Pieces of Madness. This edition of Horrorlust Radio also featured interviews with the cast and crew of The Rocky Horror Show produced by Wyandotte Community Theatre. Listen to find out how you can win a…
Haunt Til You Drop
As with any season of haunting changes to the schedule are inevitable and 2015 is no exception. What I have posted below is an ambition if not all together insane flight to the finish. The haunt season has concluded with a flurry of activity in years past but the 8-night, 15-haunt gauntlet listed below is the stuff of madness. It…
Michigan Hidden Gems
Halloween is big business in the Midwest and Michigan is no exception. The Mitten State is home to dozens of haunted attractions that stretch from Metro-Detroit to the edge of Lake Michigan all the way northward to the sparsely populated Upper Peninsula. Indeed, the October scene in Michigan is diverse, far-reaching and is truly a bubbling haven of haunted houses.…
Wanted Dead or Alive: The Freak’s Show, Deadwood Forest Lasso Victims at The Bone Yard
In terms of weather it wasn’t an ideal night to tour The Bone Yard which featured four haunted attractions, three of which were located outdoors. But we decided to brave the elements and were soon headed in the direction of Deadwood Forest. We would later discover that we had taken a wrong turn and bypassed Scarecrow Hollow which is now…
Ghostly Playgrounds & Twisted Fairy Tales
The Psycho Path had a few tricks up its sleeve last night; the mischief began with a bit of role reversal when the back of the haunt became the front of the haunt. That’s right, if you attended the show last year, you can expect to experience Psycho Path in reverse this season. Every turn had been flipped, each room…
The Psycho Path Headlines Downriver Haunt Stomp
It’s a nice night to stay close to home and hit some haunts in the Downriver area. It wasn’t so long ago that nearly a dozen haunted attractions populated the region but recent years have witnessed the demise of The Lab in Grosse Ile, Leo’s House of Horrors in Riverview and Scream Machine and Extreme Scream in Taylor. Still, a…
The Dark Box Plays Mind Games
Twin, jet-black trailers sat side by side tucked against a treeline. The phrase “The Dark Box” was displayed in blood red letters near the entrance of the attraction. This was minimalism in action and the stripped-down presentation was a welcome addition to an industry gone glutton over fanciful facades and slick animatronics. The experience at The Dark Box would be…
Horrorlust Radio Episode #016
In episode #016 of Horrorlust Radio, I’m joined once again by fellow haunted attraction enthusiast, Mike Marvel. In this installment of Horrorlust Radio, Mike and I continued our discussion of haunted houses, specifically how such attractions can succeed or fail on the strength of a finale. This edition of Horrorlust Radio also featured interviews with the cast and crew of…
Black & White
Horrorlust has always been a labor of love and a work in progress. I’ve been fortunate that so many within the haunted house industry have responded to reviews, welcomed me to their haunts, granted interviews and allowed me, like a curious zombie, to pick their brains. I’ve also been blessed with family and friends who in various ways have lent…
Past Tense After Dark Delivers the Fright Stuff
Following another Saturday night in the great month of October, we placed two more notches in the old belt after maiden visits to Tunnel of Terror in Rochester and Past Tense After Dark in Lapeer. Tunnel of Terror brought me back to my youth with an old school trailer haunt that pressed in on us from all sides. The pitch…
Crisp Air, Fresh Haunts
It will be a night of first time visits for us tonight and I don’t think there’s anything more exciting during the month of October than the chance to tour never-before-seen haunted attractions. First, we’ll check in with the Rochester Jaycees at the Tunnel of Terror! The Tunnel of Terror is a so-called trailer or modular haunt and quite frankly…
Legend of Bubbles, Lengthy Haunted Trail Headline Terrorfied Forest & Manor
We arrived at Terrorfied Forest and Manor near the top of the 11 o’clock hour, the moon hung high in the sky and shone bright, silver light across the land. Rumors of a clown named Bubbles and his abandoned fun house seemed to be carried on the wind like a whisper. ECHOES OF THE PAST Mark and I approached the…
Krazy Hilda’s Trail of Terrors Casts A Spell
It had been three years since the witch had last beckoned to me but any concern that she had lost her magic was quickly dispelled. Now located at Panama Farms on Ford Road in Ypsilanti, one could argue that Krazy Hilda is more potent now than ever she was. An earthen path descended slowly but surely toward the forest and…
Horrorlust Radio Episode #015
In episode #015 of Horrorlust Radio, I’m joined by fellow haunted attraction enthusiast, Mike Marvel. In this installment of Horrorlust Radio, Mike and I discussed the highs and lows of the haunt season with particular focus on Mike’s recent trip to The Fear Experience and Bloodview as well as my visits to The Dark Box and The Boneyard. We also…
Fear the Walking Dead: Season One Review
Season One of Fear the Walking Dead concluded Sunday with a gripping finale worthy of the series from which it sprung. The six episode arc imported all of the production values and continuity of the main series while it introduced viewers to an entirely different location and set of characters. Fear the Walking Dead averaged more than 11 million viewers…
Shake, Rattle & Death Roll
The Dark Box may not have knocked off Demonic Demons as the scariest haunt ever but it did offer one of the single most heart-pounding sequences I’ve witnessed at a haunted attraction. What was it? You’ll just have to wait for the full review or get to The Dark Box yourself, you curious kids. Suffice it to say, The Dark…
Omens & Amulets
Hurricane Joaquin is dumping buckets on much of the eastern seaboard and here in Michigan a smattering of rain has fallen throughout the day and the forecast indicates that patches of rainfall are likely to continue across the region for much of the night, but this is what divides the weak from the stout of heart. The game plan has…
Absinthe & Automatonophobia
All of a sudden it is in the air and all around — the magic of the fall season has regained that familiar foothold. Through ritual and routine we revisit all that we experience in this life and for me that is a comfort. Today, I stepped outside to find a crispness in the air and witnessed a hint of…
