Seasonal Highlights
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Mayhem & Mystery Collide at Clio Manor
Clio Manor has been in operation for only a few short seasons but it was evident from our trip last fall that the gang here has made great strides in that time. Located in the back of a large building, Clio Manor thrilled us with memorable characters versed in horror and comedy alike who populated a myriad of richly detailed…
Delirium Gets Lost Inside Mind of a Madman
As a citizen of the City of Wyandotte and an avid haunter, it would seem sacrilege to fail to visit the Wyandotte Jaycees Haunted House each fall. Indeed, since 2007 not a season has passed in which I haven’t checked out the haunted happenings of my local Jaycees. No matter the result — be it good, bad or indifferent —…
Hallowe’en Nights a Family Friendly Delight
From apple orchards and pumpkin patches to haunted houses and hayrides, Michigan is blessed with a cornucopia of fall festivities and activities. Indeed the rich and colorful history of Halloween runs deep in the Wolverine State and one event that has become a staple of the Detroit area is Hallowe’en Nights at Greenfield Village in Dearborn. Greenfield Village, for those…
The Realm of Haunted Minds Forever a Classic Treat
By dollar and distance it’s hard to best The Realm of Haunted Minds at the Huron Turkey Farm in Romulus. The place has never undergone a major overhaul instead change comes in drips and drabs. The country store has retained its humble but powerful atmosphere and the miniature town, just outside the haunted attraction, is still an interesting, fun and…
Psycho Path Opens the Storybook, Spins a Grimm Yarn
In 2014 The Psycho Path proved that small time haunting can produce big time results en route to the Horrorlust Dark Horse Award. It was a welcome, unexpected hit and I knew then that it had ensnared me with its quaint, yet creative charm. A little more than a year later, I returned on a Friday night with John and…
Dead Vengeance
Dead Vengeance is a four-part series published by Dark Horse Comics. The first issue was released October 2015 with subsequent issues released monthly from November 2015 to January 2016. The series was written and illustrated by Bill Morrison, a native son of Lincoln Park, Michigan. Steve Colwell, who has served as co-host on several episodes of Horrorlust Radio, turned me…
Rotten Manor, Abandon Driven Mad by Halloween Moon
Howl at the moon, baby. I went to bed last night with thoughts of Rotten Manor and Abandon swirling in my head and when I woke this morning those same thoughts remained stuck in my mind. What had we experienced? Had our eyes deceived us? Did any of that really happen?! When you find yourself pondering such questions that’s when…
The Best Night of the Year
The best rite of passage of childhood is set to commence all across the nation; all manner of freaks, creeps, ghouls and monsters will soon flood neighborhoods in search of treasured treats. My son and I will join my sister, nephew and the Disco Devil for trick r’ treating and once the kids have had their fill we’ll turn our…
Horrorlust Radio Episode #019
In episode #019 of Horrorlust Radio, I’m rejoined by all of my previous guests for a celebration of Halloween! Also in this edition of Horrorlust Radio are interviews with home haunter Adam Grignon from Terror on the Blvd. and Cody Bailey of Hush in Westland. I’m actively seeking sponsors for Horrorlust Radio, if you own or operate a haunted attraction…
A Fracas on Devil’s Night
We got a later start than we had originally intended which cost us a visit to Rotten Manor for the time being but Devil’s Night 2015 turned out to be another fun entry in our haunted history. All was quiet when we arrived at our first stop — Terror on the Boulevard, a home haunt in Lincoln Park. The little…
The Freaks are Due on Devil’s Night
Haunting on Devil’s Night is something of a tradition here at Horrorlust; regular readers of the blog know this to be true. It may not be the magical night itself when the veil between worlds is thinnest but Devil’s Night has a special aura all its own. The much ballyhooed Devil’s Night 2009 is the stuff of Horrorlust legend and…
Season Sparked by Past Tense After Dark Haunted Triad
We rolled into Past Tense After Dark and were immediately struck by the immense waterwheel that adorned the cider mill. The night sky shone bright with stars, the fall air had just the right amount of bite and thrill-seekers swarmed the farm like insects. The nocturnal activities at Past Tense After Dark included the Cornmaze of Fear, Hayride of Despair…
Horrorlust Radio Episode #018
In episode #018 of Horrorlust Radio, I’m joined by author, Kasey Pierce. In this installment of Horrorlust Radio, Kasey and I continued our discussion of her horror anthology, Pieces of Madness. This edition of Horrorlust Radio also featured a brief chat on conspiracy theories which is the topic of Kasey’s vlog, Dark Blend. There’s also an interview with Murray the…
Five Nights Etched in Time
I’m often asked which haunted house is my favorite and the honest answer is that I don’t have just one favorite. Haunted attractions come in all shapes and sizes and employ a wide range of themes, narratives and scare tactics to deliver a memorable experience. While I certainly do have my preferences, my favorites are a collection of diverse attractions.…
Gerkins & Friends
Sunday night capped off an excellent weekend of haunting when my alter-ego, Gerkins, joined his friends at Delirium — the 2015 Wyandotte Jaycees Haunted House. Last year I was fortunate enough to volunteer on several nights and was delighted to have the opportunity to work an area of the haunt referred to as the dollmaker’s keep. Last night, however, my…
Clio Manor, Exit 13 & Dreadlands Haunt of Davison Spawn Nightmare Fuel
I woke up with a headache this morning which was really no surprise when you stop to consider that last night I got absolutely drunk on haunts. I can say without exaggeration or hyperbole that last night was one for the record books, an evening that rocketed up the list of best outings ever. Clio Manor exceeded my expectations with…
Fresh Blood, Current King Forge Nasty Trident
Saturdays in late October are always big nights for haunting and that is certainly true of this Saturday. Tonight, we hit the familiar pavement of northbound I-75 en route first to Clio Manor then to Exit 13 and finally Dreadlands Haunt of Davison. This will mark our first visit to both Clio Manor and Dreadlands Haunt of Davison and any…
DreamCorp Stutters then Starts
Delirium started slowly but settled into a methodical pace with a series of intriguing rooms, a handful of engaging characters and some surprise bits of interaction. While it largely remained a collection of disparate scenes, the DreamCorp angle allowed each section to be playfully broken into zones which helped to pull it all together into a singular narrative. There are…
State of Delirium
First work, then play. A trip through Delirium, the latest incarnation from the Wyandotte Jaycees, will mark the ninth consecutive year that I’ve toured the annual haunted attraction. The group is well-documented here on Horrorlust for a history of hit and miss productions. Most memorable over that course of time was Hell’s Hospital (2007), Hellblock 13 (2009) and Bloodbath on…
Tunnel of Terror Conjures Ghost of Halloween Past
We toured the Tunnel of Terror on just the second night of operation and while it was admittedly light on actors the Rochester Jaycees long-running trailer haunt did induce a nostalgia for the humble heyday of the haunted attraction industry. The Tunnel of Terror featured a guided tour of sorts; a trickster ghoul haphazardly led us through the coiling darkness…
