Hundreds of people visit The House of Torment  every fall season. It has earned the attention of horror fans both in and out of state. There are some flaws to the House that take away the fear, but for the most part, it’s a fun experience that deserves 4 stars.  This year it was named one of “America’s Best Haunted Houses” by the Huffington Post.

The House of Torment is terrifying and fun to go to with friends for the first time. The second time it’s repetitive and expected. The sets don’t change with every year, though they are very detailed and they do rearrange some things. It all felt familiar and the scares were mostly jump scares. Though they do cater to common fears such as spiders, tight spaces, unstable floors, clowns and chainsaws. The monsters aren’t allowed to touch you but that doesn’t stop them from getting as close as possible, close enough to breathe on you. As long as they didn’t have italian, it’s not too terrible.

They make up for any flaws with amazing effects, props and mood. There are very subtle details that add to the atmosphere. As you go deeper into what looks like tombs, the air gets warm and smells earthy. The swaying of a pirate ship, slow motion, and animatronics are all features that can be found when trekking through the three houses. Strobe lights, timed just right, create the illusion of everything being slowed down. A rickety fake wooden bridge and lasers that make it seem as if you are wading through murky water make it seem as if you teleported to a different place. The amount of detail from the props, to sounds and smells, make the atmosphere incredible.

Each house has a theme. The first house is the Dead End District which is an apocalyptic setting. The second house is Hex of the Harvest which is a cursed island. The last one is the Laughter House, full of clowns with chainsaws.

The House of Torment is located at 523 E Highland Mall Blvd. and has free parking. It is best to buy the tickets online and if you dislike lines then they have Fast Passes and Immediate Access tickets. It will be open from September 18th to  November 7th. On November 13 and 14 there is a special BLACKOUT event, where people can walk through the houses with only a glow stick to light the way.