HAUNTED REVIEWS: Halls of Horror in Palmerton challenges bloody guests to face their fears
Located in the tranquil, peaceful town of Palmerton, Pennsylvania sits an unassuming nightmare that will leave you in a state of pure shock, questioning how such a haunted house could scorch your psyche. This nightmare will leave you second-guessing your sanity, will expose your innermost fears, and will change your entire perspective on what a haunted attraction can be. Halls of Horror creates this annual nightmare, doing so in a manner that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment if you complete its ever-expanding journey.
Halls of Horror is the innovator of fear, a truly disturbing haunted attraction that is designed from the ground up to abolish any sense of sanity that you may hold dear. If you decide to visit the Halls of Horror this season, be prepared to submit to the pure insanity contained within this dungeon. If you opt-in for the more intense “Blood Experience,” you will also leave with a crimson mask drenched in “blood,” a bonus reminder of the terror you have just experienced.
What makes Halls of Horror stand out among the pack is that this attraction truly lives up to its hype, each year creating an experience that reaches the moniker of a “horror movie come to life.” This is not an event for children, those who are easily offended, or those who are physically unable to participate in an all-out physical and psychological assault. For true horror fans, The Halls of Horror “Blood Experience” is a must-visit experience that will make you feel as though you are fighting for survival, leaving behind a trail of mental scars and feelings of vulnerability that expose you to the freakish demands of its talented scare actors.
Despite the fact that you may be at the mercy of imposing characters ripped right out of a grindhouse movie, you will always be kept “safe.” Halls of Horror masterfully controls the entire environment in a manner that allows you to believe that you truly are lost but are, in a sense, going through a horror simulation. Furthermore, the infusion of dark humor and, at times, crude innuendo brings an odd sense of levity to the entire experience.
At the end of the day, Halls of Horror is a traditional haunted house, yet its design and philosophy of fear create an illusion that you may not make it out. Intense adult themes and a twisted self-aware sense of humor combined with traditional scares and effective scene designs create an ever-progressing narrative of unknown insanity.
The 2017 season continues to create demented characters and storylines that are unlike those found in your traditional haunted house. Each character is developed to target a diverse fear and phobia, striking at each guest’s inner core. The regular Halls of Horror attraction is a “hands-off,” less intense journey, but we still have witnessed people run for help within five minutes of entry.
As mentioned previously, the “Blood Experience” is an off-the-charts exercise in pure insanity, an experience that does not relent unless you quit. However, despite its extreme nature, the design of the entire attraction encourages guests to explore, pushes guests to meet their fears and, in return, provides an engaging and entertaining show. It is also important to note that the “blood” you are bathed in comes off quite easy and, again, highlights the notion that this is, in fact, quite possibly the safest, yet most jarring horror simulation you will experience this season.
Halls of Horror is a tribute to fear; it is designed to make you jump out of your comfort zone and into an entirely new world where the only rules to be followed are those defined by the attraction. The “Blood Experience” is the perfect place for those who are looking for an intense, hardcore adult experience that does not shy from its mission to change the way you look at traditional haunted houses. Enter the cavernous basement, leave all sense of political correctness, sensibility, and insecurity behind, and accept the insanity and entertainment that defines this innovator in the haunt industry.
