The 11 Most Ridiculously Terrifying Extreme Haunted Houses And Attractions
These extreme haunted houses are not for the faint of heart. For some, it's a way of life. You will not wind through mazes and encounter actors in masks who jump out and say "boo" before letting you on your way. No, these monsters will grab you, tie you up, pull a hood over your head, and throw you in a trunk. And that's only the beginning of the gonzo experience offered by extreme horror attractions. If you can call them attractions. Repulsions might be a better word for it.
Some of these morbid experiences are rooted in psychological terror. They pose intensely personal questions while chipping away at your identity. Others ask you to crawl through tight spaces in the dark, all by yourself, with no clue as to what might be waiting around the corner. One of them is an eight-hour tour so controversial, even other haunted house creators want it shut down. These are the intense Halloween attractions to hit if you want to experience the kind of real terror that sticks with you long after the show is over.
- 11,418 VOTES
Heretic House
Heretic House is a mysterious LA haunt that takes place year-round in various locations. The narrative revolves around the Heretic and those who worship him, but standalone shows deviate from the core tale to explore themes such as claustrophobia, sleep paralysis, or the intrinsic horror of being alone in a cabin in the woods.
Guests are bound, grabbed, roughly moved about, covered in fake blood, lightly clawed, suffocated, nailed into coffins, and may have their clothes shredded, among other horrors. Is anyone else relieved to know the clawing you get before being stripped and nailed into a coffin is "light"?
- 21,463 VOTES
Blackout Haunted House
Blackout Haunted House, considered by many the first extreme haunt, launched in New York in 2006 and has expanded to Los Angeles and San Francisco; it offers horror experiences online or via text. Participants have been waterboarded, touched, forced to walk barefoot over waste, and suffocated with plastic.
These experiences are simulated, but many visitors report an extremely unpleasant experience (which, obviously, is the point). The documentary The Blackout Experiments details the haunt and those who've gone through it.
- 32,715 VOTES
McKamey Manor
Russ McKamey runs what is unequivocally considered the most extreme haunt around: The McKamey Manor. Previously located in San Diego, there are now two locations listed on the website: Summertown, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama. Supposedly, thousands are on the waitlist. What makes it so extreme? The haunt lasts up to 10 hours, and guests go in solo or two at a time. Guests may be bound, slapped, manhandled, covered in blood, made to vomit, or forced to eat cockroaches. People who throw up are, in some instances, forced to eat their vomit all over again.
McKamey Manor is free; Russ requests you bring a donation of dog food for a local animal shelter. One woman claimed going through the experience traumatized her. So, obviously, the place is quite controversial, even among other haunters, who claim its torments give them a bad name.
- 41,260 VOTES
Victim Experience
The Victim Experience (no longer in operation) was the extreme version of the Freakling Brothers Gates of Hell haunt in Las Vegas. As the name suggests, you are vulnerable to unknown tormentors who want nothing more than to make you say the safe word: “Purgatory.” However, guests who have made it out claim to have felt a sense of accomplishment, and the creators of the haunt assure you they’re rooting for you to make it through the simulated danger.
Some guests have reported being bound, gagged, hit, dunked in ice water, and stunned.
- 51,042 VOTES
ScareHouse
ScareHouse warns you will be touched, bound, blindfolded, “tormented, challenged and scared out of your mind.” Oh, good. There also may be electronic shocks, profanity, total darkness, and sexual content, which seems to be a running theme here. Participants must be at least 18 and have to sign a waiver. You may choose to enter in pairs or by yourself, if you dare.
If it makes you feel any better, this extreme experience has been family owned and operated since 1999.
- 6842 VOTES
Miasma
Miasma describes itself as a physical and psychological terror experience in which you step into someone else's shoes and experience a personal story of guilt and, perhaps, redemption. It's a one-night-invitation-only show, and guests are informed of its location 24 hours prior to the event. Guests are warned that subject matter may be intense, and you may be bound, forced to crawl, and placed in pitch darkness.
You must enter alone, cannot wear glasses, and should expect to experience exposure to liquids and gels and "demanding physical and psychological moments." Sounds kind of like a full contact shower.