Haunted Review - Baxter Avenue Morgue

After a fun-filled evening with Aly, my hubby Andy, and our friend Nick, I'm grateful to be home and propping my feet up to write about our experiences at the haunted houses we visited tonight. We got a bit of a late start, and ended up visiting both haunts pretty close to peak times, so it was really hopping! But you won't have to fight the crowd to hear the reviews!

Our first haunt of the evening was Baxter Avenue Morgue. I was able to arrange a brief meeting with the PR Representatives Aidan and John, who also play key roles in the Vanderdark storyline. It was fun meeting with them, and they were more than willing to talk with me about the haunt, the history, what it's like working at The Morgue, and everything in between. They were incredibly friendly, and made it their point to show us a good time.

The line wasn't too long, and there was a dance troupe performing "Thriller" for us while we waited, which was pretty cool. It's not often you find entertainment in line, so that was the first unique part. The line was a bit slow to move, but that's to be expected at peak times, and with the addition of the VIP/Speedpass tickets, any haunted house line tends to move a bit slower. Once inside, though, we were greeted by one of the "morticians" who explained the three rules to us in a thoroughly creepy manner, then he sent us on our way.

Now, admittedly, I was mildy concerned as we were going in because we were in a group of about 10, and we were in the back. That's usually the worst place to be, because you see everything that's going on, so it's less scary. Not true with The Morgue. I found that the main focus of this haunt is not to jump out and say "BOO," but to add in the gore, the history, and the all-around creepy factor to make this experience like none other. It really didn't matter where you were in the group, you got scared, you got attacked, and you had fun. In fact, I'm pretty sure I received a bad batch of botox from the crazy guy with the syringe stabbing me in the forehead. I'm starting to feel a little weird...I may be returning in a body bag soon to become a permanent part of the cast.

The setup was fairly typical, almost like a maze leading from one room to another, but you won't find Freddy, Jason, or Michael Meyers here. This is a whole new approach to a haunted house, focusing on the medical aspect that this building was really once used as a mortuary. While I can't go into too many details without giving away important parts of The Morgue, be prepared to for a creepy treat that may induce nightmares.

I couldn't rate this haunt alone, though. While Andy was just along for the ride and nearly impossible to scare, Aly and Nick enjoyed the Morgue just as much as I did. Actually, Nick said it was his favorite, and even wants to join the scare crew. I personally found it interesting to experience a haunted house that was so unique in its setup and tactics, scaring me in new ways. It was a fleeting breath of fresh air, quickly driven back out of my lungs in a horrific scream.

Now, on to the rating. Three out of four of us screamed like little girls, including Nick, though he'll never admit it. While it didn't make me pee my pants (that, my friends, is an enormously difficult task, one which has never been accomplished), it was pretty intense, and the actors were really into their characters. It was incredibly gory, which is something that I personally loved, and something you don't see enough of in most haunted houses. There were some "BOO" moments, yes, but the creepy factor was the highlight. Even if nobody had jumped out, if there had been no actors at all, the set design was remarkable, and well-constructed, giving off an incredible creepy factor all on its own. Add in the talented actors, and you have one awesome haunt. If you take all the factors into consideration, then factor in not only my own personal experience but the group experience, we're looking at a 4.5 Ghosts. The price is right, all the parts are there, we didn't pee our pants, but it's above and beyond worth the money for a ticket.

A couple more things about our experience at the Morgue tonight before I leave you. The first, THANK YOU to Aidan, John, Bobby, and the creepy mask guy whose name I didn't catch that kept us entertained, took time out of their night to meet with and talk to us about the haunt and everything involved, and for helping to scare the bejeebers out of us. We all agreed that everyone we met and spoke with was incredibly friendly, which really added to the overall experience. Bobby took some time to chat with me during his break from scaring, giving me a rundown of the intense training all the actors go through for the parts, as well as how much fun it is to be a part of something like this. I really enjoyed talking with him and learning more about what it's like for the actors. It's pretty awesome that the actors will take the time out to talk to you about the job, the history of the haunt, and pretty much anything you want to know about it, as long as they have the time to do it. The second thing I have for everyone tonight: I simply HAD to get the review up right away, it was too much fun to delay it any longer, but I am doing a brief Q&A with Aidan (and possibly John, I'm hoping I get responses from both) via email so I didn't keep them from their true love of scaring for too long tonight, and I'm going to post it when I get the responses back. I'm really looking forward to this, simply because they were so awesome in person, and so passionate about their work, that it's contagious. Look for the Q&A session either Sunday or Monday, and get a the insider scoop on the Baxter Avenue Morgue! Thanks again for a 4.5 Ghost scare, and I'm really looking forward to coming back again soon.