10/11/12 Haunt Review: Terrortorium

I'll say right off this was a great haunt to end our evening of a long drive and tour. The place is very easy to find if you can find Oxford Alabama on a map, which shouldn't be hard to anyone at all.  There are plenty of good signs to lead you right to the front door of Terrortorium.
You can find info, directions, pricing and more at The Terrortorium website.  The site is a little difficult to navigate as it is Flash heavy, and especially if you have an older computer so keep that in mind.

So, we got here, pulled in to parking (which is FREE and FREE IS GOOD!!)  We noticed to the right, porta potties. Which first off is way better than the previous haunt with nothing but finding a tree. There was only one, which I speculate if they have a really busy evening there will likely be a waiting line.  They do not have any food or merchandise, but with it being a smaller haunt and the whole city of Oxford within a mile or so away, this shouldn't be a problem for food and actual bathrooms.  As we walked up, the ticket booth is there, with a sign posting pricing plain and visible for everyone to see. They offer the Terrortorium trail itself for $13 dollars, and/or the Dark Ride for an additional $7. Or you can do a combo package for $17.  I will give away that the Dark Ride is more of something for the younger crowd, with no monsters that jump out at you, but the props, colors and designs are enjoyable.

On to the ratings. ★ = bad ★★= needs to improve ★★★ = average ★★★★ = above average ★★★★★ = Excellent   ★★★★★★ = Flawless

The Staff ★★★★★

The staff, from the ticket booth, to the entrance people to those helping were all very friendly, happy to be there, and happy to talk with me. They were happy to hear comments, be it compliments or complaints and even a little criticism. This was a definite plus in my book.  I talked with the owner, Jeremy, and his dad about the haunt, and it's history, and their history of being in the haunt business. They have worked very hard to produce a very impressive haunt, and it shows.

The Trail ★★★★
This was a very well thought and laid out trail. It seems kind of small but they definitely utilized every inch of space they have in this building.  From the entrance, the cue line, going in to the haunt and on through. They put a lot of time in to detail and it's very well appreciated! The first room, where you get a brief explaination tied in with the standard rules of going through the haunt just sets the mood for going through. It wasn't slammed packed with actors, but what actors there were made the trail very good. There's something to catch you around every corner here. My only real problem with the trail is it just needed to be longer!

The Actors ★★★★★
 Literally right off the start you are faced with actors here. The makeup jobs were extremely well done, the costuming was very well also. I do not recall seeing any of the standard horror actor costumes such as Freddy or Jason, which is a good thing. The masks I saw were good, and fit the areas they were in, and the actors blended to their scenes very well. Every actor was interactive, everyone seemed to want to be there and enjoyed being there.  All the actors are volunteers meaning they do not get paid to be there, so this makes it good as well.

The Props  ★★★★★     
I didn't discuss budget with the staff at this haunt, but I must say their props were top notch. The rooms were done very well. Every one of them. The props and things in the rooms were very good as well. Some of the best I've seen in my many years of working haunted houses. As I said earlier, there's something to catch your eye around every corner! I had a few favorite spots but I'm not going to give it away.

Overall
This was a great haunt. Very filling. Not too much though. They didn't go overboard.  Jeremy and his father did the vast majority of the work on this haunt and that's no easy task for a 2 man team. He was quick to let me know that they did have people come in and help and he was grateful for all that help. I definitely see this haunt going places and lasting a long time, and look forward to seeing it grow. I did feel it was a little short for a haunt, but Jeremy told me he's got plans for expansion next year and I will definitely come back to see it. At this, the only thing I can say is fantastic job guys! My hat's off to ya. ★★★★★
Scurryface Approved!