DC’s ostensibly favorite haunted attractions of Halloween season 2023 (international edition) *

* (Halloween countdown post #14)

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Laloween (Mexico City)
‘La Casa del Terror, es una atracción que consiste en un recorrido grupal a través de diversos escenarios altamente decorados que son recreados por la producción de Laloween para crear una experiencia que cause un alto impacto y entretenimiento de terror para nuestros visitantes, siempre cuidando la integridad y la seguridad de los mismos.’

 

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Casa del Terror (Guadalajara)
‘A circus-shaped spaceship comes to town. All the visitors are very excited to enjoy and see the show they have prepared yet they do not realize that it is a trap by aliens who seek to destroy humanity and take all the blood they can frame with cotton candy. A pile of frights and bloody popcorn await you in this maze.’

 

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Scream Camp (Oldham, UK)
‘A kidnapping at the hands of chainsaw-wielding killers, being thrown in the boot of a car and being buried alive. Those are just some of the horrors that face those brave enough to pitch up at Scream Camp, a terrifying overnight camping experience in Oldham. Billed as a ‘real life horror movie’, it sees campers gather around a fire for games and stories before a ‘security breach’ forces them to flee to what they think will be the safety of their tents. From there, things only get scarier. “Round about midnight, the murderers come,” said founder Calum Beckett. “It’s a full contact event: the guests are pulled out of their tents by hooded kidnappers and taken off. They’ll do things like put them in a box in the ground, take them into a barn and tie them up, and shove them in the back of a car. It’s quite scary but there’s also the other side of it where we play campfire games and toast marshmallows.”‘

 

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Hallowtween (York, UK)
‘Calling all fearless 10-15 year olds of a more nervous disposition … Venture into a new dimension of spine tingling fun this Halloween, as you are invited to explore 4 of the farm’s most mysterious buildings, each with its own twisted history you will discover for yourself once you step inside. Only for children 10-15yrs. Age limit is strictly enforced!’

 

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Salvation-Z (Gloucester, UK)
‘Once again the  horribly scary Salvation-Z returns Gloucester Prison. 4 acres of Un-dead zombie madness, with some very much still living madness to chase, catch and consume you. A horror scare park, set in a Georgian Prison, this isn’t a warehouse full of junk, it’s genuinely horrible already, 126 Executions, violence and despair peeling paint and the stench of death. Once you enter, you can only go forward towards your Salvation. One big horrific experience designed to really mess you up. Gloucester, prepare to soil your pants.’

 

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Athens Hall of Horrors (Athens, Greece)
‘For the first time in Greece, a neoclassical building in the center of Athens is transformed into an experience of absolute horror. The unique horror hotel invites you to wander its dark rooms and meet the sinister creatures that come to life through a group of actors. The old hotel, for over a century lay dormant, rotting from within… But now it reopens its rotten doors and invites you to discover its labyrinthine hallways that lie within , its subterranean secrets and to meet Count Diavolo Hellaton and the rest of the creatures that lurk in its shadows. The Athens Hall of Horrors is hungry… and you are its next meal.’

 

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Craigieburn Halloween Haunted House (Melbourne, Australia)
‘I never get scared at ‘Haunted Houses’ or cry about things that are scary. But needless to say you guys made me poo my pants, scream my lungs out, and cry a million tears hoping it would end. You guys did an incredible job and although I wanted to stab you all, i’ll be back next year!

 

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Fearaphobia (Westfield, Helensvale, Australia)
‘Unlike other theme parks, Fearaphobia Scream Park P/L has been built exclusively to guarantee you a fright fuelled, fun fest this Halloween season. You will experience 5 custom built, US styled horror themed haunts.’

 

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Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear (Fuji-Q, Japan)
‘Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear, one of the largest haunted houses in the world.
The Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records at the time of its opening for its walking distance, and has since terrified more than 4.5 million of its guests daring to visit. The attraction is themed on a quarantine ward in a hospital that previously conducted horrendous experiments on its patients. In addition to a very realistic setting and visual/audio details such as deadly moaning, visitors experience accentuated fear through smells and temperatures that stimulate all five senses. With many visitors retiring and succumbing to their fears, will you be able to endure the fear that may leave you a bit traumatized.’

 

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Onryou Zashiki (Tokyo)
‘This is a Japanese-themed haunted house attraction in Tokyo Dome. Gomi Hirofumi, the most famous haunted house producer in Japan, created this attraction which will surely send shivers down your spine! The creator’s unique way of having a storyline that visitors can play along with has made many of his creations successful in delivering a good scare. In fact, this haunted house attraction makes visitors take off their shoes for a heightened horror experience. The mission will revolve around a woman named “Youko” for visitors to escape from the house.’

 

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Screaming Ambulance (Tokyo)
‘This is Japan’s first haunted house that will come to you! Due to COVID-19, this haunted house concept was introduced as a way to not only scare the living daylights out of people but also to prevent the spread of COVID-19! This ambulance-type haunted house will have visitors boarding the ambulance and experience horrors only those inside can vividly describe. Since this will be delivered to visitors’ homes, advanced reservation is needed. Also, this is only applicable to the 23 wards of Tokyo but other areas can be consulted.’

 

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Daiba Strange School (Tokyo)
‘Located in a shopping mall, this haunted school stands out with its decrepit facade and morbid decor. Equipped with a light, visitors explore this so-called cursed school—abandoned for over 40 years after a student’s suicide sparked numerous copycat suicides and mysterious deaths—to put restless students’ spirits to rest.’

 

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Hysteria (Dubai)
‘The family of this stately manor had their children mysteriously vanish during the middle of the night and the despairing parents roam the halls and rooms of this mansion trying to find who has taken their children. They believe you, one of the guests know where their children have gone. The parents seek revenge on each guest as they pass through the manor doors. Beware as you may be taken by the family and be taunted by the spirits of the deceased children themselves. Be warned that the parents believe their children are still alive and begun to suffer from hysteria.’

 

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H15 (Hong Kong)
‘H15 lets you experience a solo journey “post-mortem,” where you’ll enter a morgue and be strapped down to a mortuary bed, be escorted by a “corpse bearer” through your own funeral, and walk through the underworld to face ghouls alone. The attraction is so scary that there’s a scare word you can use if it all gets to be too much.’

 

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Everland Horror Maze (Yongin, South Korea)
‘Everland Horror Maze this year as well!!!! Fail! It’s so scary! Isn’t there anyone who will go together and protect me??’

 

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Hiša Strahov (Kranj, Slovenia)
‘When you gather enough courage and show up in our Horror House you firstly wait in Dr. Groznik’s reception, who has prepared very special treatment for you. Nurse accompanies you to Doctor’s ordination and you are ready for 30 min of therapy in virtual reality googles. Horror movies are happening all 360° around you in 3D. Besides, you will never know what is really happening around you and what is only in-horror movie sound. After 30 min of virtual horrors you will realize that Dr. Groznik has unfinished business with you and your friends. You will need to cooperate and gather all of your courage to escape mad doctors evil plans.’

 

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VERBØTEN – Brutality Haunted House (Basel, Switzerland)
‘Dark, evil, demonic: John Carvino’s team from Basel (Brutality Haunted House) in Switzerland and the undefeated master of horror simulation, Adrian Marcato, and his amazing team from Los Angeles, USA (Heretic Horror House) meet for two nights in the old world: VERBØTEN.

‘Immerse yourself in the dark, sick fantasies of the two creators of this event. The show is very brutal, aggressive and personal. It’s only YOU and US. The number of tickets is strictly limited. Tickets are on advance sale now. To purchase a ticket, you have to go through three steps. Because we want to get to know you before you get to know us. And you certainly will!

1. You’ll find all the necessary information about the show at www.hauntedbasel.com under the link “RAW”. Read this carefully.
2. On the same page, go to the link “INNER CIRCLE” and fill in the form.
3. As a member of the INNER CIRCLE, you’ll receive an email with a secret link and can then purchase a ticket. You can do, but you don’t have to. Tickets are personal and non-transferrable, they cannot be exchanged or returned. Only members of the INNER CIRCLE are entitled to purchase tickets. The link must be kept confidential. If you purchase a ticket without having received a personal invitation, the ticket will not be valid.’

 

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Horror House Qatar (Doha, Qatar)
‘In this spine-chilling adventure, we take you through the twists and turns of our nightmarish labyrinth, where every corner holds a new fright, and every step brings you closer to the unknown. Join us as we face our deepest fears and enter a world of terror, live actors, and mind-bending special effects. Are you brave enough to survive the horrors that await within these walls? Watch now to find out, but beware – once you enter, there’s no turning back. It’s a journey into the heart of fear, and only the bravest will emerge unscathed.’

 

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Prague Fear House (Prague)
‘Before being put into the catacombs, the client receives an “angel” and is drawn into the action. If you want to experience horror on your own, this tour is right for him. Everyone gets a rescue password, which they can say at any time during the tour, and thus the experience ends for them. It is accessible from the age of 18. Everyone walks the underground alone and lasts about half an hour. There is a possibility of soiling, so we recommend replacement clothing.’

 

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Quietus Horror (Leuven, Belgium)
‘Quietus Horror is a horror experience based in Belgium that uses psychological and extreme elements to immerse participants into its narrative.’

 

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Nightmares Manila (Manila)
‘Nightmares Manila is a massive 5-in-1 walk-through dark attraction filled with terrifying live actors, horror movie style scares, and Hollywood quality special effects. Featuring two haunted attractions, zombie paintball, escape rooms, and a cafe all in one location. Terrifyingly fun for all your friends and family, Nightmares Manila where all your nightmares come true!’

 

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Horror House Storgata 13 (Oslo, Norway)
‘We are the scariest thing to do in Oslo! Horror House Storgata 13 is a haunted house attraction – located in the city centre. Your task is to go through 8 rooms (each room represents a different kind of fear). There are live actors involved. In each room you will face a challenge testing how brave you are.’

 

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Horror House at the Mall of Arabia (Cairo, Egypt)
‘1st Egyptian horror house in The Mirage Mall. Now you and your friends can totally piss yourselves in fear on purpose.’

 

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Halloween House Motherwell (Motherwell, Scotland)
‘A Halloween obsessed couple has transformed their home into a terrifying haunted house – for the sixteenth year. William Howson, 67, and wife Roslyn, 61, began the spooky attraction in 2006 and have welcomed hundreds of trick-or-treaters over the years. It takes seven weeks to get their house ready for the Halloween display which is spread over their living room, kitchen, bedroom, hall and garden. Guisers queue up for hours to go through the haunted house, which is kitted out with hundreds of creepy decorations and scary mannequins. The couple has welcomed 600 people to their house in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, in previous years and will open their doors again on October 31.’

 

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Lost Souls Alley (Kraków, Poland)
‘Lost Souls Alley is a “haunted house” in Kraków’s Old Town. An entire building was converted to various themed rooms with a carefully thought-through design, vibe and challenges along the way just to give the guests a really good scare. Lost Souls Alley offers a few different options with varying levels of Pain, Fear and Fun. Minimum age requirement is 13, however, some options are available only for adult visitors. Due to the specific form of entertainment Lost Souls Alley is not recommended to anyone with pre-existing health conditions or sensitive people in general.’

 

 

*

p.s. RIP: Robert Irwin, Ida Applebroog. ** David Ehrenstein, Excellent choice, thank you ** Misanthrope, Hi. Tosh suggests it’s a matter of patience on the days when I (over)stuff the blog with jpegs, which, is well, most days, I guess. I don’t know what BIOS is, but I won’t go for it, thanks. As someone desperate for a home haunt experience, I declare your so-called sick friends to be total wusses. ** Dominik, Hi!!! I would say the majority of the costumes were cringe, as were, honestly, most of the guests themselves too. Yes, one must enter Salon du Chocolat with a wad of cash either in one’s wallet or card. I usually try to survive financially by trying to concentrate either on the chocolate sculptures or on the large array of Japanese chocolatiers because they know how to do chocolate. We’ll see. Ticket pdf acquired and ready to be printed. Oh, no, you’ll need a winter coat really soon if not already. Hm, I still wear my falling apart winter coat that I’ve had for, like, decades, which is not a great choice either. Did you find one yet? Me, I lost my scarf a couple of days ago, so I have to snatch up a new one. Much easier. I’m seeing Brian Eno live tonight, and I would like love to convince him to drop the ambient stuff tonight just long enough to play ‘Baby’s On Fire’, G. ** Charalampos, Hi. My favorite is probably ‘Class Relations’. Almost all of their early films are pretty great. Alizée, wow, I remember her. I’ll await a Greek choice that suits my digestive system then. I remember when I was there I had no problem finding very delicious and suitable foods. Vibes spiraling outwards from Paris. ** _Black_Acrylic, ‘Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach’ is a very good one. ** Mark, Hi. Nice weekend. I’m seeing Eno tonight and hitting up Salon du Chocolat this weekend and going to the American food store (The Real McCoy) to buy American Halloween candy maybe tomorrow. At least to start with. Definitely a number of alluring NYC-based current items. Henry Taylor’s retro at the Whitney should be great too. Your doc is in post, congrats! You’re fast. We’ve been in post since May and we’re still not finished. Everyone, If you’d like a copy of Mark & Jose’s amazing zine about me, it’s back in stock at Printed Matter here. I went to Paris Ass last year. It was huge and packed. If you can, you might check with others who had booths there to see how much they actually sold. It looked to me like it was very much a browser thing more than purchasing thing. But then again you’d meet a lot of fellow queer thing makers, plus you’d be in Paris! ** Sypha, Based on the pix I’ve seen from her current European tour, she does look better, yes. I think the post-plastic surgery swelling has decreased to a less startling effect. ** malcolm, Hi thanks. I like ‘Class Relations’ a lot. Most of their early films are really good. Being complicated has its upside, as your art constantly proves. Nov. 1st, great, exciting! ** Steve Erickson, I like bleak, and might as well cover as many of bleakness’s angles as possible, I guess. Everyone, Steve reviews Poppy’s new album ‘Zig’ here. Also, he alerts us that ‘Grasshopper Film’s website/app projectr.tv is streaming the entire Straub/Huillet catalogue.’ Thanks! ** Gee, Hi. It’s true, the slaves should inherently wipe the slate clean. They’re good at that. I’m so sorry to hear you feel drained, but having three major projects in progress is pretty good news. They’ll outlast the drainage period, I’m sure. ‘Neo-Decadence Xmas event’: what in world is that going to be? Like, live or cyber or … ? Very cool. I’m working on a short fiction collection, but the film is eating almost everything. I should have more writing time in a couple of weeks when we finally finish the final edit. There’s no Halloween here, so, at the moment, no, it’ll be just another (albeit sadder) day. I think you transforming into a witch would help relive my sadness by proxy. ** Jeff J, Hi. Of the Straub solo stuff I’ve seen, they’re all beautiful, but they’re also kind of just ways to get another taste of him and his sensibility rather than amazing things in and of themselves. We should have the final edit ready in the next couple of weeks. It’s down to just finessing and perfecting now. Everything is in place. So wish I could be at the Harry Smith screening. I hope you get an excellent crowd. Oh, shit, intensive surgery. Of the sort that will lay you up for a while? Man, I’m sorry, but also hopeful that it’ll put all of the hell behind you finally. I still haven’t watched the Wes Anderson shorts. Thanks for reminding me. Really looking forward to them, natch. xo. ** Tosh Berman, Hi, Tosh! I’ve been following the tour on your substack. Looks and sounds like a wicked crazy blast. I’m glad to hear that the images eventually came through. I know the way I do the blog is taxing, but, I don’t know, I keep wanting to go for broke. Thank you for your patience. And, oh my god, you’re in Japan! Enjoy it so much! ** DARBi🐊, Big hi back to you, my friend. Ha ha, I actually like that an ugly painting brought me to mind. I like ugly, you know. In art at least. Mm, actually, yes, artists have mixed their blood with paint a whole bunch of times. Maybe I should do a whole post featuring them. Every time I’ve been in Massachusetts I thought it was beautiful and I really liked it. Well, maybe not a 100% on Boston, but everywhere else was super nice. Iow, great idea! My rent? Uh, let’s see, in dollars I think it would be around $1600 a month. A lot. It’s actually a little past my limit, but Paris is not cheap, and I’m willing to suffer to love in the center, I guess. My October has been okay, not like the Octobers I was used to in the USA with mega-Halloween build up, but, you know, it’s been okay. Film film film, basically. And yours? Oh, I mean, I’d love something from Spirit but don’t get busted or anything. Gosh, thank you. Spirit should stay open all year long. In LA they have year-round Halloween stores, and I think they do okay. Croutons … I do like them, with and without salad. And I haven’t eaten one in ages. Maybe the American food store sells them here. Oh, I love cheese fondue. Do those bread square things you dip in the cheese count as croutons? I mean, they kind of are croutons. Big up and xoxo. ** Audrey, Hi, Audrey. I’m really happy you like Straub-Huillet. Score. I agree, I agree. I think I was born optimistic, and I don’t know why. There’s every reason not to be. But when I get negative, it only lasts for, like, an hour or two, and then the darkness expires. Strange. Maybe it’s chemical or something. Yes, I plan to get Wallsocket today or tomorrow. I’m just waiting for a decent listening space to arrive. For years people hoped Rimbaud had been secretly writing poems, but that turned out not to be. More poetry from him would be a dream, but there is something beautiful about the idea that he knew he had written this great work and stopped rather than just keep writing because that’s what he knew how to do. But there’s my optimism sneaking in again, ha ha. Oh, you live in Washington, nice. You’re a West Coaster like me, or like I mostly was until I zoomed over here. I’m so sorry about your suicidal friend. I have a really hard time with suicide. I don’t know if you’ve read my books, but that’s all through there. Speaking from experience, and this is pretty obvious, but it’s really important to know what you and can’t do in those situations. But helping a suicidal friend is very important too. It’s so complicated. I’m so sorry. I hope your friend has reached a more self-regarding state by now. The film goes very well, thanks. Big money problems, but we’re almost finished editing the film, and I’m really proud and happy about it. Thank you. I hope your Thursday is very chummy with you. Love from me, Dennis ** Right. And today you get my annual survey of haunted attractions located outside the USA where the lands are much more sparsely populated by such things. Hope some of you out there are nearby them. See you tomorrow.