For my first ever article with Scurryface, I got to visit the one and only Nightmare Factory in Havelock, NC. First and foremost I want to mention, this is probably one of the best old school, traditional haunts I have seen in a while. I spoke with one of the owners, James, and found out they have been scaring the Havelock community for 15+ years. Now that is impressive. When you arrive, drive slow as there are parking spots on both sides of street and there will be people and monsters walking around. Upon stepping out of our car, you could immediately feel the energy of this place. Located in what looks to be an abandoned strip of town, you’ll find music blaring, Monsters roaming the street, and the factory itself. If you walk all the way down past the little side stage, you’ll find the ticket booth. Just a reminder this is a top rated haunt, there will be a line. You can also purchase your tickets online ahead of time, which I highly recommend. If you purchase your tickets for after 9pm, you will get to experience Rated R hours. This experience is highly worth it, but if you’re going with younger children, I recommend going before 9. The actors can curse and lightly touch you and the environment is overall a bit more energetic. We obviously opted for Rated R. After getting your tickets, you’ll find the line for entry. Even though the wait could be long, since this a very popular attraction, there is plenty to keep you entertained. At the top of every hour, they have a Monster Rush. All of the monsters come from inside of the attractions, and flood the streets under the lights along with rock music. They have monsters twirling fire, breathing fire, and even a clown made me a balloon animal. The monsters will get in your face and when they do you can see all of the incredible detail in their costuming and makeup. One thing I really appreciated with the costuming, there are no masks in this haunt. Every character has detailed makeup, some accompanied by prosthetics and special contacts. If it’s not time for Monster Rush, no worries, they have some side show acts, well stocked merch shop, and a food truck so you don’t have to scream on an empty stomach. Honestly, there’s so much entertainment before you ever even enter the haunt that makes the visit already worth while. Inside the haunt: One cool thing about this attraction- it is actually 4 attractions in one, but they flow right into each other seamlessly. You’ll start off in the dead zone. There you will learn the story behind Mr. Night’s factory as well as the horror and panic he brought to the small town of Havelock. Mr. Night became wealthy, thanks to the suffering of the town’s people. He eventually took over the towns only hospital, two motels, and caused a chemical spill in the factory that lead to… well you’ll see. Now, if you know me, I love a good storyline. Make sure you take a look at the short clip they have when you first enter. It really sets the tone and gives you the background for what you’re about to experience. In the dead zone you’ll find several, descriptively labeled shipping crates. The detail they have on every little prop really makes you feel like you are actually in the story. What really amazed me, is some of the monsters, which I felt were JUST scaring us in the street- were back inside the haunt with even more energy. Most of the dead zone consisted of your zombies, chainsaw actors, and the type of monsters that you would see in a Wrong Turn movie. The kind that make the hair on your arms stand straight up. Every character stepped into their role flawlessly, and will make you believe you are really about to be chopped up and eaten for dinner. Once you make it out of the dead zone, you almost feel like the haunt is over, in fact a few people in our group really thought it was, but never the less you will walk right into what feels like another dimension. Here is where the chemical spill happened. As you enter, you will be made to put on special 3D glasses. You will find several clowns, but with the 3D, it feels like you see almost double. It’s hard to tell where you are going and feels like props and clowns are jumping out at you at every turn. This was probably one of my favorite scenes of the haunt and really had me tripping out while in there. After this, is where I feel like the storyline really picks up. You will make your way into the haunted factory. I cannot stress enough the amount detail and thought that was put into this, and the factory really highlights it. In the factory you’ll make your way through all of Mr. Knights horrors. It feels almost as if you’re in a bad dream. And that short video you watched upon entering- becomes your reality. I want to make note, this is a low-tech haunt. The actors really step it up and use their high energy and acting skills to make you feel like you are part of the story. You will make your way through the factory and the hotel where the concierge will guide you into an elevator… But wait this is a 1 story haunt.. what do you mean elevator? In the elevator you will hear lots of banging and movement and when the doors open- you are no longer where you were. Now is where you will enter the psych ward and let me tell you…. there is a reason why these patients are there. Here there will be patients hanging from the wall and jumping out at every corner. The actors and actresses in these scenes really outdo themselves. You’ll hear high pitched laughter along with some patients telling you get out while others ask you stay. I don’t know if this was intentional, or just my brain… but I feel like it actually smelled like we were in a hospital too. Weird right? Again, just as with every part of this experience, the detail in the rooms here are incredible. It is a promise you will leave here feeling like you yourself belong in grippy socks. Upon exiting, we decided to hangout by the stage and watch the side show they had. I highly recommend doing this either before or after. The entertainer- Spud the Zombie- kept the crowd laughing, gasping, and in shock. They had a contest to see who had the most ear wax… yes you heard that right, ear wax. He then proceeded, to get a volunteer patron to EAT the q-tip of the person that had the dirtiest ears. YES- EAT IT. I think everyone in the crowd was gagging a bit. They of course rewarded the patron with either a free ticket or fast pass. When I say this man.. or zombie… keeps you entertained, I mean it. We could have easily stayed and watched and engaged with the monsters for hours. Overall, I would absolutely recommend visiting Nightmare Factory. With the high energy of the staff, the attention to detail of every little thing, and all the extra activities, this is a MUST SEE haunt. I can definitely see why they have been open and running for 15+ years.
