By Mikkel Hyldebrandt
You may have experienced a haunted house or other scary Halloween attractions in your lifetime, but Netherworld adds another level of fright that makes this dark attraction stand out. Because, as they say, the devil is in the details…
In case you didn’t know, one of the nation’s scariest haunted houses is just 30 minutes north of Atlanta in Stone Mountain. There is good reason why USA Today placed Netherworld Haunted House on its top ten of best haunted attractions in the U.S. Netherworld feels more like a Hollywood-style movie production. The effective use of special effects, props, flashing lights, lasers, animatronics, actor-controlled puppets, and perhaps most importantly, the 125 actors throughout the maze will cast a magic spell over you from the moment you step onto the premises. Even standing in line or going to the restroom may have its share of monsters lurking where you would never expect them.
This year, Netherworld’s haunted house attraction is in two parts – Undying Horror and Parasitic. The first and longer haunted maze takes you on a journey of your worst imaginable and unimaginable fears from monsters, mummies, ghosts, ghouls, freaks of nature, and fantasy monstrosities. The highlight of this maze is the attention to detail of each scenario and the many costumed actors throughout the labyrinth that do their best to scare you multiple times – some may get you three or four times! It takes around 20-25 minutes to go through the maze, and the name – Undying Horror – is fitting because it surprises you just how many horrific scenarios you have to go through.
Once you exit, you are at the Midway, where you can calm your nerves (if it wasn’t for the monsters in the crowd), get a snack, shop merch, and snap a photo with one of the monsters before you enter the next haunted house, Parasitic. This one is perfectly suited to a world marred by the Covid pandemic, where you enter a secret lab through an elevator (that may or may not be safe to ride). This part of the attraction is also very elaborate, although not as large as the Undying Horror. In Parasitic, anything and everything that could go wrong in the lab went even worse, and the virus has mutated everything beyond your wildest imagination. Especially the outdoor portion of this haunted house is very effective, with plenty of surprising scares.
This year, a new addition is Netherworld’s gaming portion, where you can shoot paintballs at unknowing visitors or partake in a game of scary laser tag before you go into the Midway area again. A fun way to gather the group again after running for your lives.
From the first monster slinking behind you as you prepare to enter to the final creature chasing you to the exit, Netherworld is devoted to having you leave you haunted with adrenaline pumping! Worth every dollar, this dark attraction will cast a spell on you and your group, and whether you dive into the elaborate back stories of each haunt or you’re just there for the jump scares, Netherworld will have you spooked and running. Whether what gets you the most is the elaborate set designs, the incredible special effects, or a costumed actor who at first seems like a part of the set only to leap at you at the exact right moment, be prepared for a sensory overload of frights.
You can experience Netherworld Haunted House until November 12; tickets are available at www.fearworld.com.Â
