Long Island’s Gateway Playhouse produces one of the best haunted houses in the country. With a new theme every year, it is always fresh, exciting and innovative.
For the 2013 season, they combined dark fairy tales and creepy circus themes to create “The Grimling Family Travelling Circus.” The unusual combination was their finest and most detailed haunt yet.
The amount of sensory detail is astounding. The journey is covered with uneven and moving walkways, electric sparks, pungent smells, and spectacular visuals. The superb costumes and makeup help the talented actors create an environment straight out of your worst nightmare.
Gateway also succeeds in creating the party environment that so many haunts are trying to achieve. There is an outdoor bar and food trucks to enjoy while you wait to enter the haunt. Their brilliant ticketing system limits wait time, so patrons can enjoy food, drink, and roaming characters and entertainers.
Final Thoughts
Gateway Playhouse has once again created a brilliantly theatrical haunt. It is visually stunning and scary as hell. Gateway’s Haunted Playhouse is a MUST SEE. You will not be disappointed. Their 2014 season begins September 26th! We can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this year.
Nightmare Haunted House celebrates its 10th year in New York City with Nightmare: KILLERS 2, a continuation of Tim Haskell and Steve Kopelman’s smash hit serial killer haunted house. Killers 2 features a new cast of real and fictional mass murderers. The new lineup is joined by a few holdovers from last season. If you’re feeling brave, volunteer to be marked with a bloody “X” and be touched and manhandled by the cast of psychopaths. New for 2013, is the Dos Equis – sponsored Killer Stage Acts. Every hour a new performer takes the stage to entertain those waiting in line. During our visit, we watched a masked woman play creepy horror movie underscoring on the violin.
Is It Scary?
According to the Official Website: “Yes. This isn’t a theme park ride. The whole purpose is to scare you. We have worked long and hard to create the most horrifying experience possible. Get ready for your adrenaline fix.”
Our run in with Harrison Graham was particularly shocking. Make sure to read up on him before you go. We also enjoyed getting hit on by coked up psychopath Patrick Bateman. His twisted compliments are to die for. Other highlights include an opening warning from a parent, a room with three doors and a brain splattering surprise.
The detailed sets and costumes are appropriately disturbing and a creepy soundtrack of original music by Chris Thomas completes each scene perfectly.
What Could Be Better
We loved encountering Patrick Bateman and his blood splattered business cards, so the next day I tried calling the phone number printed on the card. I was hoping that it would lead to a voicemail message of Patrick Bateman yelling over chainsaw background noise. I was disappointed when a generic operator announced “your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system…”
We loved last year’s Lizzie Borden ending and wish that Killers 2 had a bigger final scare to chase you out of the haunt.
Final Thoughts
Killers 2 offers a second dose of real-life horror that is just as deadly as the first.
Nightmare: Killers 2 Runs
September 27 – November 2
Ticket Information
Timed Ticketing: $30.00 Online | $35.00 At The Door
VIP (Front of the line access): $50.00 Online | $60.00 At The Door
DISCOUNT TICKETS
$20 Student Rush Tickets Available 1 Hour Prior to Listed Start Times.
Service Men and Women Night (Military, Policeman, Firefighter, EMT, ect.): Thurs., October 10th – Flash your Badge to get $10 Off All Night Long.
50% Off Timed Ticketing & VIP Tickets – Click Here!
Age Requirements
Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No children under 10 will be admitted.