Since 1997, Netherworld has created a world-class haunted house attraction for Georgians to visit during the Halloween season. Each year, they create unique and interesting themes for their two haunted houses using a mix of spectacle and horror, and this year is no different.
This year’s main house is called “Wake the Dead” and features a variety of monsters competing for primordial energy. The house is themed to the different elemental forces and has a distinctive main monster for each section. While reading up on the theme can be helpful, visitors are still able to enjoy the attraction even without prior research. However, understanding the elemental beings can help with the experience and explain why there is a sunken ship and an area with fake snow falling.
The animatronics in this house were absolutely stellar and were mixed with actual scare actors. This resulted in visitors’ uncertainty if the monster they were looking at was a real person that would follow them around or was just an animatronic waiting to perform a jump scare. Even though the house is not considered a maze, there are sections that may be confusing, especially the mirror room. With the added effects of loud noises, dark lighting and scare actors following guests around, the room layout can be a bit disorientating. That being said, the scare actors are always ready to help visitors out while still remaining in character.
While the set designs and animatronics looked like they were ripped straight out of a Hollywood production and lead to many moments of amazement, the real stars of the house are the actors. As guests walk out of the first house, they are brought to an area that looks similar to a landing hub that can be found in live service games. At this landing hub, visitors can find food stalls, the guest shop, the entrance for the second house and actors walking around trying to scare unsuspecting guests. There, guests can ask the actors who are willing to join them for photos.
The actors, both in the haunted houses and at the hub, are full of energy, and their enjoyment can be felt by visitors. It also is really impressive to see the scare actors remain in character as guests try to ask for photos, at times responding in manners and vocal patterns like a squawk or growl similar to their character.
The hub also has a small escape room for an upcharge that rewards visitors with a celebratory “I escaped” sticker if finished in under three minutes. The mini escape room is a low-capacity attraction and may be closed either due to maintenance issues or if the demand is too high. However, Netherworld has a year-round escape room that utilizes a larger and more standard escape room with a horror twist.
There is also a second house called “Mr. Grendel’s Birthday Party of Horror.” Tickets for the second house can be accessed by purchasing the combo ticket for about five dollars extra which grants access to both houses. The second house is a bit smaller than “Wake the Dead.” That being said, both houses pack quite the punch. Even if the actual duration for both houses is a bit under one hour, the time spent in the house feels a lot longer than that due to the confusion and disorientation that both the houses create.
While the second house is not as scary as the first house, there is more of a camp feeling to it. Because the house’s theme is a killer clown birthday party, the house has more bright and colorful lights as compared to the first one. There are also fewer actors in the second house which is a bit underwhelming, but the house’s designs and animatronics are still no joke.
When entering the house, employees might tell guests to seem like they are enjoying the party being thrown by the monsters. If guests act happier and dance with the monsters, the monsters join in which is a very cute addition, even if it takes away some of the horror. While the second house may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for the small additional fee, it is the perfect add-on for visitors.
Netherworld Haunted House is open most days in October and will close on Nov. 9.