By Noelle Lashley, Staff Writer
Line Length: About an hour
Drive Time: 25 minutes from campus
Ticket Price: The main house is $20, and they offer a combo package of both houses for $25
Parking: Full parking lot with plenty of spaces right in front of the attraction
Haunted House Scares: Extremely scary, be prepared to be jumped at, chased, and cornered
Haunted House Length: Each house took about 15 minutes, which seemed a bit short given the wait time
When I pulled in to the parking lot at Paranoia Haunted House, I was immediately impressed by the theatrics. The scream of heavy metal pounding from the loudspeakers, the single spotlight sweeping the sky, and the torches flanking the gateway to the house clued me in to the fact that I was in for a great fright-night.
After finding the courage to leave the safety of my car, I was greeted by the roamers, a special feature of Paranoia. The roamers are fully costumed actors that prey upon visitors as they arrive. Be prepared to meet French Kiss, The Doctor, The Butcher, and some of their friends while waiting in line to buy tickets.
There are two attractions at Paranoia, “Blood Factory” and “Infectious.” A combo ticket for both houses is reasonably priced at $25. If two haunted houses in one night is too much of a fright, admission to “Blood Factory,” the main haunted house, is $20.
Large parties should be aware that the ghouls that guard the entrance of both of Paranoia’s haunted houses allow only 8 guests to enter at a time. A new group is admitted about every three minutes.
Before entering the house, thrill-seekers receive a safety briefing, which states that there is no drinking, smoking, or running, and if you don’t touch the monsters, they won’t touch you.
For those with large personal space bubbles, be aware that the monsters love to corner visitors and get right up in their faces. I felt a hand close around my ankle at several points in the darkest areas of the house, but never inappropriately.
When asked what makes Paranoia different from other haunted houses, Dave Leikam, the owner and mastermind behind Paranoia, said “We don’t do a ton of animatronics. We fill the house, we have 60 actors in there going crazy on people.”
In addition to live actors, “Blood Factory” and “Infectious” are both equipped with fantastic sets that include water features, fog, strobe lighting, lasers, and gore galore.
“Infectious” begins by requiring patrons to explore a pitch-black room with only a rope to guide them. Along the way, monsters leap out with noisemakers and flashing lights, terrifying visitors. The thrills and chills escalate as the house progresses, so heads-up!
Not to be outdone, “Blood Factory” closes the group inside of a box, which then careens about unpredictably. As the box rattles and rolls, prepare yourself for a terrifying surprise. I wanted to kiss the ground in relief when I realized I survived this house.
I would recommend starting with “Infectious,” and finishing with “Blood Factory.” The “Blood Factory” experience concludes with being chased into a van with a deranged driver, providing a creepy finale to a night of horror.
Paranoia provides an exceptionally interactive haunted house experience. Though the lines are long, the adventure is completely worth it, and the monsters do everything they can to ensure that you have an unforgettable encounter with the dark side.
