Visibility/Location:
The building itself does not have a large amount of signage, but the line of people outside will let you know that you are in the right place.
Parking:
There is free, well-lit parking across the street from The Nut House.
Atmosphere/Wait Entertainment: 7.5
There is not a large amount of wait entertainment, but you may be greeted and entertained by a creepy yet whimsical clown. Being across the street from City Hall and Police department, this is a city atmosphere rather than a scary one.
Set Design/Detail/Floor Plan: 8.5
There is a great consistency with the decorative touches made through the Nut House. Wooden slats cover many areas with gaps in between for the crazy patients to scream through. One of the first walk ways is covered in foil, the room is filled with smoke, and with the strobe lights you cannot see where you are going. Feeling your way through this area is a nice change from total darkness, although similarly disorienting. From spraying toilets, through an operating room, to floating dots, you should get a sense of a traditional haunt. The Nut House does have several bare areas, but also is home to our favorite scene yet – the false mirror. You see a plain black room, a toilet, and someone sitting in front of what appears to be a mirror… but what a surprise and interesting effect to discover that the reflection does not move.
Live Actors/Performance/Enthusiasm/Costumes: 9
Everyone had great timing, and there were at least a couple of very good special make up effects. Notably, one young lady who appeared to be a victim of a horrible experiment, skin peeling away and tubes coming out of her arms and chest. Other characters might make you feel unwelcome by saying “get out”, but most will beg for help or reach out in agony from their agonizing insanity. We absolutely loved the two reflecting one another in the false mirror room, as this would only have a good effect with talented people with the ability to make it seem real. However, we would recommend that the doctor at the beginning speak up or get some kind of voice amplifying device, as he was difficult to hear over all the screams.
Crowd Control: 9
It appeared as though groups were between 4 to 6 people. Even though there was a decent sized line, we did not run into the group in front of us, and no one ran in behind us because there was a good amount of time given between each group.
Admission Price vs. Length Entertainment Value: 8.5
The Nut House is about 11-12 minutes, and is $12. That is a very fair cost for length, and it actually seemed a little longer than it really was. Don’t let the fact that it is short discourage you though, because there is still some very nice scares along the way, with creepy characters, and scream windows throughout.
Overall Experience/Summary:
We truly wish we had gotten the chance to see Haunted High before their move to the new location. Don’t get us wrong, the Nut House was very enjoyable for it being their first year after the move, but we can only imagine how much Haunted High had going on in their previous permanent place. The Nut House does have some growing to do before it becomes huge competition for other DFW haunts, but from what we saw, they are off to a great start in the rebuild. Keep up the great work, keep building on, and we hope to make it out to see you again next year!
http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/images/banners/nuthouse.jpg (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/modules.php?name=Links&file=viewarticle&id=89)
Dennison, TX
OVERALL SCORE : 8.5
http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/images/stars/big/8_half.gif
Date: Saturday, October 20th
Time: 11:00pm
Visibility/Location:
The building itself does not have a large amount of signage, but the line of people outside will let you know that you are in the right place.
Parking:
There is free, well-lit parking across the street from The Nut House.
Atmosphere/Wait Entertainment: 7.5
There is not a large amount of wait entertainment, but you may be greeted and entertained by a creepy yet whimsical clown. Being across the street from City Hall and Police department, this is a city atmosphere rather than a scary one.
Set Design/Detail/Floor Plan: 8.5
There is a great consistency with the decorative touches made through the Nut House. Wooden slats cover many areas with gaps in between for the crazy patients to scream through. One of the first walk ways is covered in foil, the room is filled with smoke, and with the strobe lights you cannot see where you are going. Feeling your way through this area is a nice change from total darkness, although similarly disorienting. From spraying toilets, through an operating room, to floating dots, you should get a sense of a traditional haunt. The Nut House does have several bare areas, but also is home to our favorite scene yet – the false mirror. You see a plain black room, a toilet, and someone sitting in front of what appears to be a mirror… but what a surprise and interesting effect to discover that the reflection does not move.
Live Actors/Performance/Enthusiasm/Costumes: 9
Everyone had great timing, and there were at least a couple of very good special make up effects. Notably, one young lady who appeared to be a victim of a horrible experiment, skin peeling away and tubes coming out of her arms and chest. Other characters might make you feel unwelcome by saying “get out”, but most will beg for help or reach out in agony from their agonizing insanity. We absolutely loved the two reflecting one another in the false mirror room, as this would only have a good effect with talented people with the ability to make it seem real. However, we would recommend that the doctor at the beginning speak up or get some kind of voice amplifying device, as he was difficult to hear over all the screams.
Crowd Control: 9
It appeared as though groups were between 4 to 6 people. Even though there was a decent sized line, we did not run into the group in front of us, and no one ran in behind us because there was a good amount of time given between each group.
Admission Price vs. Length Entertainment Value: 8.5
The Nut House is about 11-12 minutes, and is $12. That is a very fair cost for length, and it actually seemed a little longer than it really was. Don’t let the fact that it is short discourage you though, because there is still some very nice scares along the way, with creepy characters, and scream windows throughout.
Overall Experience/Summary:
We truly wish we had gotten the chance to see Haunted High before their move to the new location. Don’t get us wrong, the Nut House was very enjoyable for it being their first year after the move, but we can only imagine how much Haunted High had going on in their previous permanent place. The Nut House does have some growing to do before it becomes huge competition for other DFW haunts, but from what we saw, they are off to a great start in the rebuild. Keep up the great work, keep building on, and we hope to make it out to see you again next year!