Looking for the mecca of haunted houses? Look no further than the Hartford/Slinger/Hubertus area for 3 of the states scariest attractions! As they are just a few minute car ride apart, avid haunt fanatics are certain to be foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to frequent these three ghoulish gems.

Arguably the best venue of the 3 is Hartford's Terror on Rural Street. Located right off of Hwy 60 it's very easy to find. The parking lot is well lit and offers a plentiful supply of spots. The waiting area is heated and indoors and offers a wide selection of treats and beverages as well as an occasional spook or two to heighten your anticipation of the terror that's to come.

...and then there's the haunt.

I've attended this haunt with the same group of friends for a number of years now. Traditionally this haunt has been one of our favorites...and this year was no exception. A few of the scares were eerily similar to last year but there are also a few new scares to keep the avid fan of this venue sufficiently satisfied.

The fun and scare ratings indicated on this review reflect the collective feedback I received from everyone in my group.

Favorable Comments from the group included:


** I had a blast interacting with the actors.

** I think that corpse splattered real blood on me!

** played peek-a-boo with a hole in the wall...got the crap scared out of me in return!

** Great attention to detail with the costumes and set design.

** Just when I thought we reached the end there was another room!

** Liked the Vortex...loved the laser room!

Rather than to leave you wondering why Terror on Rural Street didn't receive a perfect score the following comments were made:

** a couple dark hallways had uneven floors...nearly tripped a few times and I'm sure the person behind me would have fell right on top of me.

** too many dark hallways for my taste...not really comfortable with a complete stranger bumping into me from behind.

** Caught up to the group in front of us.

** felt rushed as the group behind us entered the room before the actors in our room were finished.

** I was stuck in the back of my group of 6 the entire time and missed what was going on in a few of the rooms.

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I attended with two other people to get different perspectives on Terror on Rural this year.

Both of them raved about the actor's make up and the large and elaborate sets.

On the trip through Terror, you will pass through a prison lock up, witness an electrocution and observe an operation on a patient with very active arteries.

There is a crematorium to pass through as well as an area featuring hanging, wet meats.

There are some nice sensory effects this year with a tunnel filled with changing patterns of light and another hall with walls that will close in on you backed by strobe lighting.

Depending on how easy you scare, you may not find Terror particularly chilling, but at the very least there are some nice scenes to explore and staff that want to startle you.

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I have to say that this is the first time that I have visited this haunted house even though that I had great things about this haunt since I was 16. I am happy to say that those excited murmurings proved true.

The event started off slow. I had to wait for my number to be called and then have the rules of the house explained to me by a mad doctor but after that the fun began! The entrance was perfect. A creepy door, slowly opening and fog pouring out. This opening, in one word, was creepy.

The attention to detail and entertainment value only continued. The scares began only seconds after I set foot in the haunt. These guys know how to scare. They used extreme darkness and strobes well. When you expected a scare because of the set-up they didn't scare you. When you passed that point that is when they got you. I loved it. They really had the art of the haunted house down to a science.

I have to be honest, at the beginning I was nervous when I heard this haunt had inventive animatronics. I have often found when haunts start collecting animatronics they start relying WAY too much on the technology and not enough on living and breathing actors. Terror on Rural, however, knew what to do with this technology. They used it to help the actors do what they need to do. This was great to see.

I will touch more on this later but right now I have to say that you can tell that the men and women that run this haunt put their all into making it highly entertaining. The scenes and effects were amazing. They were some of the best that I have seen in a long time.

One of the most interesting aspects of this haunt is that it forced those within the 4 or 5 person group (even if they were strangers) to come together and hold on to each other to get to the next area. Why? This house had some VERY dark areas. We are talking you-cannot-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face dark. So get ready to get close to whoever. That may be the only way to get through without running into a wall.

Quite simply this place was great. Just entertainment value alone makes this event well worth visiting. Terror on Rural Street had no lack of scares, no lack of effects, and no lack of fun.

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I enjoyed this haunt a lot and would attend again. Once I got there, I walked right up to the ticket booth with no waiting and went into the heated waiting area, where I enjoyed a really hot and tasty apple cider. Once my number was called I was called to enter and then we were placed on lines and the workers went over the rules of the haunt. The interior of the haunt was very dark, let me tell you one more time, it was very dark, I must have walked into about ten dead ends or walls trying to find my way around. There were props but not tons. This haunt is all about the actors and trying to disorientate you. The haunt took a total of about 20 minutes. When it was over we were greeted by Michael Myers, who followed me out to my car.

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Terror on Rural Street has always been one of my favorite haunts to go to. Right from the beginning they bring out the scares and the fun. As you are creeping around the completely dark hallways you just never know what to expect to be lurking around. From all around you, you hear whispers and someone breathing down your neck. They have different scenes set up bringing out everyones worst fears. Their scenes are also interactive making you a real part of the scene.

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