Nightmares Fear Factory

The Nightmares Fear Factory is a haunted house attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It is the oldest haunted house in North America in continuous operation.[1] They are known for posting images of their visitors just as they have been shocked to a Flickr account.[2][3][4]

The attraction is allegedly built in an old coffin factory.[5] The former owner of the factory, Abraham Mortimer, was killed when a stack of coffins collapsed upon him.[6]

Patrons are told that if they get too scared they can say the safety-word "nightmares" and they will escort you out. In the last 30 years, about a half-million people have gone through, and many have opted out part-way and had their names added to a public "chicken list".[7] Over 100,000 people have had to leave through the chicken line.[8]

The tour takes about 15 minutes and is in total darkness, except for small red lights on the floors, walls and ceiling that patrons must follow in order to get through the haunted house. Patrons' frightened reactions are recorded and broadcast in the lobby for all to see.

Unlike conventional haunted houses, the Nightmares Fear Factory doesn't rely primarily on blood and gore in order to induce fear. Rather, there are live actors in scary costumes that come at the patrons out of the darkness and taunt them, scream at them, speak in creepy voices, etc. They have been known to grab, push and pull patrons in order to get a reaction. There are also scary sounds like growls, eerie music, spooky voices, yelling, and so forth.

Highlights of the tour include a shaky drawbridge, a claustrophobic tunnel that visitors must crawl through, and a place where it appears that the walls are closing in on the visitors

The most notable part of the tour is when the visitors, walking in complete darkness (often holding on to each other) suddenly see a car crash through a wall and 'run them over.' The only thing you can really see are the headlights when they flash. At this point their pictures are taken and sometimes posted on the Fear Factory's Flickr account.

References

  1. ↑ "From Frightening to Fun, Niagara Events Have It All This Halloween".
  2. ↑ "Nightmares Fear Factory Has The Best Flickr Photostream Ever".
  3. ↑ Tim Barribeau. "Hilarious Portraits of Terrified People". Popular Photography, October 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Whitney Jefferson. "Haunted House's Flickr Feed Is Frighteningly Funny" Jezebel, October 7, 2011.
  5. ↑ Claire Lawton. "Nightmares Fear Factory's Spook Album". Phoenix New Times, October 7, 2011.
  6. ↑ Mary K. Nolan. "Win big at agency's grand opening; Scrapbook / Travel Tips". The Spectator, October 28, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Haunted House Visitors Get Scared To Death". ABC News.
  8. ↑ "Scary, Ontario". Toronto Star, October 26, 2011

External links