Summary:

With the publicized anticipation of a new haunted attraction in the Rockford area, I could not wait to get into the Twisted Crypt Haunted House. We decided to visit on a Friday night at the end of September; so fairly early in the Halloween season.

After our short wait in front of the haunted house façade, and multiple warnings of “adult content,” our greeter knocked on the giant double doors of the haunted house, a gruff voice responded and we were welcomed into the home. We were faced with a typical hillbilly pervert, which was the first of many to follow. We were led into a living area, a kitchen, a child’s room, a classroom and numerous other rooms by other hillbilly family members. All of these characters were extremely interactive and encouraged reciprocated improvisation from us. Not one of these family members gave us a silent or awkward failed scripted moment. Kudos to all of the actors we crossed paths with, since they were all able to stay in character and convey a convincing and disturbing storyline.

The scenery was detailed and well-plotted, but a little bit too neat and clean to fit into the murderous hillbilly theme. The random scares were very well hidden and almost guaranteed to make anyone jump. The creepy and distorted music playing in the background added a nice touch to the overall feel of the house. The creep factor is so high that, if you do not want your friends, family or significant other being verbally and mentally violated, do not bring them here. The warnings of “adult language” at the entrance of the event were a bit understated. From my experience, this is definitely not an ideal first date destination or a family field trip.

Overall, for a first year haunted attraction, the Haunted Crypt crew did awesome. If you are looking for a hard core, no holds barred type tour that makes you question the possibility of the threats of pain and torture, Twisted Crypt Haunted House is the place to go. The sets were good, the actors were convincing and relentless, and the overall visit was interactive and entertaining, much like walking through a horror movie or story. Although I am not a fan of the personal and violating methods of intimidation and threats used by some of their actors, I am still looking forward to seeing the direction that the Twisted Crypt crew leads us in the upcoming years.

To find out more about this event, visit:

http://twistedcrypt.com/