Motel 6 Feet Under isn’t your typical haunt. It isn’t a motel that you can check in to, it isn’t a linear walkthrough, and it isn’t looking to make a large profit.

So then, what is it?

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Well, Motel 6 Feet Under is a non-profit haunt that mixes traditional scares with technologically advanced effects. It is an innovative maze that twists and turns, forcing you to get lost and retrace your steps, and it is a great family-friendly event with a very fun atmosphere. Furthermore, Motel 6 Feet Under has a wonderful program set up to provide job training in theatrical arts construction for under-deserved adults (Building Occupational Opportunities, or BOO). This helps teach skills to those in need of work and get them back on their feet.IMG_0012

Sounds pretty cool right? Supporting the community while experiencing a fun haunt with some unique effects? Well, it definitely is. And if we continue to support them it’s only going to get better.

Carolyn Carpenter (founder of Motel 6 Feet Under) and her family started this haunt in a tent in 2010, and in five years, it is now a full functioning haunt taking over a large space in Anaheim’s Business Expo Center. And they aren’t stopping there. They have another five year plan that includes a building a full functioning motel that guests can stay in and prepare to be scared throughout the night!

The current Motel 6 Feet Under sits right off the 5 freeway, close to Disneyland. Their sign is easy to spot, and after arriving, you are escorted into a waiting room that hosts into their line. The room feels vintage (most of the items are real vintage items from the owner’s personal collection), and if you pay attention, it shows off some of the technological effects you’ll see inside. The first that caught my attention was an old 1950’s dial TV—yet, as I watched a face appeared in the screen and begin to push outward, stretching a thin fabric over the screen. At first I thought it was an actor, but when it happened a second time, I realized it was an engineered effect. Effects that actors usually accomplish in other haunts (e.g., knocking and rattling doors), Motel 6 Feet Under seamlessly does this with machines, and I never once knew it was a machine until I passed it.

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I won’t spoil exactly what does go on inside of the haunt, but I will highlight a few of the standout effects. As mentioned previously, this isn’t a linear maze. The first room offers multiple paths and after traveling down one, you may be more lost than when you started. I was very impressed when doors appeared where one wasn’t there before.

The next standout is the technology. Don’t expect expensive LED screens pretending to be paintings. No, Motel 6 Feet Under focuses more on old fashioned engineering feats. These include a wonderful effect of a little girl who disappears and reappears closer to you as she moves down a long hallway, a gigantic functioning jack-in-the-box (which scared me good!), and some very loud barrels (you’ll know what I mean when you get there).

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Although the haunt does not have a cohesive storyline, the décor helps unite the haunt into a cohesive theme. The set pieces feel vintage because most are, the disorientation makes it feel that you are trapped in a haunted motel, and the monsters definitely have fun with the whole thing. It runs approximately 20 minutes, but could run longer if you wait to watch each effect unfold.

Finally, I would consider this to be a family friendly haunt—there is no blood, no guts, and no gore. The mazes are not claustrophobic, but rather twist and turn. Also, the scares are very apparent where they will occur (although the when is unknown and does cause some great scares). If you think your kids will enjoy it and can handle it, then definitely bring for a fun haunting evening.

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If you’re looking for a haunt that focuses on traditional and effective scares, helps support the community, and is just fun, then definitely give Motel 6 Feet Under your attention.

About the Author

Taylor Winters dresses up as his childhood nightmares. He’s become Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and even Leatherface. He also owns an extensive collection of Haunted Mansion memorabilia, skulls, severed body parts, and even a replica of his own head. Taylor received his PhD in Bioengineering from UCSD and now resides in Tustin, CA, where he works on fixing human hearts. But in his spare time, he’s working on starting the great zombie apocalypse.