If you find yourself wondering what to do this Haunt season, we would like to suggest you hit the brilliant on-two punch of Prism Haunted House and Hauntington Beach Manor in Orange County, California. Hauntington Beach Manor has been a staple of the So-cal Indie Haunt scene for a while now. Prism Haunted House has transitioned from a fiendish home haunt out of Mission Viejo to full-on pro with an all-new expansive walkthough. The two attractions have found an unlikely home at the Westminster Mall and honestly, this is one of 2022’s hidden gems.
We approach the towering storefront that houses two attractions. Facing the 405 freeway through Westminster, the haunts are easy to spot as they are near the ubiquitous pumpkin patch pop-up that is strewn with string lights and adorned with inflatable slides. The two haunts beckon fright seekers beyond the bright lights who are looking to do more than carve a pumpkin. Here we have two fully realized walkthroughs that are both very different from one another and equally impressive.
PRISM Haunted House
We are given the opening speech. A virus has escaped from the lab and we are tasked with traversing the lab to find the antigen and get it to a dispersal unit to save mankind. After a quick photo op and a meeting with a hilariously sarcastic officer, we are sent on our mission. Through a tangle of hallways, monsters and green ooze we make every attempt to survive and save mankind.
My first props must go to the cast whose energy sold the haunt. I believed that I had a mission to carry out. I also believed that the creatures after me were out for blood. Just way too much fun. Ultimately though this was Fefferman’s labor of love and it is a noteworthy experience that deserves consideration.
HAUNTINGTON BEACH MANOR
We enter the experience and are shown the havoc that the troublesome ghost is causing amidst an investigation. We wander from the front office to the back office to the observation room to the containment unit. We even end up in the recesses of the orphanage and, dare I say, a sewer. You could call this a haunt Hodge podge in the last third of the experience, but at that point, you will be having too much fun to care.
What really stand out here are the performers and the mechanical effects. While fellow investigators scream and toil in hopes of capturing a ghost, we breeze through scenes of paranormal activity and creepy monsters. Do we make it out alive? You will just have to go and see.
Honestly, the level of creativity and enthusiasm at Hauntington Beach was fabulously entertaining, giving us hope for future haunts.
Make sure to hit PRISM Haunted House and Hauntington Beach Manor for 2022. This is one of those hidden gems that you will be kicking yourself for missing come November 1st. This is playful, scary fun that taps into the true spirit of indie haunts. Just GO already.
