Haunted houses | Three experiences to laugh and be horrified

This weekend will be the last opportunity to trudge through the halls of the disturbing haunted houses set up for Halloween. Intriguing, disgusting or hilarious in their own way, here is a frenzied trio to varying degrees.

Sylvain Sarrazin
The Press

Horror level 1

La Ronde: a range of scarecrows

As of 5:30 p.m., a veil of mist descends on the Montreal amusement park. Deformed monsters invade the premises to terrify visitors (visiting the site is therefore not recommended for children under 12), who will certainly not find asylum in one of the three “fear zones”; open spaces overrun with death metal-addicted vampires, dripping ghouls and horned fiends. At the whim of the crowd, we also come across disturbing supernatural specimens wandering among the living.

The most courageous guests will launch an assault on the quartet of haunted houses, offering tours of about ten minutes each, on various themes. Our favorites: The diabolical circus, which can be visited using 3D glasses, offering an original and colorful experience, overshadowed by awkward clowns worthy of It. We also like La ferme maudite, an outdoor journey through barns plagued by nightmarish characters, in an atmosphere planted with smoke bombs. One can also cross the threshold of the more classic horror houses Nightmares and District 510, which plunge you into darkness and place you in front of sinister creatures emerging from the darkness, at the bend of a hallway or behind a string of creaking doors. In short, a nice skewer of thrills à la carte. Note that a general admission ticket is required, so better plan a visit to the amusement park rather than coming specifically for the haunted houses.

Access : you must have a general admission ticket (starting at $45, gives access to the park and the three “fear zones”) and additional tickets to visit the haunted houses ($10 per house, or 26 $ for all 4, limited tickets, sold on site). The houses are accessible from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, except La ferme maudite, which opens at 6 p.m. The fear zones also come alive from 6 p.m. Address: 22 Macdonald Road, Sainte-Hélène Island, Montreal.

Horror level 2

Night of Terror: Endless Nightmare

Welcome to the nightmare of Lili, an orphan child who chains the most terrifying dreams. Along this long course designed by Escaparium in Laval, expect to find yourself face to face with some forty monsters of all stripes, mainly embodied by well-prepared actors, but also a few automatons that will make you jump suddenly sure. We follow the story of the young girl haunted by her demons, in small groups, for a good thirty minutes, during which we visit a multitude of mini-worlds, contrasting and varied.

Mad scientists, crazy clowns, emaciated bodies: the classic panoply of horror films unfolds before your eyes in a deafening din. Some steps pour into the gore (the proverbial medical clinic where you come out in worse shape than when you enter it…), which makes it an experience reserved at least for informed teenagers – the organizer recommended a minimum age of 13, but the attraction’s website suggests age 16; in our opinion, the limit floats between these two levels.

The variety of decors and their beautiful stature have something to charm them. We also appreciate the fact that it is a single route, which means that visitors will only line up once. The small adventure also has a good length, since the hangar where it was built measures more than 15,000 ft.^⁠2. To speed up your heart rate, place yourself at the head of the group…

Access : admission at $39.99, VIP tickets (shorter wait) at $49.99, admission with theme dinner at $129.99. Open Saturday, Sunday and Monday (theme dinner Saturday and Sunday only). Address: 5545B, boulevard des Rossignols, in Laval.

Horror level 3

Malefycia: Amusing Malay

” It will be gore, it’s going to be trashy, it’s going to stink, there will be nudity ”: the organizer of the 6AME event of Malefycia had announced the color to us from the outset. He didn’t lie. Centered around a hip bar with DJ, four zones offer adults-only experiences, where you crawl through nauseating darkness, hunted down by malevolent lunatics uttering obscenities, placed in front of critters, caught up in gory rituals, stuck in in childish games rubbing shoulders with sadism (that of the hanged man is traumatic!). Unlike the usual houses where physical contact with monsters is prohibited, here you have to expect to be touched, jostled, pulled, soiled, sniffed, teased. Scantily clad women even administer (very light) corporal punishment, if you feel like it. In a nutshell: it’s not for the faint-hearted.

The sets and numerous sketches have been carefully crafted to plant this anxiety-provoking atmosphere, and it’s a hell of a success. It’s so excessive that we often go from uneasiness to laughter: we saw one of the participants unable to suppress a giggle while a crazy character painted herself with the guts of her victim.

In short, if you are looking for discomfort, you will find it here, where you really have to come as an informed visitor, but the offbeat masquerade remains entertaining as long as you keep in mind that it is only latex and fake blood. We do not wish it the same fate as the haunted house for adults recently canceled by the Village québécois d’antan in Drummondville which, in the eyes of some, had gone too far in the matter.

Access : a system of tokens allowing access to the various routes and the purchase of drinks at the bar has been introduced. Prices fluctuate between $66 and $120, depending on the number of tokens desired. Open October 29 and 30, as well as November 5, from 6 p.m. to midnight. Address: 6945 Park Avenue in Montreal.