13th Hour Amusement - "The House of Nightmares", "The Attic", and "The Darkside"

LOCATION:  Wharton, New Jersey, USA

Photo above is property of 13th Hour Amusement

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Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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📝  ETR DECODER

• 🎭 EXPERIENCE: "The House of Nightmares", "The Attic", "The Darkside"

• 📅 DATE VISITED: October 19, 2025

• 🎬 GENRE: Immersive

• 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 5 ppl): N/A

• 👥 TOTAL # OF PEOPLE: Up to 25 ppl

• 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: Approx. 10 Mins. (Once inside the maze)

• 💰 PRICE: Standard: $50.00/ pp, (all 3 haunted houses), VIP: $70.00/ pp (all 3 haunted houses)

• ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public (You will enter with your group)

• 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: N/A

🎭 THE EXPERIENCE

13th Hour offers the most entertaining and unique events in the country. They present three Haunted House attractions: "The House of Nightmares," "The Attic," and "The Darkside," all equipped with special effects and movie-quality sets. Additionally, they offer nine award-winning 60-minute Escape Rooms and the Haunted Hatchets attraction! Your journey will begin in "The House of Nightmares", Hayden's family home that has been damaged in a massive storm that only serves to reveal the hidden evil that’s hiding within. Next, you will ascend into "The Attic" of the house where additional terrors await you. Lastly, a separate ticket will immerse you into "The Darkside", where their newest experience will plunge you into total darkness.

1. The House of Nightmares (included in Two Floors of Fear) - Explore the Hayden's farmhouse, infamously known as the "Haunted ScareHouse," where live actors and animatronics are stealthily concealed in every corner.

2. The Attic (included in Two Floors of Fear) - Who can say what secrets the attic holds? Your deepest fears materialize at every corner.

3. The Darkside - their newest and darkest experience. Navigate through the pitch dark with live actors and animatronics for their deepest darkest haunted house.

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📖 THE STORY

You and your group of friends step into a time machine that takes you back to the 1970s, an era when the Haydens, the most terrifying family in Wharton's history, instilled fear and dread in everyone who saw them, approached them, or even mentioned them. As the doors unlock, you are plunged into the Hayden's farmhouse, the "Haunted Scarehouse," which has been mercilessly ripped apart by the fierce storm, leaving it in a state of irreversible ruin. As you continue your investigation, you uncover a real-life nightmare beyond human comprehension...

Photo above is property of 13th Hour Amusement

🎯  HIT THE BULLSEYE

• Storyline: Having experienced all of 13th Hour's escape rooms, we were well-acquainted with the Hayden's backstory. We've always appreciated the level of detail that is incorporated into their history.

• Atmosphere: All three experiences concentrated on crafting an immersive and unsettling environment throughout. The theming is seamlessly integrated into every part of the experience, from the dim lighting and loud sounds to the characters you encounter along the way.

• Actors: Speaking of characters, the actors were extremely energetic and fully committed to their roles throughout. For the most part, this family of unhinged individuals resides in the main level of the house, as opposed to the Attic, however there are definitely many of them, and they generally seem to be all over the place! They often employ loud jump scares, yet they also relish interacting with you and tormenting you through their dialogue, all while delivering a stellar performance.

• Set design: Alongside crafting a captivating storyline, 13th Hour truly shines when it comes to set designs. There were numerous "wow" moments of awe and fear, primarily because of the ingenious use of hidden spots incorporated into the design. They consistently provide movie set quality to help immerse you and bring a nightmare to life.

• Special effects: Immediately, the time machine plunges you into a cutting-edge experience. This journey into the past is brimming with special effects, including moving floors, advanced animatronics, a range of strobe lights and frightening sounds. All elements were skillfully integrated and utilized efficiently.

• Varying intensity: Each experience ("The House of Nightmares", "The Attic", and "The Darkside"), challenges you to muster up the courage to face common fears.

  • "The House of Nightmares" - in addition to the live actors, jump-scares were delivered in various unique ways, such as through animatronics, loud noises, powerful winds, and overhead projections, among others.

  • "The Attic" - a carnival theme played a significant role in this area, featuring numerous clowns and realistic animatronics.

  • "The Darkside" - takes you to a completely dark realm where the unexpected awaits.

• Psychological elements: We really appreciated the creative elements that cleverly played on common fears. Those moments really stood out to us.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

• Honestly, we had a thoroughly enjoyable experience from the moment we parked our car until the time we left the lot. The only thing I wish that could've been added was a puzzle to solve, but they have (6) escape rooms dedicated to the Haydens already so I completely understand lol.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

13th Hour Haunted House and Escape Rooms is regarded as one of the top haunted attractions in the country, and they certainly uphold that reputation. This two-story haunted house, previously called the Haunted ScareHouse, presents three unique perspectives on the terrifying Hayden family.

13th Hour also provides (9) escape rooms (with a 10th on the way) that have been acclaimed as some of the most immersive and original nationwide, (6) of which are dedicated to the Haydens (see below), with each one depicting the rooms in the Hayden house prior to the destructive storm.

We strongly recommend adding 13th Hour to your bucket list of "must-visit" attractions, whether you're a horror enthusiast or not! Rain or shine, 13th Hour has got you "covered"! All attractions are indoors and giant tents are set up for waiting areas outside.

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

👋  CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Location of the venue is easy to find.

• Parking lot attendants are easy to spot and provide clear directions on where to park.

• All attractions are indoors and giant tents are set up for waiting areas outside.

• The lines were well organized and ran smoothly with both a standard pass and a fast pass option.

• They have security on staff every single night. Their team includes police officers (retired and off duty) and licensed security guards.

• The portable toilets were operational.

• The staff that we encountered were helpful, friendly, and personable throughout.

• All the actors were professional and gave a stellar performance.

• As media/ press guests, we were treated with respect by the staff, who were fully aware of my permission to take photos and film.

ℹ️  ADDITIONAL INFO

• Parking lot available

• Because of COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no interaction with the actors or other staff members.

• They advise against wearing anything you wouldn't want to risk tearing. You'll be navigating dark, confined areas and are accountable for any damage to your attire. Avoid flip-flops, loose clothing, or high heels.

• No cameras, flash, or live-streaming inside attractions. Photos/videos allowed outside only.

• Stay on marked paths and keep moving forward.

• Food and drinks are available on site for purchase.

• Event includes stairs, darkness, strobe lights, fog, loud sounds, moving floors, and other physically demanding features.

• They reserve the right to deny entry to anyone who is under the influence at any time. To ensure your safety and provide the best experience possible, certain rules must be followed.

• In addition to the (3) haunted houses, 13th Hour also offers escape rooms and hatchet throwing!

• Restrooms are available

Photos above are property of 13th Hour Amusement

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Note: This is a limited run. The last day to book is November 1, 2025

BOOK NOW

(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure:  We thank 13th Hour Amusement for comping our tickets for this experience. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.

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