AV Haunted House 2018: A Halloween Hell House

Depending when and where you grew up, you may be familiar with the concept of the Hell House – a sub-genre of haunted attraction with a religious twist. AV Haunted House in Antelope Valley leaves out the more political themes of yesteryear but still uses a combination of jump scares and Christian allegory to frighten and convert.

Whether this is one of the best or worst haunts for you may depend on whether you have nostalgia for Hell Houses. If you’ve never been to one, you might find the religious sales pitch annoying, and if you hate them, you may want to skip this one all together. But if you enjoyed them as a child, whether sincerely or ironically, this haunt may be fun for you.

In groups of up to 15 people, you’re taken through a series of vignettes, which tell the story of a woman who wants to kill Michael Myers, from the Halloween movie franchise. (apparently unconcerned with copyright infringement). After a short video presentation to get everyone up to speed, the first scene flashes back to Myers’ childhood with a nun, apparently the night the demons started haunting him. In the next room the masked Myers appears and kills a homeowner, only to be shot in the chest by the woman who intends to stop him once and for all. Of course, after she leaves the room confident in her victory, Myers gets back up. You then enter a hallway where Myers’ demons scream at you, leading to the final room, where Myers is tormented by demons. The woman appears again; instead of attacking him with weapons, she attacks him with prayers, which banishes the demons, and Myers is saved, no longer a bloodthirsty killer.

The haunt runs about ten minutes, and is followed by about four minutes of preaching and offers to join their church and/or have them pray for you. Then you are offered free cookies and punch on the way out.

It’s difficult to give this haunt an objective rating. If you don’t appreciate the religious content, you might hate this one. If you are nostalgic for the awkward, even cringy fusion of Halloween and evangelism, then this one might make you feel like a kid again. Decide for yourself whether it’s right for you.

For more information, visit the AV Haunted House’s website.