Casa Creepy 2017 Review

Now in its second year, Casa Creepy’s annual Halloween haunt offers new tricks and treats for Halloween 2017.

The garden entrance displays grave markers and skeletons alongside the garden path.  A gypsy warns visitors that they may encounter ghosts and werewolves – a prediction that proves true when a werewolf appears inside a ticket booth. In an outdoor theater, the living dead enjoy a show – they are not pleased to be interrupted.  There are more scare actors this year, all dressed in Flapper-Gatsby styled clothing which matches the appearance of Casa Romantica.

Past the theater area, there is a skeletal phantom being led by a three-headed dog, which was used as a garden prop last year; the creative team puts it to great use this year. Behind the phantom, a Jack O’Lantern waves from afar. An animatronic spider jumps out from nowhere; there is a demonic angel with brimstones before him. Around the corner, a masked phantom stares, leaving bloody hand prints on the window.

Inside a building with hooded figures, a woman plays classical piano on a grand piano. Is this an opera house or a cult gathering? Farther along is a circle of witches engaged in some ritual around a giant pot filled with a mysterious witches’ brew. Next is an experimental lab, where Dr. Frankenstein and his Monster appear while you are distracted by what’s on the table. Out in the hallway, a painting drops while two phantom children stare, wondering why visitors have intruded into their domain.

In the final room can be seen a Medusa head, a raven, potion books, a crystal ball, three dolls on a swing, an angelic demon dressed in white, and a Gypsy/Psychic. Which lead to the inescapable conclusion that Casa Creepy is cursed.  Obviously something eerie and off-kilter was going on.

Overall Casa Creepy a great community haunt for residents of South Orange County. Adults can hang out in the main courtyard and enjoy music or a movie while indulging on refreshments and “Boos” (booze).  The haunt wasn’t as scary as the big Halloween Theme Parks; therefore, it can be an enjoyable family activity. There are a variety of scare actors and props that run the gamut of Halloween themes. Whether it’s witches, skeletons, werewolves, or phantoms, Casa Creepy has got you covered.

Parking can be tough if you don’t get there early, but there is public metered parking around the corner since Casa Creepy is located by the beach.

Casa Creepy Haunted House concludes on Halloween Night, with hours from 7pm to 9pm. The location is Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. The website is www.casaromantica.org.

Find more Halloween Home Haunts in A Halloween Haunts Master List.