Realm of Shadow Home Haunt

Halloween 2024: This year’s theme is “Labyrinth of Lost Souls,” which was previewed at this year’s Midsummer Scream (it was good!).

Dates & Hours: October 25-27, 31, 7-11pm.

Location: Trinity Christian School – 11507 Studebaker Road, Norwalk, CA 90650

Website: realmofshadow.com

Quick Take: Realm of Shadow dispenses with the usual yard haunt themes – haunted houses, asylums, and killer clowns – in favor of an epic tour of an ancient temple. Great exterior and interior settings blur the distinction between amateur Halloween Home Haunts and professional Halloween Mazes and Rides.

Realm of Shadow Overview

Haunting since 2018, The Realm of Shadow has expanded from a graveyard lawn display to a lengthy maze which continues to grow every Halloween. Taking up the driveway and most of the front yard, the walk-through eschews gore and typical themes in favor of something more imaginative: an ancient Amazonian temple. The back story of The Temple of the Fallen God is that an archeologist discovered the lost ruin in the 19th century before going mad; now his grandson has rediscovered the map and is luring victims inside with promises of treasure but really to make them slaves of the fallen god, Diabolki.

The eye-opening facade tells you immediately that you’re in for something more than the usual haunted clown asylum, and the interior does a good job of simulating stone walls festooned with vines, skeletons, and artifacts. The convincing environment sets the stage for several jump-scares: a giant spider, a mummy who springs to live, and previous explorers who have fallen victim to Diabolki. Just remember: if you encounter the Fallen God, avoid staring directly into his eyes, lest you, too, become trapped forever within his temple.

After going on hiatus during the 2020 pandemic, Realm of Shadow resumed operation for Halloween 2021 and 2022 at a new location, Trinity Christian School