Review: Hallows Eve Inc. Presents Deadwater State Penitentiary 2021

We first visited this walk-through attraction last Halloween, and it left left an impression on us. It was not because they were one of the few mazes that were operational in a unique year; it was strictly because they exceeded expectations by building a pro haunt at a private residence (they had lost their intended location at the last second, so they had to improvise and build at home).

Fast forward to Halloween 2021, and they were able to present their haunt as they originally intended.

Hallows Eve Inc. Presents Deadwater State Penitentiary Review: Scare Zone

Moving to Launch Pointe in Lake Elsinore, which is an RV camping destination, has afforded Hallows Eve Inc. a lot of empty space. The campground is clean with plenty of parking and a restaurant/bar on-site. After you park, you can  follow the screams which will lead you to the haunt. As we approached, we noticed scare actors disturbing guests in the giant plot of land before the haunt – including Mr. Giggles, who used to bother guests at the queue line at The Fleshyard. These actors are free roaming and you really cannot avoid them. At 7:00 PM, they do an opening Scaremonies – a new thing for them – which is when the monsters get unleashed!

Hallows Eve Inc. Presents Deadwater State Penitentiary Review:  Maze

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The walk-through featured a large and impressive build of a prison with high walls. Something about this empty plot of land and a penitentiary surrounded by nothing but dirt made this very organic. From afar, you might have sworn that it was indeed a real prison if you didn’t know better. As we approached the entrance, we noticed a watch tower that looked like it was built from scratch. Once we entered, we were “booked” into the system. We had to get our mugshot taken as we stood against a white wall with our height measurements. Afterward, we were taken to a room where we had to be “searched” while our hands were on the wall. You could already tell that this maze was action packed from the get go.  

We then got escorted into an “elevator” with an Officer making small talk and making fun of us for being incarcerated. The hellevator breaks and then takes a plunge into the basement floor or maybe it is Hell. Next, we were rushed to the cell block so they could place us in our cell. On the way, we encountered very unsavory inmates. Everyone seemed crazy and hostile, almost as if it was an insane asylum. An officer continued to move us forward, and eventually we ended up in a cell with the one and only Michael Myers. Somehow, he spared us and even helped us escape only for us to get caught and be put into another cell across the way. We shared a cell with some crazy inmate who just kept on circling us as if we were prey. We then got moved again, and this time we were taken to an area that was not there before. It turned out they had utilized the moving wall effect to block off a path earlier; we did not see this trick coming since there were so many walls, cells and corridors that seemed infinite. They even built a gas chamber which we somehow survived! We then got left alone to explore the rest of the penitentiary, and we continued to receive jump-scares from inmates locked in their cells. There was also a medical ward where the patients, having completely lost their minds, started ganging up on us new fish. We had to book it and escaped into the yard.

Hallows Eve Inc. Presents Deadwater State Penitentiary Review:  Conclusion

This was a jam-packed attraction overall. Starting from the very beginning with the photo session, the maze was action-packed, with frights that seemed to never end. If there was a prison or penitentiary from hell, this would be it. The talent was great, and there didn’t seem to be any shortage of it here. There were so many scares that were unexpected such as the plunging elevator, Michael Myers, the gas chamber, the moving walls and more. Deadwater State Penitentiary is a must-see if you are headed to the Temescal Valley and Lake Elsinore area.