Off-Season Spooky: The 3 Hottest Tickets in Town

Winter can be hard on the Halloween fan, what with the spooky season in your rear view and the year's endless months sprawling before you, with hundreds of days until October once more dawns black and orange, heralding the return of the Best Time of the Year.

And that's to say nothing of spring, with its sunshine and flowers and bunnies. I mean, pastels? THE HORROR!

But despair not, gentle creeps. Here are three off-season spooky events taking place this spring in Los Angeles:

Surely you remember my recent review of Delusion: The Blue Blade. Again, this is not a haunt, and it's not exactly horror, but there are some creepy moments, and some killer set pieces, and I firmly believe that if you're the kind of person who spends March wishing it could be October, you'll enjoy yourself.

Tickets available now through March 17, 2019.

Another immersive theater experience making a triumphant return this spring is The Willows - you can read my thoughts about the 2017 production here. 

Tickets are on sale now for showtimes through the end of March, with more tickets to be released for later shows. 

Finally, Reign of Terror in Thousand Oaks is putting on a special one-night only event on Saturday, March 9, 2019 from 7-11 PM, but unlike the aforementioned productions, this is a proper haunted house. From the RoT social media:

ALL your FAVORITE features, and creatures, await your Springtime visit to Reign of Terror Haunted House's SPECIAL EVENT on March 9, 2019! Including the expanded underground 'slime bog' inside Miner's Revenge, the outcasts inhabiting the 'Inbred' attraction, the 'White-Out Experience' inside our Fun House, plus all the outlandish occupants, sights, sounds and scents that make ROT the most fiendishly fun you can have in a Haunt!

Tickets are available now on their website, with  proceeds benefiting various animal rescue groups. If you've never been to Reign of Terror, it really must be seen to be believed, and what better time to go than right in the middle of the off-season?

Enjoy!

Haunt Preview: Reign of Terror (RoT) in Thousand Oaks

It seems like every Halloween season there is one haunt that really surprises me with its utter awesomeness. A few years ago, it was Halloween Horror Nights at Universal. I hadn't been since I was a kid and I wasn't expecting the pure, unadulterated terror - of course, I now know that HHN is the gold standard when it comes to L.A. area haunted attractions. Last year, it was the L.A. Haunted Hayride. And this year, the honor goes to the Reign of Terror Haunted House in Thousand Oaks.



I've heard amazing things about this haunt, and was particularly intrigued by the fact that the RoT actually started out as an amateur yard haunt at owner Bruce Stanton's house. A couple of years ago, Bruce partnered with the city, and the RoT Haunted House is now presented in conjunction with the city of Thousand Oaks. The haunt runs on volunteer labor and, after costs have been covered, the proceeds from ticket sales go to local community groups.

This year, the Reign of Terror will take place in the Janss Marketplace, a rather nondescript suburban strip mall. As I parked, I wondered if this haunt was all that it was cracked up to be - but the moment we set foot inside, I was blown away.




The decor and attention to detail at the Reign of Terror are absolutely amazing - second to none, and I'm including Universal in this equation. Bruce and his team of volunteers have crammed every inch of the 6,000-square-foot maze with vintage furniture and old medical equipment, lovingly constructed set pieces and animatronic creatures, lighting and sound effects and more. Keep in mind that the RoT was still under construction when I visited, and that it was the middle of the day and there were no monsters in the maze - just a few workers eating their lunch and discussing plans - and yet it was still terrifying! I'm not kidding when I say that, on our little self-guided, lights-on tour, there were a few rooms that I actually hesitated to enter.




This year, the RoT actually features two mazes: The haunted house, and a subsequent visit to an insane asylum. Both feel exceptionally long and claustrophobic - qualities that any haunted house aficionado will tell you are essential when it comes to setting the mood for terror. But, as I said, the real beauty of this attraction lies in the impeccable detail work. You can tell that the team behind the Reign of Terror are committed to giving guests the best - i.e., scariest - experience possible, and that they will stop at nothing to make sure every last gruesome element is in its place.





Despite the fact that I haven't yet experienced the maze with all of its lighting, sound effects and actors in place, I'm still giving the Reign of Terror my highest recommendation. It's worth the drive to Thousand Oaks from L.A. proper - you will not be disappointed.



The RoT Haunted House is located at 197 N. Moorpark Rd. in Thousand Oaks, on the second floor of the Janss Marketplace (above Gold's Gym). It will be open for 9 nights in October: 15-16, 22-24 and 28-31. General admission is $13, and front of the line passes are $20. For $3 off the price of admission for everyone in your group, become a fan of the Reign of Terror on Facebook and print out this coupon.