Haunt season is here, and we caught up with Gage and Justin, the duo behind Is It Scary Wisconsin, to get an inside look at the state’s top haunted attractions. Known for their critical reviews and no-nonsense approach, Gage and Justin have spent years exploring some of Wisconsin’s scariest haunts.
Here’s your Wisconsin haunted house survival guide, straight from the experts, with tips on what to expect and how to make the most of your experience.
Can you tell us a bit about your origins? How did you come together to start visiting and reviewing haunted attractions in Wisconsin?
Gage: Believe it or not, Justin and I were two people who were terrified of haunted houses before we made our channel. I remember being 12 or 13 years old, hiding in my mother’s jacket when we went through Green Bay Fear. Terrified to even look at any of the actors! Back around 2017, he and I had a gaming YouTube channel where we reviewed and played video games. One day, we decided to grab a couple of friends and check out a local haunt. We were shaking in our boots underneath our “I’M NOT SCARED” testosterone-induced bravado. After we survived the haunted house together, we found out, “Hey… we actually enjoyed this!” On our way home, we realized there wasn’t really a good local review team, so we decided to use our experience reviewing games and apply it to haunts. Thus, “Is It Scary Wisconsin” was born in 2018. There was really nobody else doing it in a more critical light, and we figured it could bring out the best in the haunts. There were way too many interviews promoting haunts and nobody actually critically discussing them. We wanted to change that.
What is it about haunted attractions that draws you in every Halloween season? Is there a particular thrill or experience that keeps you coming back year after year?
Gage: What keeps me coming back to haunted houses is, hands down, the actor interactions. I love seeing the different characters these actors play, or even characters they keep throughout the years and watch them become more developed. For example, Ethel from Burial Chamber, Skitz from Green Bay Fear, and Jax from Revenge, among many others across the state.
Justin: Gage keeps me coming back every year. We have a lot of fun together, and it’s been a really awesome project to work on. Also, actually seeing my input make a difference has hooked me as well. Creativity is huge for me, and I love seeing all of the different ways haunt owners execute this.
When you visit a haunted attraction, what specific criteria do you use to rate and review it? Are there certain elements that are must-haves for a top rating?
Gage: It’s interesting. When we started, our reviews were mostly just really strictly opinions with nothing else really to base it on. Fast forward to almost ten years later, and we find ourselves answering a list of questions and looking for “unique points of interest” in each haunt, as well as exceptional actors and set pieces. We try to let most of the reviews now be what we call “common sense” haunt points, with only about 20% of each review being based on our opinions. We have a more in-depth breakdown on the linked YouTube video.
Of all the haunted attractions you’ve visited in Wisconsin, which one stands out as your absolute favorite?
Gage: It’s hard to say what haunt is my top haunt, so I will have to go with the haunt I chose last year, and that will have to be Realm of Darkness.
Justin: Realm of Darkness, hands down.
Can you share any particularly chilling or unforgettable moments you’ve experienced while visiting these attractions? Any stories that have stuck with you?
Gage: I would have to say the most hair-standing, goose-bumping, teeth-clattering moment would have to be two instances—both at Revenge Haunt. I went through both times alone in separate years. One room was a spider room, and the creativity was off the charts with this one! The room was a solid “U”-shaped hallway, decorated with various spider props. Once you hit the connecting part of the “U,” you were squeezed in the tight, conjoining passage. Along that passage, long fake spider arms reached out and gently closed on your abdomen. That moment, I was speechless.
The other event at Revenge the following year was a lot more simple. I was going down a hallway, again alone. Long streamers were strung about the hallway. I thought I was alone as I approached the end of the hall. However, out of the corner of my eye, an actor silently and slowly moved into my peripheral sight, and I quickly turned my head to see him face to face. He didn’t say ANYTHING! Just stared at me for a brief moment, inches from my face, and then ran away. I believe the actor was Happy.
Justin: It was Revenge, one of the first times I ever went through. We couldn’t find the exit door, and the owner rushed us in a dim hallway with a revving chainsaw. This was one of the coolest scares I’ve ever gotten.
How do you balance the fun and entertainment of these attractions with the genuine fear and suspense they aim to create? Do you ever find yourselves truly scared?
Gage: Personally, I don’t really get “truly scared.” And that’s not me being a cringe grown man that has to obnoxiously let everyone know, “I’m not scared,” like the multiple haunt-goers whose ego is bigger than the Great Lakes. I do get scared, like the question I answered above, along with a few good jumps I get throughout each year. I just find interacting with the many actors and the potential “Stop and talk to me” room events very engaging and fun. It’s kind of like a sadistic Disneyland where instead of Cinderella, it’s a deranged hillbilly with his belly button sticking out named Dale. The actors don’t break character and engage with you in a magnitude of ways, no matter how you talk to them. (Of course, appropriately, as many haunt-goers are extremely rude to actors, and it’s disappointing from a humanity aspect.)
Justin: There are so many movies that play on the idea of a “real” experience at a haunted house that it at times seems overdone. Yet, there is a sense of genuine terror knowing there could be someone or something around the next corner that doesn’t actually belong there.
What trends or changes have you noticed in the haunt scene over the years? Are there any new innovations or themes that have caught your attention?
Gage: New trends I’ve noticed include the integration of what we like to call “Interactive Scares.” Interactive scares can range from customer-initiated scares to optical illusions. Think along the lines of: “If I press this button, a loud noise plays,” or “This hallway looks like a dead end but leads forward through air bags,” or spinning tunnels. To keep it short, it’s something that ISN’T always an actor or animatronic jumping out or a laser-tripped air jet/sound.
For those who are new to visiting haunted attractions, what advice would you give to make the most out of their experience? Any tips for handling the scares?
Gage: This is a fun question. My advice to new goers is: you’re gonna get scared, and that’s their job. You should not be touched (unless the haunt guidelines differ like Spooks on Spurr). Once you get that first scare in, it’ll all be downhill from there, and you’ll enjoy the ride.
I do want to make a short list for potential haunt-goers from feedback I get from actors and staff. If anything below may upset you, DO NOT GO TO HAUNTED HOUSES!
Do not be mad if they scare your kid, do not touch or HIT actors, do not go if your first instinct is to swing when scared, do not go DRUNK (Drink Wisconsinbly), do not verbally harass actors (being scared ISN’T an excuse), do not attempt to scare actors, and last but not least… Just because an actor you think is attractive is entertaining to you… doesn’t mean they are attracted to you! It’s their job! (It’s sad how often this happens. I heard many stories….)
Justin: I agree with everything Gage said. Also, set aside a Haunt budget every year. On average, our year’s worth of haunts costs us between $350 and $500 each. Be prepared with cash in hand and respect the workers therein.
Have fun, stop taking everything so seriously—you’ll never make it out alive anyway.
Thanks to Gage and Justin for sharing their insights into Wisconsin’s haunted attractions. Be sure to follow their adventures and detailed reviews by checking out Is It Scary Wisconsin on Instagram and YouTube, and stay up to date with their latest scares throughout the haunt season!
