Chambers of Edgar Allan Poe

Out of all the downtown haunted houses this is the WORST! Do NOT waste your money on this one folks, you basically pay to walk through a house with tons of stairs and weird hallways that have no scares or interesting effects I was seriously under whelmed.
The most boring haunted attraction I’ve ever attended, the house also seemed severely under staffed and is definitely NOT worth your cost of admission. Don’t waste your time with this one!

There is a reason this attraction costs less than the others… it’s more of a dark maze than a haunted house. Not really scary at all. Not very many ghouls roaming around. A good beginner’s house, is how I’d describe it.
It’s fact, that the original owner of «Poe’s Chambers» died in the elevator shaft while doing general maintenance on it. It’s also fact, that the coffins used in the «coffin room» are real, once-​had-​someone-​buried-​in-​them, coffins. They should really capitalize on those two facts to enhance the creepiness of this haunted attraction. They do not even mention it, to my knowledge.
Furthermore, something that could be done to enhance the scare factor, is to explain the Poe stories a bit better. Develop the plot. Signs on the wall, a running commentary. A pamphlet they hand out to people in line… I realize the point is to move people through, but there has to be a way to tell the stories better. Maybe a recommendation on the website to read Poe’s stories. I haven’t read anything by Poe since high school, some 15 year ago. The props in the rooms, although well done, were lacking in any explanation and would have held more «punch» if there had been some instilled fear behind them. Some understanding. I heard people in line talking about the Tell-​Tale Heart — they didn’t even know the name of the story or any of the details, except something about being buried alive. And, without knowing that, or understanding what you’re experiencing afterward in the house — what is there to really be scared of? It’s just a maze with some eerie scenes thrown in, a lot of flashing lights and some obstacles to crawl through, but definitely lacking in the spook factor.
So, if it’s your first time ever experiencing a haunted house, read some Poe stories and then go. Enjoy this and build up to the real thing, a few blocks down and around the corner. If you’ve already been to the «granddaddy of them all», do not waste your money here. You’ll be unimpressed, I fear.