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Writer's pictureChandler Clouser

Terror Labs - 2018 Review


Haunted Attraction Reviewed: Terror Labs

Location of Attraction: Coventry Mall Pottstown PA

Date of Review: Saturday October 27th 2018

Total Number of Attractions Available: ONE

Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 5/10

Entertainment and Food Rating: 3/10

Atmosphere Rating: 5/10

Overall Costume and Make Up Rating: 6/10

Overall Cast and Crew Rating: 6/10

Overall Props, Animatronics and Set Design Rating: 6/10

Overall Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 5/10

Overall Feedback: On a cool and dreary Saturday in late October our squad elected to brave the crummy weather to pay a visit to not one, not two, but THREE different haunted attractions! Our first stop of the night was Terror Labs, located inside the Coventry Mall in Pottstown PA. Terror Labs is about a 10 minute walk through which is why we elected to bunch the experience with two other local haunted attractions (Temple of Terror and Bridgeport Elks Lodge Haunt). Our squad arrived at the mall just a few minutes before 6pm, opening time for Terror Labs. We made a quick pit stop by the food court and an awesome horror enthusiast shop prior to arriving at the haunt itself. Unlike other haunts that are located within a mall guests must actually enter the mall itself to gain access to Terror Labs. Signage was posted outside to assist guests in locating the proper entry point. Once inside the Coventry Mall we had some minor troubles locating the haunt itself but some friendly locals pointed us in the right direction. Right at 6pm we entered the line for Terror Labs, we ended up being the first group entering the haunt that evening. For those that don’t know, Terror Labs donates a portion of their ticket sales to CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). So we figured why not check out a “new to us haunt” while also supporting CHOP at the same time! Once purchasing tickets the staff directed us to the doctors office waiting room. Just enough seating was available for all our members to kick back while we anxiously awaited the doctor. This waiting room resembled a doctors office waiting room perfectly and did a phenomenal job providing that anxious/uptight doctors office atmosphere. A brief comical video clip was played to layout the rules and then it was showtime! As we entered the first scene of the haunt Dr. Bones greeted us with a hair-raising startle as he popped out of nowhere! Dr. Bones provided an extremely interactive and top notch performance. His skit was perfect, featuring just enough creepy and comedy. We also can’t forget to mention his phenomenal improv skills. Dr. Bones gave us a forewarning on what kind of experiments we would be encountering and then wished us some much needed luck. Once departing Dr. Bones lab, we encountered a bit of everything on our journey. An experimental lab on animals, kitchen, toxic waste area, cadaver freezer and more! Although none of the actors put on performances anywhere near as good as Dr. Bones, they were still clearly passionate and enjoyed being a scare actor. The main issue with the actors encountered was lack of improv and lack of creativity in skits. Two things, that with a little tweaking, could easily make these actors of a much higher quality. Set design throughout the attraction was well done. Most of the sets featured detailed work and quality props/animatronics. Although some sets were just a bit bland and could use a little extra “pop/wow” factor. We absolutely loved how Terror Labs attacked all of our senses. As we entered the cadaver freezer we received a strong blast of cold air, making us truly feel as if we were in a walk in freezer. Then as we entered the kitchen we received a strong whiff of a quite raunchy smell, perfectly fitting for a scene featuring dirty dishes and bloody human body parts. In the toxic waste area we felt like we walked into a sauna as the warm air thawed us out. Towards the end of the haunt guests venture through a pitch black maze like section. Literally in the walls are speakers playing some downright eerie sounds making us feel as if the walls were really talking to us. This definitely was a bit creepy and made us an easy scare when we walked past a perfectly placed drop panel scare. Beware the gorilla; he caught us off guard and gave us quite the hair-raising scare! A few good pop scares were scattered throughout the attraction but besides that, there wasn’t much of a scare/thrill factor at Terror Labs. We were pleasantly surprised when we realized our Terror Labs experience was a solid 10 minutes. The facade of the haunt was quite deceiving, making us think we’d be in and out rather quickly. For being a newer haunted attraction in the industry and located in a mall, Terror Labs made the most of what they had and put forth a spooky fun experience! Although we wouldn’t recommend folks to drive too far to visit Terror Labs we definitely feel it’s worth a trip for the local community. At $15 a ticket Terror Labs is affordable, family friendly and benefits a great cause! If you’re in the Pottstown PA area and looking for a quick spooky fun addition to your evening then Terror Labs may just be what you’re looking for!


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