Eloise Asylum 2022
In Southeastern Michigan, one location has become a local legend for generations. This is the Eloise Asylum, whispered about for years as being a truly haunted location, due to the trauma and death experienced by inmates of the asylum. As with any local legend, rumors grew of what happened to the patients confined to the building, as well as what scared out those who dared to venture into the abandoned buildings that had been left to decay after the closure of the Asylum. For years, the Asylum stood still, a silent reminder of what used to be, continuing to be discussed in school hallways and around bonfires in the days leading to Halloween. However, last year the doors to the Asylum reopened, bringing to life a new haunted attraction that in only its sophomore year is already among the best haunts in the state, if not the country.
The first haunted attraction you step into is the Eloise Asylum, walking up the stairways to the imposing structure, silently waiting on the landing to be beckoned inside and to begin your long tour of the interior. Long is the right term for this attraction, lasting roughly a half hour to walk through. This is not a house just trying to stretch out its length to make it feel like it is worth the money. On the contrary, the house packs the entirety of the layout with actors, special effects and animatronics. The set design for this attraction is astounding, with sets being combined with actual old remnants of the asylum seamlessly. Lighting is used wonderfully throughout, leaving almost no dark corridors in the entire attraction, instead using the lights to create the perfect mood in a scene. In multiple scenes you can look into the background and see scenes that are coming later or ones you passed through earlier, making the building feel grand in scale as well as making everything feel connected. Props and animatronics are used to accentuate scenes, not just being used to be the main focus. They are used to create tension and cause misdirection, at times creating a feeling of dread. An example of this is a morgue scene that doesn't even feature any actors, but the open shelving units which features realistic dummies and dimmed lighting causes guests to fear that they will be jumped at any moment. This is a real possibility in this house, as this is a location where actors have full reign to touch guests. This added touch adds to an already high level of intensity, as the actors portray madmen or demented doctors perfectly. Everyone has their own approach to getting scares, whether it be grabbing your ankles from below, to creepily stalking their victims from behind, whispering threats into their ears. The pure chaos of the actors is some of the best work I've seen in awhile, and they must be commended for getting an unbelievable amount of scares. Credit must go to the house design as well, as groups are pulsed in numbers of around 1, but the house is designed so everyone can get scares, not just the front or back. A trip through this house starts to make you feel like you have gone mad, especially with scenes like padded rooms that are all leaning in different directions, leading you to feel completely off balance. I do not want to describe too much of this house, because this is one that should be experienced if you ever get the chance. This one is already a classic.
Eloise Asylum- 10 / 10
The second attraction is Sublevel 1- Nankin Project, beckoning guests into the basement of the building. Over the years I have done many haunted attractions that cover the theme of scientific experiments, usually involving some form of DNA splicing, gone horribly wrong. Well, this is another house that follows that basic theme, and does it in the best fashion I have seen yet. The story line for this attraction is impressive, starting with some small clues on what has happened in the experiment, before going head first into the disaster that the scientists have created, before heading into the belly of the beast, the nesting area of the creatures that have come out of these experiments. The story told is on the level of something you would see at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. The sets are once again extravagant and help to make the story feel real. From destroyed labs to areas being flooded due to burst pipes, it is easy to get lost in the plot and become truly invested. The actors in here bring the intensity just like the ones upstairs. Touching is again on the menu, and they make sure to take advantage of it. The only drawback of this house is that it is louder than the previous attraction in spots, making it harder to hear the actors, making the level of interaction found in the upper floors not as achievable in the basement. Still, this slight flaw doesn't detract much from the onslaught of scares that get delivered. By the way, if you are sensitive to loud noises, be prepared for a Tesla coil room that may be the loudest I've ever heard in a haunt.
Sublevel 1- 9.5/ 10
Eloise Asylum is only in its second year as a haunt, yet is easily already alongside the best houses in the state, if not the country. The future is bright for this one, as they are eager to keep improving on what is already an incredible experience. Eloise used to be known for the ghosts that supposedly roam its halls, as well as the many legends surrounding the building. If this haunted attraction continues to perform at this level, Eloise will soon be known nationwide for a different legacy, that of one of the premier haunts for scream seekers to visit from across the country. Plan a visit to this one if you can.
Overall- 10 / 10
