A PR maven pal of mine shared this news flash with me: Austin’s Own Ultra-Vivid Haunted House Attraction, House of Torment, presents Dark Stalkers: a Psychological Thrill for an Immersive Valentine’s Experience like No Other.
That’s right, if Valentine’s Day is as frightening to you as Halloween, or if you’d rather take your chances with creatures ripping out your heart instead of Love, Dark Stalkers might be just the thing for you.
WHERE: The Permanent Facility in the Northeast Corner of the Highland Mall
523 Highland Mall Blvd Austin, TX
512.407.9449
WHEN: 7 p.m. – midnight Friday, February 12 – Sunday, February 14 (a.k.a. Valentine’s Day Weekend)
TIX: $14 in advance at houseoftorment.com or $20 at the door
THE PRESS RELEASE
As an unparalleled Halloween destination recognized as the best by Fangoria.com, The Wall Street Journal, MSN, The Travel Channel, Austin American-Statesman, the Austin Chronicle, and more, the House of Torment produces an unsettling nightmarish thrill with Dark Stalkers this Valentine’s Day weekend.
The pitch-black walk-through attraction takes daring souls through a terrifying journey to find their way out of 20,000 square feet of total darkness with a single glow stick for each group. Daunting monsters equipped with night vision technology lurk in every dark corner to take guests through a mind-blowing psychological and emotional spiral as these characters of the shadows chase their unwelcomed visitors in endless circles and even steal their glow stick.
Even seasoned guests from previous years will face a formidable challenge escaping because creators have moved some walls and changed many spaces to disorient and heighten the thrill. Dark Stalkers has no preset paths or time limits and, for some, the nightmare can last over an hour.
Every night, groups can be tormented in utter darkness to melodies of different musical themes:
- Indie Rock on Friday
- 80s Classics on Saturday
- For the soft hearted, Love Anthems on Sunday
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- No one under the age of 14 will be admitted without a parent or guardian
- Guests will be required to sign a waiver before entering this event
- Due to the nature of this event capacity is strictly limited. Purchasing advance tickets is advised but not necessary.
- Unlike House of Torment’s Halloween-season attractions, they do not sell tickets in time slots for this event. Entry is based on a first come first serve basis and during peak hours waits can be long.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Something they state, but which particularly caught my eye (because I’m a big fat haunted house chicken) was that THERE’S ONLY ONE GLOW STICK PER GROUP! Not per person. Per group.
Why this caught my eye is because them Dark Stalker beasties “…chase their unwelcomed visitors in endless circles and even steal their glow stick.” (Again, note the singular!)
I’d be making sure whoever was the glow stick holder in my group had a firm grip on that sucker and was willing to fight a beastie to its death before they let that glow stick get stolen!
ABOUT THE HOUSE OF TORMENT
Named “one of America’s scariest Halloween attractions” by the Travel Channel, this 20,000 square foot facility is the only multi-level haunt in central Texas and boasts to produce the most gripping haunted house experiences imaginable year-round.
House of Torment’s immense popularity stems from the genuine and fervent obsession of its creators—a core team of four native Austinites who work on the attraction full time year-round. In its eighth year, the sixth at the Highland Mall site facility, the operation employs over 100 people during event production, including actors, front end and event grounds staff, stunt personnel, control room staff, and the iconic characters that greet guests and entertain them as they enter. All production of sets, costumes, make-up, and animatronics are done in-house at the central Austin site.
FOLLOW HOUSE OF TORMENT ON:
- MySpace
- Twitter: @HouseOfTorment
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
THis is an attraction for the true Valentine romantic. If only I lived in Austin 🙂
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Be still my beating heart….