Tucked away in a large warehouse located in Brea, CA the Sinister Pointe crew has made a new home for themselves in the Southern California haunted attractions community. You may recall their work from last year’s Queen Mary Dark Harbor, the Diner of the Dead, and even the Silent Hill Haunted Attraction from a few years ago. In fact, the Sinister Pointe crew has been in the haunted house business for about 14 years! This year, they present to us a macabre look at a house occupied by all manner of inbred folk who just can’t wait to sink their teeth and claws into you.
Sinister Pointe’s talent did a great job of committing to their roles and got a lot of good scares in the group I traveled with. There was a good mix of makeup and mask characters to keep their looks interesting and fresh – from overall-clad farmers to creepy “little girls”. Also of note is that the Sinister Pointe crew has pushed the envelope in their attraction with a couple of great gimmicks that this reporter has not seen in a haunted house before. One of these unique gimmicks was so cool, one of our party members asked that it be reset just to get another look at it in action. The overall design of the maze was well-detailed and the interior facade of the creepy old house guests walk into is a real work of art. The thing appears to be a life-size facade and the quality is very apparent.
Sinister Pointe is known for being somewhat interactive in its haunted maze experience and this year is no different. Throughout the experience, groups will be able to experience different routes based upon which fork in the road they choose to travel. Additionally, there are group challenges to be had where going forward in the haunted maze is entirely in their trembling hands. This added immersion of participating in the experience is welcome, and something that not many attractions are doing at the moment. On the audio front, local musician Jon Autopsy strikes again (he also scored The Empty Grave and the Winchester Mystery House this season) with a moody score full of creepy tones, shrieks, and creaks.
Ticket pricing for Sinister Pointe is very reasonable, with the bare bones (no pun intended) admission only costing $15 dollars. You can also get multi-entry passes as well as front of the line admissions as well for additional cost. The value is high, as the overall maze experience takes quite a while to get through. The queue line is somewhat lengthy, mainly because they only let small groups in at a time to allow for maximum effect of the gimmicks, characters, and decor. While some might be irritated by the increased line-waiting, trust us: It is worth it.
Jeff Schiefelbein, mastermind of the Sinister Pointe crew, told us that their plan is to keep the large facility open year-round, renting space out to various events like weddings, corporate parties, makeup demonstrations, and a lot more. Additionally, they are planning to do a whole set of seasonal haunted events, beginning this holiday season with a Christmas-themed maze (think killer Santas and more)! We at GamingShogun loved this haunted attraction and hope you guys get a chance to check it out.
You can find ticket info, dates, and more over at the official Sinister Pointe Website.
