If you are a Southern California haunted attraction-fan, you may remember last year’s The Haunted Cellar, located at the Anaheim Garden Walk outdoor mall complex in Anaheim, CA. This year the fine folks from The Haunted Cellar have returned with The Empty Grave haunted attraction.
Last year, The Haunted Cellar consisted of four theatrically-staged rooms – each with their own narrative followed by scary encounter. This year they have utilized the full indoor space of their rented suite, which equates to over 50,000 square feet – more than some attraction’s entire outdoor scare zones!
The talent inside the maze was very excited and one could tell they were really putting themselves into their assorted characters. From grave diggers to creepy little girls, I could not get one to break character in the least. Even more interesting is that this very dedicated group of guys and gals is made up, mostly, of high school students volunteering their time to make the event successful.
The biggest issue I had with The Empty Grave was its use of open space within the attraction. At first, you are just overtaken by its sheer size and potential, then as you progress onwards you begin to feel that some of the space was not used as well as it could have been. Some areas which could have been utilized by additional props and scenery just feel bare. According to The Empty Grave’s creator, Mike Talarico, the original plan was for a much more detailed, complex layout, however the tricks he had up his sleeve were squelched by the city, which had to approve it prior to build.
The Anaheim Garden Walk is a beautiful, open mall complex housing a multitude of shops and eateries, making it a great setting to grab some food with your friends after experiencing the terror of The Empty Grave. There is even a gastro pub across the way which makes for a great after-scare pint.
Mike Talarico told us that, on a regular night, you can expect to see 25 to 30 monsters roaming the large indoor space as well as some outside in the Anaheim Garden Walk itself, scaring ‘innocent’ shoppers and beckoning people into the fun. Both Mike, and his wife, were very approachable and friendly – each oozing the kind of welcome enthusiasm you see in people doing what they love to do. The Empty Grave is definitely one to add to your ‘must-experience’ list for this Halloween season.
A ticket to The Empty Grave will cost a very reasonable $13 dollars and the event continues on various days throughout October and even on Sunday, November 1st. You can find more information on The Empty Grave, including full dates/directions, at the attraction’s official website.
*Also, for $3 dollars off the price of a ticket, bring in this flier.
