Fright Institute

We had a coupon from Groupon (or livingsocial? I can’t remember) which made it a really good deal. The line was crazy long and took about 45 minutes to get through. Once inside it was pretty creepy and well decorated. They make sure you have ample space between parties so that each employee has a chance to scare someone in your party. It was really fun and my boyfriend and I enjoyed it. It was kind of short, but we would go again next year if they offer the coupon again.

The actual location is in a retail space in a strip mall. And with that being considered, it isn’t really that much space. The maze is pretty short and takes less than 10 minutes.
We came late on a weekday night and there weren’t any other people. However, being completely desolate worked out in their favor and positively increased the scariness factor of the maze. There was no other groups to keep pace with and you never knew when someone (or something) was going to pop out at you. It definitely keeps you on your toes rounding every corner!

This haunted house is geared for kids and teens (I felt out of place standing in line), not for thrill seeking adults. Good for families.
It takes about 5 – 10 minutes (depending how fast you walk through it) to complete the one maze (they only have the one).
Keep your eye out for Groupons, Living Social Deals, etc as you can get discounts before you go.
Next year I will most likely go to something more exciting. In a pinch, and on a budget this is an okay place.

I’m not much for the horror genre. Who WANTS to get scared on purpose? That’s not my thing. I like to laugh. Screaming is for girls. The last time I screamed, I hit a kid in the face with a crescent kick in a tae kwon do tournament.
The Fright Institute is quickly becoming an institution in its own right. The scare factor is medium at best. You can take middle schoolers here without a second thought. There are 5 genuine scare exhibits that will get the faint of heart to faint. I don’t scare so easily so I just walked through the maze with my arms crossed, trying not to look bored.
But this isn’t a boring trip. It’s definitely worth the Groupon/​Living Social price ($ 6).
It’s for girls…

It usually takes me a couple of days to get my post in but I wouldn’t want to waste anytime in order to prevent one from wasting their money. I say that half seriously because the event is set up well and is a very safe and friendly environment. It’s great for teens and I’d even bring a pre-​teen if they were on the mature side. We had a Groupon which helped the ease sting but the couple that went with us paid out of pocket and it made for an awkward discussion at the end when someone asked, «Who liked it?»
As mentioned, the exhibits in the haunted house are done well but you don’t have the live character interaction. Blame the lawyers I guess but it is what it is (teens, elderly, pregnant women, and those with medical condition welcomed)…

We decided to check this place out after buying a Living Social deal there. There were not a lot of people there waiting to get in because it was still early, around 7:30 or so. We were pretty much able to just walk right in. The 1^st thing we noticed was all the cool props and set ups. You would never in a million years guess it looked that cool inside. You can tell they are still trying to figure things out and were kind of understaffed but that only added to the creepiness of it because you never knew when someone would jump out next. We were the only 2 in at that time so of course they scared the crap out of us. I screamed so loud my throat hurt the next day! And that my friends is a great haunted house in my book.

They told us we were literally the fastest guests they’ve ever had lol We practically jogged through there because we were scaredy cats. We will probably attempt to go again if we don’t go to Del Mar’s haunted hayride. We’d def recommend people go to Fright Institute.