Ripley's Haunted Adventure — Attraction in Gatlinburg

Very disappointed with this place, should’ve went to Mysterious Mansion instead

Arrived to this attraction on 3-28-2024 at around 9:45 pm. The attraction said it closed at 10pm, and the ticket kiosk was still active at the window. We saw a guy, heavier-set guy wearing all gray, bald headed, and asked him if we could get in. We told him we had two tickets already, and the other 2 we’d need to show a paycheck stub for the employee property exchange ticket program, which would allow us in for free after we signed a form. This program is for people that work for a specific place, and have an exchange program with ripley’s which allows free admission for the employee and one guest. Said gentleman (heavier-set, all gray, bald head) was not courteous at all, and told us that it was too late for the ticket exchange program and we’d have to buy tickets. When we went and bought the tickets we shouldn’t have had to at the kiosk, he then gets on his radio to the actors supposedly inside the house and tells them “they’re ticket exchange program guests, 4 coming your way”. He then tells us “you’re gonna find out why it’s a bad idea to come to a haunted house 15 minutes before closing”. I took this as “oh wow, since it’s nearing the end of the night then they’re probably really gonna scare us inside”. No.

There was not a single live human actor inside the attraction, and everything else was a let-down. I normally don’t like haunted attractions, but wanted to try it this time with friends. We won’t be back to this one. Said gentleman was very unfriendly, and didn’t help us with our situation at all. Definitely wasn’t worth the $16.99+tax x2. Next time, we’ll go to mysterious mansion and pay for their attraction.

When we went up into the room where the guy briefs us, he was very monotone and rude. Not excited at all for us to be there. I can’t recall what he said, but basically something along the lines of “if you don’t listen to us we will kick you out without a refund”. No “hi, hello, welcome” just basically “here are the rules, follow them or you will leave”. After reading other reviews, It seems there’s a common trend of this person treating guests poorly, and it appears that nothing has been done or said to this person about his behavior and how he talks to guests visiting the attraction yet. Wow, 2/2 haunted adventure… friendly staff! Not. Definitely felt like to both employees we encountered last night that we as guests were INCONVENIENCING both of them by us making them do their jobs as employees of the haunted adventure. Given both unprovoked negative reactions from both of them, they seem to really love what they do, and enjoy their relationships with their customers and love speaking with their guests…. Not.

All of the other ripleys attractions have been great in honoring the ticket exchange program; haunted adventure has not. And, it wasn’t just “hey, because it’s 15 minutes before closing unfortunately we can’t honor it”. The guy was rude, and I’m surprised he even let us in after the way he acted and treated us. Very stuck up and cocky, to be a scare actor at a haunted house. Not customer service oriented at all. If you didn’t want us to come in that close to closing, just say so. Don’t be rude, and give us a hard time just because you can. The ticket kiosk at the front was still active and running, and let us buy tickets for the attraction. We finished before the 10pm closing time.

I’m not even sure with the live scare actors if it would’ve been any better. Don’t waste your money at haunted adventure, go to mysterious mansion instead.

That being said about haunted adventure, ALL OF THE OTHER RIPLEY’S...

Let me start off by saying most of the people in these bad reviews are the biggest haters I’ve ever seen - so I’m here to give you the truth 🤣 💵PRICE: Would I buy tickets for just this attraction? No. We had the combo pass, which saves you a lot of money if you’re interested in more than one Ripley’s attraction. ⏳WAIT TIME: We were the first (and only) people in line when we got there, but was told it was going to be an 8min wait - was this a problem? No. If you’re a haunted-houser, this is the shortest wait you will ever wait in line for an attention. While we waited we read the story on the wall about Grimsby & Streaper, so we were entertained. The worker was about to send us through, but got a message on the walkie to hold us for another couple minutes due to not being able to find the 2 people that went before us (whether or not this was real or an act, it was also entertaining). 💀 THEME: A lot of reviews are saying that the haunted house didn’t have anything to do with the story they read on the wall, but I disagree. The first room you enter literally has Grimsby and Streaper’s skulls giving you instructions and warning you about what’s to come (this was VERY well done). You go through their funeral home, the graveyard, etc. The transitions were great. 👻SCARY?: It depends on what you like. I’ve been to MANY haunted attractions. Is this one the absolute best? No, but I thought the theming and decor was great. The animatronics give good jump scares. It’s dark and lots of finding your way around. Not very many live actors - but I am personally okay with that, I think it made it more creepy (live actors aren’t as scary to me compared to a huge animatronic monster in the dark). You even get one last surprise when you think it’s all over. 🧩PUZZLES: Grimsby & Streaper claim that there are puzzles that need solved for you to escape, and they will give clues if necessary. We only encountered one puzzle, and we wish there were more because it was interactive and fun (there may have been more and we may have missed them). 👶🏼KIDS: Everyone is getting upset over this being “advertised as kid friendly” then saying that it’s not. I was born and raised watching horror movies and going to haunted attractions - little me would’ve ate this up. If you have never exposed your kids to a spooky life - then yeah, they might cry. 📝OTHER COMPLAINTS: People are complaining it’s “too hot” in the building - it’s a year-round haunted house, it’s gonna be a little warm in the summer, you’ll survive. People are also complaining about it being “too dark” - is this for real… it’s A HAUNTED HOUSE. Others are saying it’s “too short” - I disagree, it’s average haunted house length. Last, but not least, people complaining about having to “hold the shoulders of the person in front of you” - this is also not true, they recommend that because it gets real dark during some parts, but we had another couple with us and we were not connected. Ripley’s you keep...

My daughter (age 12) and I purchased tickets for $37 to enjoy the “haunted experience.” Upon entering, I began recording on my phone to capture the moment, especially given the interesting makeup of the entrance attendant. There were no signs posted, nor did any staff member inform me that recording was not allowed.

Initially, the staff appeared to act with a nasty attitude, which I assumed was part of the “haunted” ambiance. During the host’s introduction, I noticed another guest behind me with his phone out; the host casually instructed him to put it away to prevent it from being misplaced, which led me to believe recording might be allowed as long as phones were put away when necessary. However, moments later, when I resumed recording, the host directed me, in a surprisingly harsh tone, to put my phone away. She continued with a disrespectful warning that she would “kick me out” if I did not comply. Confused by the disparity in her treatment of myself versus the other guest, I put my phone away. She then cited a Ripley’s copyright policy and told me I would be ejected if I continued recording.

Shortly after, as I was walking through the experience with my phone in my pocket, holding my daughter’s hand in one hand and my sunglasses in the other, another staff member approached me, accusing me of having my phone out. When I explained that I wasn’t using my phone, he raised his voice, claiming he saw a flash and threatening to remove me from the venue.

This interaction was extremely uncomfortable, particularly given the presence of my child. I maintained my composure but found the staff’s aggressive behavior and inconsistency in their approach unprofessional and, frankly, humiliating. I felt targeted and disrespected in a way that seemed not only unnecessarily harsh but also discriminatory.

Additionally, I found the experience itself lackluster and disappointing, certainly not worth the ticket price. I’m left with a highly negative impression of this attraction and, by extension, the Ripley’s brand. What should have been a fun vacation outing turned into a distressing experience for both me and my daughter.

Based on this encounter, I will be sharing my experience and would not recommend this attraction to others. I sincerely hope that Ripley’s re-evaluates both its policies and its approach to...