Nightmare Dungeon Haunted Houses in South Carolina Voted #1 Scariest — Attraction in Powdersville

Pros: Very Good Haunted House Giveaways While in Line (Tickets and Money ($20)) Excellent Presentation/ Set Ups Fire Dancers Perform During Wait With Music Actors Present Around the Lines

Cons: VERY LONG Wait Times Certain Days (~5.5 hours Saturday) Hidden Line After Ticket Counter Expensive ($32.50-$34.50) Only 15 Minute Haunted House Experience Only Restrooms are Very Dirty Portable Toilets Limited Hand Washing Ability at Restrooms

Recommendations: Do not go on a Friday or Saturday. If you do not enter the ropes when you get to the ticket counter line, GO HOME. You may be waiting for as long as my group (~5.5 hours) if the line is this long. If the line is long and not moving very quickly (likely won't be) then you will be there a while. Again, it may be a better idea to go home than to try sticking it out. Make sure everyone uses the restroom BEFORE going to Nightmare Dungeon. You do not want to use the portable toilets. You will want to wait until arriving at the haunted house before purchasing your tickets (in person or online). You may not know if it will be a good day to visit until you get there. If you get there and the lines before and after the ticket counter are relatively short, stick around. The haunted house experience is good and worth a wait of about an hour or so. If you get cold easily, it may be a good idea to be prepared and bring a jacket.

My Experience: The true nightmare of Nightmare Dungeon was the wait. My friends and I took about an hour and a half to get to Nightmare Dungeon. We arrived at around 8:30 pm on the 23rd. When we got into line, we heard them say the wait would be expected to be at least an hour and a half. Given other reviewers commonly mentioned this wait time, we were not too concerned. This added to the fact we had dedicated an hour and a half to get there reassured us that staying was the right decision. We proceeded to purchase our tickets online ($32.50 each). After about an hour, we again heard an expected wait time, but this time was at least 45 minutes. This again sounded somewhat reasonable. While waiting in this line many people left the line due to the wait time. We finally arrived at the ticket booth around midnight (3.5 hours after arriving) where they scanned our digital tickets. We purchased some nachos ($2 each), added glowsticks for the hands on experience ($2 each) and proceeded to a second line. Here we waited another two hours (5.5 hours total) before arriving at the entrance. During the wait in this line, many more people left due to the wait time after already dedicating several hours and purchasing and redeeming their tickets ($32.50-$34.50). After arriving we were able to experience a well put together haunted house which lasted as other reviewers note 15 minutes. As noted by others, it was worth paying the $2 for the hands on experience in my case. Passing through the haunted house was very exciting but not worth the 5.5 hour wait, ~3 hour total travel time, and $34.50 we spent on it. Once finished, we proceeded to the bathrooms (portable toilets). At this point, these toilets were so nasty even the males in our group refused to use them. We then proceeded home around 2:30 am. When we looked back, we could still tell there was a line that would likely be there for another hour or two. The haunted house was great, but the wait ruined the...

We had been to nightmare dungeon a couple times two years ago and the price was reasonable, the experience the first time was good and we enjoyed ourselves then. We decided not to go back last year because when we had gone to different themes there was not any change between themes (and months in between for small but noticeable changes able to be made to make it different).

Fast forward two years and when we get there at first it didn't seem like it changed, but as we got past the ticket area and the "courtyard" (where we had seen actors playing with fire and scaring people, of which there were none this year) the entrance to the house had changed a good bit so we were hopeful and excited to see what change would have been made this year. As we stepped in and started to progress the theme had changed, and there were a couple of areas that we noticed were different there was also a lot that was the same.

Our real issues, and the biggest reason for the review and only two stars, was with the price ($30 person while still seeing a couple areas very much the same from two years ago) and because of the experience towards the end of the house. I understand the biggest part of haunted houses is loud noise and flashing lights in darkness. Using chainsaws in VERY tight corridors that are only wood made our eardrums legitimately HURT and left them ringing the remainder of our evening and that was only the start. We did not purchase the "upgrade" to allow them to touch us and at one point the actors asked if they could. We initially said no, as we did not want that experience but they pushed and badgered us until one of the actors asked "what about only the top of your head for a moment?" We reluctantly agreed and that is where things got worse. The actors then separated us and my wife said she was done, they were trying to make her go back through from the beginning all by herself and she told them she was not okay with that and did not want to go through like that, she wanted to go back to finish the rest of the house with me. Three of the actors then got in her face and surrounded her and were stepping in her way physically preventing her from getting back to where we had been separated as she was trying to get back to me. They finally let her come back and not redo the whole house, but then made her get down on her hands and knees (which was humiliating and not acceptable) on a dirty wooden floor in a point where the front end of the car comes speeding at you with the horn blaring and the lights on.

We have been to several other haunted houses in the area this year and Nightmare Dungeon was by far the WORST of them. When my wife came out CRYING because they had pushed her beyond her limits and were laughing in her face about it and were not listening to her when she said she was done that they had gone too far, I should have gone to the ticket booth and requested a refund. We decided to just leave, and we will not return to this...

Overall, it was a great Haunted Attraction. I totally respect the actors and crew in terms of everything they have done in order to prepare a haunted experience for their visitors.

The exterior really sets the eerie mood for its viewers. It draws an individuals attention to what could be lurking inside its walls. For those who took part in creating the exterior of this haunt I commend you for your hard work and creativity. It brought me great joy to see the space being used wasn’t a warehouse for a change. Places like Netherworld, Containment, and Paranoia Haunted Attractions, while they are indeed great places to visit for haunt seekers still it’s featured in a warehouse. Why should I let that bother me, you ask? Because I’m not stressing or wondering what’s lurking inside of their houses like Nightmare Dungeon.

Once inside. The interior is just as good if not, better! I felt like the entire house fed off of those who are uncomfortable in tight spaces, or rooms. If you are expecting the Chainsaw action to be the finale....THINK AGAIN! So many others feel the need to use the Chainsaw for their finale. Not Nightmare Dungeon Haunted House, I can assure you.

Look. This haunt gives you an opportunity to experience a haunted attraction like no other. Yes! I’m talking about their capabilities to touch, shove, or pull you from the group. Take advantage of this opportunity people! While I understand COVID-19 is a real concern for many of us at this time. However, if you are entering any type of haunted attractions this year, are you really concerned? Right. So take advantage of this opportunity and increase your total experience while visiting the haunt. Bypass those glow necklaces that allow the monsters to recognize your a wimp! Truthfully, if you are above the ages of 13+ plus, then a glow stick should not even be a priority for you.

Now. I’m rating Nightmare Dungeon a 4 out of 5 stars because there is always room for improvements. I have experienced some of the best of the best, where improvements can still be made. After all, wouldn’t the owners continue to brainstorm these improvements to better increase and market there businesses? Of course they would! That my friends is how you run and operate a business.

Thank you to all who contributed in bringing forth a production by Nightmare Dungeon...