International Monster Museum — Attraction in Salem

I’m very disappointed with this place and the service here. Before even considering the attraction, I asked the person working at the desk if there were any jump scares or anything like that. She said no, telling us that there were animatronics but NO jump scares. Not even 10 feet inside there is a narrow hallway you walk through where 4 werewolf animatronics quickly emerge from the wall (obviously very startling). I was on the verge of having a panic attack and we turned around right away, not finishing the tour, and didn’t even get our money back.

I’m not upset at the fact that this was a scare attraction- live and let live. I wouldn’t have gone in if I knew it was ahead of time. I’m just upset that we were lied to about it. If you’re into movie monsters or cryptozoology but haunted houses aren’t your thing, you’re much better off with Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery, which is down the street from the plaza this place is in. I’ve been there several times and nothing moves, and the employees actually seem to enjoy their job and talking to people interested in the attraction.

(Sidenote: I checked Yelp and apparently they’ve done this to others.)

UPDATE IN 2024 BECAUSE I NEVER SAW THE REPLY LMAO: Last I checked, apart from rides at Disney where they DISCLOSE AHEAD OF TIME, there are no jumpscares at Disney. And my profile picture is Rick from the Walking Dead- “Horror Museum” 😂 I’ve looked at the other reviews and seen videos of this place and it genuinely looks cool as hell. I was excited to check it out! Maybe if you don’t LIE about your attraction it won’t trigger people’s MEDICAL CONDITIONS and they won’t have to leave negative reviews. Just...

I'm a Salem resident and I am on a mission to tour all the local attractions. About this one:

I admit it: this was a lot of fun. I recommend this to groups and families.

What this is: The Monster Museum is located inside the mall. You will be given a lantern and you will enter a sequence of dark rooms filled with puppets portraying different types of monsters in different cultures and times. Each little scene - with a monster and a scenery - it's accompanied by a sign that tells you more about the monster. I don't want to spoil the fun, but some of the puppets are actually animatronics that move when less you expect it 😊 But it's not overly scary (it's not a scary house) and I believe it's suitable for children (maybe not the super young ones, tough). Take your time, stop by the different scenes to read about the monsters, embrace the silliness of this attraction and you'll enjoy it.

Pros: Do the attraction right, and it will be worth it. Take your time, read the signs, use the lantern to light the signs and your way (not your phone). Photography is allowed. Some of the scenes display a good amount of artistry.

Cons: I can see that things can easily go wrong with this attraction. If you walk it without stopping to look around and read, it would probably be over in less than 5 minutes. And if it's too crowded, that would take away from the atmosphere and the small scares, especially if you are not given a lantern. I would definitely visit this really trying to avoid busy hours...

The concept is intriguing, but I have to dock points on account of having a rather unpleasant experience. Hear me out.

Obviously there's some level of anticipation of potentially frightening material, but I and my cohort were genuinely freaked out by the sudden appearances of things for which we weren't prepared (not including detail in case spoilers aren't your thing). Again, that might sound like our problem, but we did ask the staff if we should anticipate any jumpscares before entry and they were firm in their reply that we didn't need to worry about that. Unfortunately the experience was tainted by this, and we ended up having to leave early.

We offered feedback on our experience, but the response was essentially "Well that's your own fault, isn't it?" I can understand some miscommunications, but I'm not overwhelmingly thrilled with being told to my face that I'm the goober for actually spending money on an experience. Based on the other replies to comments I've read, I have a sneaking suspicion that blaming the customers for not having a good time is kind of standard issue here, and that, for me, equals another points docking. Two stars, because I'm feeling more charitable...