30 years of Shocktoberfest, one of the UK’s best scream parks to visit in October, and for us, it truly feels like Christmas every since our first visit back in 2019! It simply has all you’d want in one space but that’s for another blog really. So, I thought I’d share my top 5 scare mazes from the event since our first visit in 2019 and we’ve gone yearly ever since (except 2020 & 2023)!
5 – Creepy Cottage
A traditional creepy house like a scare maze with eerie dolls, fireplaces to creep through and disgusting drop-down windows. It is everything you’d expect from a classic scare maze that’s themed around a cottage. As much as it’s dubbed the starter maze at Shocktoberfest it truly is a jewel. We always have a blast in here even if the scares don’t quite deliver and honestly it could be without actors and it’ll be equally as creepy. It’s that spookiness that really enhances this maze. It’s brilliant and forever glad it remains part of the line-up each year.
4 – Chop Shop
Chainsaw glory that’s the only way to define this experience. Last year’s run through alone puts this on the list for sure I’ve never been tormented in my life. I was pressed against the wall with chainsaws all over me that’s how to do the chainsaw scares really. I love the incremental build-up to the utter chaos and the intensity of that never-ending climax is quite something. You don’t know where the next chainsaw will pop out from despite how light it is in there and the sound levels are beyond extreme. The whole thing about Chop is the sheer intensity but in more forms than solely scares it’s the building up, the noise and smells.
3 – Wastelands Penitentiary
The characters in here are outstanding. The energy is always in top form every run through we’ve had. It just doesn’t cease they are above you and the strobe maze section has to be one of the best of its type. It’s so disorienting and the effects it creates on the actors are insane. It also feels like one of the longer of the mazes on offer too and again that gradual building of intensity to the strobe section is beyond me as it’s so dark and grungy with so many perfect hidden spots for scares. Oh, it’s just brilliant!
2 – Purgatory
A newer edition to the line-up only being a few years old and what a credit it is. The fact that all you’ve got is a small lantern for your party and it interacts with the scenes genuinely puts together some of the most genius scares. The whole setting is just unlit, eerie and has you on tenterhooks. It truly is incredible & unique compared to what we’ve ever done & we absolutely cherish this maze!
1 – Doom Town
By all means not the scariest nor does it offer any of the bigger jump scares but this maze goes beyond that. It truly is visually stunning. The level of attention to detail is far more worthy of being in the top spot than scares themselves. It’s the perfect throwback to so many classic stores especially blockbusters. We simply adore heading into this maze for the pure nostalgia and to check out the incredibly themed sets throughout. It’s unusual and extraordinary!
This is one of the supreme scream parks you need on your list every spooky season, honestly. It’s so much more than scare mazes it really is a full-blown experience start to finish.
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Thank you for reading & I’d love to hear your favourite mazes from this event!
