Every fall, I’m on the lookout for activities in the Clemson area that will help enhance the vibe of the season. Haunted houses give you a great bonding experience with whomever you go with and let you celebrate the spookiness of this time of year.
Within about an hour of Clemson, there are a couple of awesome choices, all offering pretty different experiences perfect for any crowd. Even though most of these places close immediately after Halloween, it’s never too early to start crafting your list for next year.
The first up is Mad World. Mad World is a classic — you’ve definitely seen signs for it on the interstate or around town. The haunted house portion has a mix of indoor and outdoor sections with some really good scare actors. The only qualm for me is the wait time. If you go on Fridays or Saturdays, prepare to have wait times of an hour or more and a packed parking lot.
Next up is Nightmare Dungeon. This haunted house, located in Powdersville, is actually in a house, and has a lot of tight corridors with some really frightening rooms. This house is one of the places where you can get an “R-rated” pass, allowing the actors to move you around and pick you up if they want to. Overall, Nightmare Dungeon is a solid choice.
Heading over to Easley, we have Sweet Dreams Scare House. This place was an unexpected surprise. Through an almost 30-minute walk in the woods, we entered several different creepy buildings with really committed scare actors. We had the “R-rated” pass here as well, which led to one of our group members getting put into a fridge. The workers walked the line of being scary and hilarious, which always adds to the experience.
Last but certainly not least is The Sunken Manor. Located deep in Travelers Rest, this escape room-style haunted house lets you spend a good amount of time in each room, getting to know the scare actors before you move to the next spot. It’s hard to explain unless you visit, but if you love worms in your mouth, mysterious Jell-O substances, interactive rooms and the most out-of-pocket scare actors you can find, this is the place for you.
