I Couldn’t Stop Screaming Inside One of NYC’s Scariest Haunted Houses

I cowered and jumped throughout the house as clowns, bloody doctors, and undead maids popped out of the darkness. Now I can’t wait to make this an annual tradition.

The frights started while we stood in line, as blood-soaked characters came out for photos and jump scares.

As I entered the haunted house, a bloody character told us the rules — no cellphones, no touching the actors — and sent us on our way.

When we entered one room, the door shut behind us, and the entire space was pitch-black. A character eerily told us to follow the sound of their voice until a loud pop and rush of air scared us into the next room.

Special effects like spooky music, loud sounds, and lighting help build tension in the space. As my heart raced, there was no time to catch my breath from one room to the next.

Owner Jim Lorenzo told Insider that this is by design. “When you build a haunted house, if you’re in a large, open, outdoor space, mother nature does a lot of it.” But when you’re in Manhattan, you have to manufacture the spooky atmosphere.

The frights were ideally suited for a horror lover like myself. But I advise anyone who hates blood and gore — especially kids — to opt out since nearly every character was drenched in fake blood.

Source: Blood Manor

In one particular hallway, our group had to walk through hanging, dismembered-looking body parts in a meat-locker-inspired scare. We ducked and dodged the body parts as I laughed to distract myself from the overwhelming fear.