goblinhaus.com - Haunted House review: Nightmare at the Wax Museum, Grand Prairie, Texas

By Shrub

The Halloween event at the Palace of Wax in Grand Prairie has been dormant since the late 90’s, but apparently Singe has continued to lurk somewhere in the bowels of the museum and has decided to re-emerge for 2005. The Nightmare at the Wax Museum is back open for business. Not an independent operation like your average area haunted attraction, the wax museum has a leg up to begin with as they have an established location with an impressive sound system and all of the twists and turns you need for a haunted house already built in. They also have a large crew of paid actors, and of course the year round horror section of the wax museum which they can, and do, utilize.

Even from outside the entryway, where they employ a nifty audio trick which I’ll let you experience for yourself, the mood is set and anticipation of the hysteria that awaits you inside mounts. You may catch a roaming zombie out of the corner of your eye right before you are caused to reflexively jump for fear of losing a limb.

Once you enter, no time is wasted in the transition to doom and gloom. Fog machines are used liberally and the lighting is dim. I hope the sets weren’t too detailed on the first half of the trip, because you couldn’t see much. However this did not detract from the experience. When combined with the music in certain areas, it actually made for a sort-of trance like effect. Also the creatures were able to emerge from the fog very unexpectedly, getting right up on you before you knew it.

There were some unique monsters and costumes employed here. As well as multiple decoys, effective camouflage and built in hiding spots. There’s something to see on every side of you so you will find yourself frequently distracted when a piece of the scenery suddenly springs to life.

The wax figure section is outstanding with highly detailed characters out of classic and modern horror movies, including a Christopher Lee Dracula, Leatherface, Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera, and a wicked Alien. But don’t let your guard down, this section isn’t just still life, you cannot know what waits through that next doorway or even over your head.

The Palace of Wax is in the year round business of delivering an entertaining show for its visitors. They are pros and it is apparent in the high level haunt that they deliver. It also can’t hurt that they’ve brought long-time hauntmeister Patrick Matthews of Nightmare Studios on board this year. Scares come from all around you. This is a unique experience that is centrally located in the metroplex. I would recommend it to anyone as it hits on all levels .