The fun thing about HorrorBuzz is that, at its core, a group of enthusiasts that are really good friends as well.  So when Norm called out of the blue, and asked if we wanted to join him on a road-trip to some of the better known San Diego haunts, we grabbed our camera gear and the few close friends and headed down the 5 into the Gaslamp district.  We were very happy we changed plans and made the drive, because we found a small but very vibrant haunt community scaring some of the busiest (and widely separated) areas of San Diego County.

Like any impromptu adventure, we found some great, some good, and some bad.  I’ll start with the bad to get it out of the way (and get it off my chest). San Diego, as any Southern California resident knows, has a different vibe, it’s own charm, and in a way is more mid-west sometimes than West Coast.  We are actually well past the mid-way point of the “haunt season”, and we were trying to hit as many of the big attractions as we could.  For a prime Saturday night in the middle of October, we were extremely disappointed to find most of the attractions close early (often before midnight).

We also found some of the greatest gems of the haunt season.

I’m going to start where we ended the night, Savage House, which I can review with just two words: MUST SEE!  This is a family run, themed haunt attraction that honestly my only critique of is that their signage and location make them a bit hard to find.  A real shame, because this is a jaw-dropping maze filled with an amazing cast (some of which are first time scare-actors, but you can’t tell), who come together to portray the Wytner family of Plainsfield County, who, until very recently, have been kidnapping, torturing, and in some cases consuming victims undetected. We arrive at the tiny farm house as police officers are cleaning up and allowing the “media” in to survey the carnage for themselves.  Its a dash of House of a 1000 Corpses and a trace of Texas Chainsaw.

When the inevitable happens and the family breaks loose, wonderfully satisfying.  There are some good scares in this one. There are several wrong turns, a tour through all the horrors, as well as the deepest recesses of this family’s evil house, and best of all, it’s hand crafted, folks!   Built by Gregg Curtis and Jennifer Smith, who struck out on their own in 2010 after being involved in the regional haunt scene, this is obviously a labor of love and a huge personal investment.   There is production value in what they have built, a cohesive story arc, some really great custom effect work. Most of all, its dark where it should be, the scares come at you from all directions, and you will leave scratching your head wondering how they fit so much into a space that, from the outside, looks so small.

We were very lucky to arrive on cosplay night and delighted to get to rub elbows with several horror notables: Michael, Freddy, and Elvira, to name a few.   They graciously entertained the short queue of patrons lined up outside.  They allowed us to bring one of the 360 cameras along, so here is a walk-through of the terror that awaits you at Savage House.

As an unexpected bonus, the Savage House is also home to a horror museum hosting props, costumes, and even picture cars from some of the best in movies and television.  This collection alone is worth the trip out to the hotel circle area of Mission Valley. Curtis and Smith once again show their obvious love for the genre in the collection and display of the museum artifacts.  To give you a sample of what to expect when you visit, here is a 360 degree walk-through of the museum.

Gregg and Jennifer were also very happy to share with us that they have another whole experience built (I won’t spoil what it is) but that it might be next year’s haunt.  We really hope they find enough success that they can find a way to somehow bring both around instead!

Savage house is located at:

Westfield Mission Valley
1640 Camino Del Rio North
San Diego, CA 92108
Located in the TARGET parking lot

Open: Thursday  15th – Sunday 18th, Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th, and Monday 26th – Saturday 31st. Hours are Sunday – Thursday nights 7pm-11pm, Friday & Saturday nights  7pm-12am

Admission prices are:
Haunt Only $16, Museum Only $5, Combo $18 (save $3), Front of the line pass $5, EXTRA SECOND TIME THROUGH  is just $5.00 (and worth it!)

To find out more, visit their website.

Our second happy surprise was found right in the middle of bustling sea of little black dresses known as the Gaslamp District. While the Haunted Hotel might not be a unique discovery (having been featured a few times on the Travel Channel and on other haunt sites), it was our first visit to this great haunt. We’re still wondering how this one some how wedged itself into one of the most fun nightspots in Southern California.  I’m being completely honest when I say I have no idea how they managed to find so much square footage, developed a queue system that works on the already overly busy downtown sidewalks, and crammed so many different styles of haunt experience into such a tiny space.

The experience begins on the street itself.  There are several characters, odd and grotesque, popping in and out of the line, stalking the unsuspecting from behind as they wait.  It sets a great tone.  The staff were great.  Many of them have been working there for many years, but seem to still have a passion for sharing the scares.  And the lines, though they appeared daunting at first, moved very briskly.  We were into the first loading area in around 20 minutes.  They clearly have their location logistics down to a science.  By the time we descended into the basement of this very detailed experience, we were primed for the frights, which they have very graciously let us share with you in 360 degree video.

Again we highly recommend this haunt, great variety, good effects, fun actors, and a great staff.

The Haunted Hotel is located at:

424 Market Street
San Diego, CA

The corner of Fourth and Market in the Gaslamp district.

They are open Wednesday through Sunday (Wed, Thur, Sun 7-11pm – Fri, Sat 6pm-1am)

General admission $18 per person, $28 for VIP access

For more information, please visit their website.