10/09/2025
Awaken Haunted Attraction
Leslie, MI
October 4, 2025
Through the slats of the pallets, we catch glimpses of the night sky and of grass rolling away to the woods around us. We’re so close, but we can’t reach it, can’t climb through the wooden lattice work, can’t escape. We can’t even see an exit. Lily is breathing hard because she’s convinced we’re not alone. We hear whispers, but they’re distorted, making it impossible for us to tell where they’re coming from, how far away (or how near) they are. She sets off at a jog down one of the narrow corridors and I follow. Lily is cautious (I wouldn’t go so far as to say paranoid) but I trust her instincts. We come to a turn and we halt, casting around for a way out. We wait too long though – I don’t see the man who appears behind me, the man with a chainsaw in his hand and someone else’s face plastered over his own skin. We scream and take off.
An hour earlier, I wouldn’t have guessed that we would be in this predicament. When we pull up to Awaken Haunted Attraction, it looks like a simple, modern, commercial building, the kind where you might buy windows or lighting fixtures. But we should know by now that you can’t judge a book by its cover. (Trust us – no one’s coming here for some nice vertical blinds.) In the hands of the right hauntrunners, the right designers and actors, a building like this can become so much more – a sinister government research project, maybe, or an arbor maze full of killer rednecks, or a haunted house.
That’s exactly what the gloriously twisted minds behind Awaken have done here. They have turned this blank space into a playground for their darkest fantasies, building lavish, immersive environments that they’ve filled with a huge family of freaks. The site gives them the flexibility to move back and forth between different settings, and different types of scares. Awaken Haunted Attraction encompasses four separate sections: Awaken, Terror Phobia 3D, The Forgotten, and Tenebrous. You can’t experience these attractions separately because this is a continuous walkthrough. In addition, they overlap…you might even say that they BLEED into one another.
Our adventures start in the queue line, which is themed as an introduction to the first attraction. Yes, technically, this attraction is Awaken, but it has been taken over by government researchers who are engaged in some, er, shady experiments in the newly branded Area 56. A no-nonsense nurse prowls the line to ensure that no one gets up to any shenanigans – or spills any state secrets. From the look of her uniform (and her ghostly features), she’s been around for a few decades. Video screens around the room play previews of events and offer glimpses of what’s inside. There’s also a scare cam that will, I imagine, capture Lily and me at our finest, scuttling through the hallways. Eight of us are finally herded into a holding pen to be escorted into the facility proper, where we learn that we’re not here for a fun field trip. Instead, we have to submit to diagnosis before being consigned to Area 56 as research subjects. The impressive, imposing Dr. von Orlok (I think I know his cousin; the good doctor gives distinct Christopher Lee vibes) introduces us to the facility and scans us. I’m surprisingly clear, but Lily, alas, has alien parasites, so it looks like we’ll be staying. Each group enters separately, so when we finally venture into the depths of the facility, Lily and I are alone. A silent, deadpan nurse directs us to a rickety elevator and waves bye-bye before we’re plunged into a warren of military labs.
Area 56 offers plenty of evidence of extraterrestrial life in the form of effects and props. The level of detail is consistent and convincing: you’ll believe that you’re in a lab dedicated to forbidden experiments, an impression helped along by the chilly lighting. (Pay attention to the lighting in this place, if you can. Both the tone of the lighting and the fixtures themselves contribute to the environment.) This area is also overrun with little gray men whose powers seem to include excellent timing.
In and around Area 56, you see hints of the original haunted house, Awaken. You enter the house through a crowded attic that includes an awesome, original jump scare, before winding into a series of rooms that were once cozy and pretty but are now in an advanced state of decay. The house is definitely haunted…and possibly infested, as another terrific jump scare in a bedroom confirms. Even without the jump scares, the sets are remarkable (there’s a whole army of hollow-eyed, haunted dolls measuring your progress in one room). Every surface is faded, cobwebbed, a vision of classic horror. The house successfully taps into a whole array of phobias before it’s done with you.
Ah, but Awaken can do more than industrial-strength scifi and shadowy gothic. The attraction also includes Terror Phobia 3D, a gallery of beautiful, horrifying murals by Stuart Smith, an artist who specializes in vivid, vicious UV and 3D designs. In this maze, you’ll feel like the walls themselves are watching you BECAUSE THEY ARE. There are clowns and monsters and eyes everywhere. Even the floors are spattered with paint drops that seem to dance and glow under your feet. You’ll want to ooh and aah at every turn, but you really shouldn’t, because of course you’re not alone. There’s also a long, weirdly gorgeous, cosmic horror of a vortex tunnel that will have your head spinning.
The Forgotten offers yet another sharp contrast. Awaken’s take on a pallet maze is filled with eerie whispers, not to mention squealing piggies on two feet and a leatherfaced killer with a chainsaw. As you’re winding through this maze, the whispers and shadows conspire to confuse and unsettle you. The Forgotten leads more or less seamlessly into Tenebrous. This outdoor area boasts some excellent sets and some of Awaken’s most original and entertaining characters. For instance, Lily and I blunder into a combination yard sale and barbecue hosted by the friendly, outgoing Scooter (Skeeter? Sorry if we got your name wrong; we were a little distracted), who wants to share a meal with us. However, the bloodstained clothing scattered across the lawn and the dismembered limbs scattered across the grill dissuade us. We excuse ourselves and head deeper into the woods and deeper into the night. There, we run smack into the Michigan version of Crocodile Dundee, who’s out searching for cryptids. Or rats. Or maybe both. He confides that the woods here are dangerous before shooting at something rustling in the tall grass. Lily and I quickly learn that the creatures out here range from kind of adorable (the gregarious Bushsquatch) to frankly alarming (the monstrous figure from local folklore who emerges out of nowhere). And then there’s Mama, who isn’t exactly a cryptid. Instead, she’s a bunch of rural nightmares rolled into a single towering figure and dressed in a housecoat. Whether monsters or men, the residents of Tenebrous are, um, hungry for a little human interaction.
Tenebrous makes the most of the beautiful natural setting while adding enhancements – a graveyard lit by flickering lights, a steep mine shaft, a Michigan Chainsaw Massacre cabin. It all feels immersive and real. So real, in fact, that it’s disorienting when we re-enter the building, it takes Lily and me a moment to recognize that we’re back in Area 56, in an industrial area where we have to walk down into a roiling green mist. Something on the scaffolding tries to warn us; something in the mist reaches for us. Then somehow, we emerge into a full-blown freak show with massive posters advertising the various acts. There’s a rodent girl, and a bearded lady, and a host of other interesting folks who trail our footsteps through the big top. One pretty, nasty clown warns us that we have attracted the attention of her sad-eyed friend: “He’s a cougar chaser,” she cautions, “He says, the older the berry, the sweeter the juice.” (If that’s true, Lily and I are practically fermented. Bring it, Clown Boy.) The freak show provides a weird, funny, and fun ending to a multifaceted haunt.
Awaken Haunted Attraction has excellent production values, with props, animatronics, and effects designed specifically for this space. Each of the environments is carefully observed and convincing, whether it’s the basement of a secret research facility, a haunted attic, a charming little arbor full of chainsaws, or a backwoods cannibal village. The designers have managed to create immersive environments that get the look and textures of a medical lab, a decaying attic, and a glamorously seedy circus tent just right. The lighting is careful and evocative. But aside from these technical achievements, Awaken is filled with terrific actors who know their characters inside and out, eyeballs to entrails. They can carry on whole conversations in character while walking beside you (or chasing you down a dark corridor). Scenes range from funny to scary to weird, and these interactions bring this event to unholy life.
When we arrive at Awaken, we stop at the bar for a little seasonal cheer. It quickly becomes clear that the bartender is very proud of this place and very enthusiastic about it. When we grab a bite to eat at the food truck, the chef who serves up our snacks is also eager to talk about the attraction. These folks know that they’re part of something special and they’re excited to share it. After our visit, Lily and I can see why. Awaken Haunted Attraction is a detailed, immersive, scary, and enjoyable romp through an entire horror anthology of fears. If you want to see what a little creativity and a lot of imagination can do, head out to Awaken. Just watch out for the chainsaws, listen to the nice nurse, and tell the clowns we said “hi.”
Cost: $28 for general admission and $38 for a fast pass.
Safety Protocols, Group Size, Etc.: You go through each attraction with only your immediate group. And take the security briefing seriously – Nurse Wretched and Doctor von Orlok will not put up with any nonsense.
Concessions: There’s a food truck that serves excellent mac’n’cheese and pulled pork sandwiches, among other things. Awaken also has two bars, one at the beginning and a smaller one at the end.
Other stuff to do: So much! There’s a clever, interactive five-minute escape room, celebrity meet and greets, and special events. The hauntrunners clearly feel responsible for adding value to this experience, hosting actors from the "Annabelle" films and musicians from Skid Row. There’s also a casket ride and zombie paintball, as well as a gift shop that sells t-shirts and tumblers, among other things.
Other stuff to know: The haunt is both inside and out, so be prepared for a little rough terrain.
