Alton Towers - Nineteen Years of Scares
Alton Towers first started celebrating Halloween properly in 2002. Since then, the event has had its up and downs but over recent years has emerged as one of the most exciting Halloween events in the UK.
The current ScareFest logo
2002 - Attractions: Terror in The Towers
Alton Towers had been celebrating Halloween for a number of years with their Spooktacular event, but in 2002 decided to increase the scare factor. Industry legend, Lynton V Harris, was brought in to design four attractions across the three Tussauds’ parks. Freezer and Freakshow for Thorpe Park, Pirate Jack’s Halloween Adventure for Chessington and one in the historic ruins of Alton Towers itself.
Terror in the Towers was probably the most unique challenge, as a route had to be created to take into account multiple level changes and different size rooms. Unlike today’s show – guests would enter through the lower door and make their way UP through the attraction. The early scenes were quite simple but effective and included an impressive stilt man effect and a large headless fireplace ghost. The show culminated with a section that Lynton Harris called the “gothic freezer”. This came about as the maze section was similar in style to the Freezer at Thorpe Park but using gothic arches instead of chainlink fencing.
The only real problem was that this section was actually a maze with dead ends and meandering paths which meant that groups would often meet each other coming the opposite way, There was also no real final scare at the end and once you got to a certain point, a curtain was pulled back and you were ushered out to the photo booth.
Despite these small criticisms, Terror in the Towers was an exciting addition to the Halloween line-up and was very well received by the visiting public.
Alton Towers had been celebrating Halloween for a number of years with their Spooktacular event, but in 2002 decided to increase the scare factor. Industry legend, Lynton V Harris, was brought in to design four attractions across the three Tussauds’ parks. Freezer and Freakshow for Thorpe Park, Pirate Jack’s Halloween Adventure for Chessington and one in the historic ruins of Alton Towers itself.
Terror in the Towers was probably the most unique challenge, as a route had to be created to take into account multiple level changes and different size rooms. Unlike today’s show – guests would enter through the lower door and make their way UP through the attraction. The early scenes were quite simple but effective and included an impressive stilt man effect and a large headless fireplace ghost. The show culminated with a section that Lynton Harris called the “gothic freezer”. This came about as the maze section was similar in style to the Freezer at Thorpe Park but using gothic arches instead of chainlink fencing.
The only real problem was that this section was actually a maze with dead ends and meandering paths which meant that groups would often meet each other coming the opposite way, There was also no real final scare at the end and once you got to a certain point, a curtain was pulled back and you were ushered out to the photo booth.
Despite these small criticisms, Terror in the Towers was an exciting addition to the Halloween line-up and was very well received by the visiting public.
 Original promo image for Terror of the Towers |
 Original promo image for Terror of the Towers |
2003 - Attractions: Terror of the Towers: Bloodfest Banquet
The return of Terror of the Towers (slightly different name!) introduced a number of exciting changes including a new back story about the bloodthirsty Master and his penchant for human flesh. This called for a number of new special effects and props all round the attraction including severed body parts and body bags. A few new rooms were added including a very elaborate dining room scene and an escape route through the kitchens. On some nights the stilt walking monster returned but generally remained propped against the wall as a set decoration.
The final scenes were also greatly improved by changing the route of the gothic freezer to allow just one path through and introducing a big cage finale with monster attacks from all angles. The whole show felt tighter and more controlled that the original version. The future for Terror of the Towers was looking good!
The return of Terror of the Towers (slightly different name!) introduced a number of exciting changes including a new back story about the bloodthirsty Master and his penchant for human flesh. This called for a number of new special effects and props all round the attraction including severed body parts and body bags. A few new rooms were added including a very elaborate dining room scene and an escape route through the kitchens. On some nights the stilt walking monster returned but generally remained propped against the wall as a set decoration.
The final scenes were also greatly improved by changing the route of the gothic freezer to allow just one path through and introducing a big cage finale with monster attacks from all angles. The whole show felt tighter and more controlled that the original version. The future for Terror of the Towers was looking good!
 
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2004
Attractions: Event Cancelled
For reasons never fully explained, the 2004 Halloween event never materialised.
Attractions: Event Cancelled
For reasons never fully explained, the 2004 Halloween event never materialised.
2005
Attractions: Event cancelled
Over 2004 to 2006, the park was going though the courts with a long running legal battle over noise from their annual fireworks and other late night openings. Maybe this was the cause of the cancelled events, but late in the season it was announced that Fireworks would return and there would once again be no Halloween at Alton.
Attractions: Event cancelled
Over 2004 to 2006, the park was going though the courts with a long running legal battle over noise from their annual fireworks and other late night openings. Maybe this was the cause of the cancelled events, but late in the season it was announced that Fireworks would return and there would once again be no Halloween at Alton.
2006 - Attractions: Room 13
The year started off promising with Halloween advertised to return with Terror of the Towers III and a new attraction called “Midnight in the Garden of Evil”. Unfortunately with no real explanation, the Halloween event was cancelled at the last minute again. Over at the hotels though, a small creative team decided that they wanted to give their residents a little fright, and so with a minimal budget and a daring raid on the Terror of the Towers props – Room 13 was born.
Built in the main conference suite of the Alton Towers Hotel, Room 13 gave guests a short sharp shock as they stepped through a wardrobe into a twisted dimension of terror beyond. Despite its small size the attraction packed a massive punch including 5 dedicated actors, impressive effects and a big cage finale before guests stumbled out into the hotel bar.
Room 13 opened at 5pm each night and the level of scares were escalated through the evening. We experienced the full “late night” show and confirm that it was absolutely terrifying!
Click hear to read the ScareTOUR review of Room 13
The year started off promising with Halloween advertised to return with Terror of the Towers III and a new attraction called “Midnight in the Garden of Evil”. Unfortunately with no real explanation, the Halloween event was cancelled at the last minute again. Over at the hotels though, a small creative team decided that they wanted to give their residents a little fright, and so with a minimal budget and a daring raid on the Terror of the Towers props – Room 13 was born.
Built in the main conference suite of the Alton Towers Hotel, Room 13 gave guests a short sharp shock as they stepped through a wardrobe into a twisted dimension of terror beyond. Despite its small size the attraction packed a massive punch including 5 dedicated actors, impressive effects and a big cage finale before guests stumbled out into the hotel bar.
Room 13 opened at 5pm each night and the level of scares were escalated through the evening. We experienced the full “late night” show and confirm that it was absolutely terrifying!
Click hear to read the ScareTOUR review of Room 13
Room 13 Promotional Picture
2007 - Attractions: Terror of The Towers, The Field of A 1000 Screams, Room 13, Haunted Hollow Live and Scare Rooms
After the success of Room 13, the resort decided to reinvest in the newly branded Scarefest event. Halloween was back at Alton Towers!
The iconic Terror of the Towers received some changes from the Bloodfeast Banquet storyline with some new scenes including the special effects oven. Unfortunately the actors were given very long scripts to deliver which hampered a lot of the scares and over the first few days, the attraction saw a number of changes as scripts were cut to reduce running time.
The intense Gothic arches section that used to be at the end of the show appeared for a few corridors in the middle of the attraction but never really worked as well. Fortunately, the final scene with a speech and chase from The Master was a great end to the attraction and left people running out the door!
The new 07 attraction, Haunted Hollow turned live for Halloween and although it wasn't that scary, it actually turned out to be quite fun. The characters such as Doug the gravedigger were able to improvise and interact with guests so the attraction felt more intimate than a standard maze.
At the hotel, Room 13 pulled off another successful run and introduced an unsuspecting world to Bozo the clown. This evil twisted clown would prowl the corridors of the attraction and appear a number of times through every visit. The show was fast paced, dark and very scary.
Also at the Hotel, this year saw the start of the Field of 1000 Screams trilogy. The field was a master piece of design and storytelling with a sustained build up of tension leading to a suitably epic finale as the zombies broke into the farmhouse. The Field was truly the dark horse of the event and actually created the feeling of being inside a horror movie itself!
Finally, inside the hotel, six rooms were allocated as scare rooms. With unique, specially created furniture, props and effects, scare actors were given master keys and were able to come and go freely when they wanted. The scare rooms were great fun as the actors came up with many ingenious and fun ways to scare residents. Unfortunately the rooms created a lot of noise which then attracted complaints from guests in non scare rooms!
Click hear to read the ScareTOUR review of 2007
After the success of Room 13, the resort decided to reinvest in the newly branded Scarefest event. Halloween was back at Alton Towers!
The iconic Terror of the Towers received some changes from the Bloodfeast Banquet storyline with some new scenes including the special effects oven. Unfortunately the actors were given very long scripts to deliver which hampered a lot of the scares and over the first few days, the attraction saw a number of changes as scripts were cut to reduce running time.
The intense Gothic arches section that used to be at the end of the show appeared for a few corridors in the middle of the attraction but never really worked as well. Fortunately, the final scene with a speech and chase from The Master was a great end to the attraction and left people running out the door!
The new 07 attraction, Haunted Hollow turned live for Halloween and although it wasn't that scary, it actually turned out to be quite fun. The characters such as Doug the gravedigger were able to improvise and interact with guests so the attraction felt more intimate than a standard maze.
At the hotel, Room 13 pulled off another successful run and introduced an unsuspecting world to Bozo the clown. This evil twisted clown would prowl the corridors of the attraction and appear a number of times through every visit. The show was fast paced, dark and very scary.
Also at the Hotel, this year saw the start of the Field of 1000 Screams trilogy. The field was a master piece of design and storytelling with a sustained build up of tension leading to a suitably epic finale as the zombies broke into the farmhouse. The Field was truly the dark horse of the event and actually created the feeling of being inside a horror movie itself!
Finally, inside the hotel, six rooms were allocated as scare rooms. With unique, specially created furniture, props and effects, scare actors were given master keys and were able to come and go freely when they wanted. The scare rooms were great fun as the actors came up with many ingenious and fun ways to scare residents. Unfortunately the rooms created a lot of noise which then attracted complaints from guests in non scare rooms!
Click hear to read the ScareTOUR review of 2007
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 Scare Rooms promotional image |
2008 - Attractions: Terror of the Towers, The Field of A 1000 Screams, Boiler House, Haunted Hollow Live, Duel Live
In 2008 Terror of the Towers introduced The Master’s extended family including his twisted and deformed son. Most of the early rooms remained the same, including the smaller gothic freezer section but the highlight was the long narrow cage finale where the Master’s son (plus other monsters), got up close and personal with the guests trapped inside.
Haunted Hollow Live returned with a slightly more fantastical set of characters including a human faun, a dancing fairy and a midget undertaker. Once again, the attraction was more about “show” then “scare” but was entertaining enough.
New at the park this year was Duel Live – a slightly more "zombiefied" version of the classic ride with live actors scattered around the route. It was a nice idea but poorly executed in places as most times you could see exactly where the actors were coming from long before they jumped out!
Over at the hotel, The Field continued the story of Altonville with the village now fenced up to keep people out. But the loveable Sammy had different ideas and invited guests through a hole in the fence. The attraction used similar effects from the 2007 show and the final scene didn’t feel quite as chaotic as previously. Even so – the strong narrative and the convincing characters really helped drive the story along.
The new attraction, The Boiler House, utilised the main structure of Room 13 but placed it in a marquee outside the hotel. Despite some very impressive scenery, the attraction felt a bit disjointed as the story and characters were at odds with each other, especially the strange sort of “swamp monster” in the final scene.
In 2008 Terror of the Towers introduced The Master’s extended family including his twisted and deformed son. Most of the early rooms remained the same, including the smaller gothic freezer section but the highlight was the long narrow cage finale where the Master’s son (plus other monsters), got up close and personal with the guests trapped inside.
Haunted Hollow Live returned with a slightly more fantastical set of characters including a human faun, a dancing fairy and a midget undertaker. Once again, the attraction was more about “show” then “scare” but was entertaining enough.
New at the park this year was Duel Live – a slightly more "zombiefied" version of the classic ride with live actors scattered around the route. It was a nice idea but poorly executed in places as most times you could see exactly where the actors were coming from long before they jumped out!
Over at the hotel, The Field continued the story of Altonville with the village now fenced up to keep people out. But the loveable Sammy had different ideas and invited guests through a hole in the fence. The attraction used similar effects from the 2007 show and the final scene didn’t feel quite as chaotic as previously. Even so – the strong narrative and the convincing characters really helped drive the story along.
The new attraction, The Boiler House, utilised the main structure of Room 13 but placed it in a marquee outside the hotel. Despite some very impressive scenery, the attraction felt a bit disjointed as the story and characters were at odds with each other, especially the strange sort of “swamp monster” in the final scene.
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2009 - Attractions: Terror of The Towers: What Lies Within, The Field of 1000 Screams, Boiler House, Duel Live
This year brought a complete and much needed overhaul to Terror of the Towers with a lot of investment on new sets and effects. Turning the passenger route around was a stroke of genus as now guests would feel they are descending lower and lower into the basement of the Towers. The attraction also created a slow build of scares from the restoration site through to the “monks locker-room” before being plunged into the chaos of the final scene. Returning the strobes to the end of the maze left guests with a truly memorable and intense finale. Terror of the Towers was back with bang!
Duel Live was improved over the 2008 version with less obvious hiding places and a fun and eccentric scare cast throughout.
The Field of 1000 Screams trilogy came to an end over at the hotel and truly went out with a bang! The army had taken over Altonville and the route was scattered with military vehicles and such. Once again the story built up to a big finale and the bus attack scene was a master piece of direction and scare.
The Boiler House received a new story and two new inhabitants in the shape of Victor and Elsie Hamble The presence of the serial killers improved the attraction immensely and with darker lighting and more controlled scares, the attraction was far better than its opening year.
This year brought a complete and much needed overhaul to Terror of the Towers with a lot of investment on new sets and effects. Turning the passenger route around was a stroke of genus as now guests would feel they are descending lower and lower into the basement of the Towers. The attraction also created a slow build of scares from the restoration site through to the “monks locker-room” before being plunged into the chaos of the final scene. Returning the strobes to the end of the maze left guests with a truly memorable and intense finale. Terror of the Towers was back with bang!
Duel Live was improved over the 2008 version with less obvious hiding places and a fun and eccentric scare cast throughout.
The Field of 1000 Screams trilogy came to an end over at the hotel and truly went out with a bang! The army had taken over Altonville and the route was scattered with military vehicles and such. Once again the story built up to a big finale and the bus attack scene was a master piece of direction and scare.
The Boiler House received a new story and two new inhabitants in the shape of Victor and Elsie Hamble The presence of the serial killers improved the attraction immensely and with darker lighting and more controlled scares, the attraction was far better than its opening year.
 A complete makeover for Terror of the Towers |
 A new logo for an updated attraction |
2010 - Attractions: Terror of The Towers: What Lies Within, Boiler House, Carnival of Screams, Th13teen After Dark, Skelvin's Haunted Adventure, Scare Rooms
This year Terror of the Towers remained virtually unchanged with just a few extra corridors and cutbacks introduced before the finale. The final exit corridor was also improved to allow the basement monsters to get even closer to guests before they fled out the main door.
Duel Live became Skelvin’s Haunted Adventure – a slightly more family friendly version of the live ride. Although less scary than 09 – this new version was classy and impressive and even the actor’s hiding places were better hidden.
To celebrate the new coaster, Th13teen: After Dark saw several characters from the TV adverts, tormenting the queue line once the sun had gone down for the day. It proved to be a fun distraction while waiting for the ride.
Over at the hotel, The Boiler House returned with the same story but included some new scares and an exciting opening scene where guests ended up being chased INTO the attraction.
With Field of 100 screams gone, the resort premiered Carnival of Screams which seemed to annoy or delight visitors in equal numbers. The light and colourful nature of some of the sets put some people off but we liked the way this juxtaposed with the inherent nature of the clowns inside. The carnival also utilised some very effective big prop scares that made us jump every time we went through.
Finally, the scare rooms returned to the hotel this year, but unfortunately proved to be fairly weak in execution. The rooms were themed around the new ride Th13teen and guests were visited by wraiths and tree monsters through the night.
Click hear to read the ScareTOUR 2010 review
This year Terror of the Towers remained virtually unchanged with just a few extra corridors and cutbacks introduced before the finale. The final exit corridor was also improved to allow the basement monsters to get even closer to guests before they fled out the main door.
Duel Live became Skelvin’s Haunted Adventure – a slightly more family friendly version of the live ride. Although less scary than 09 – this new version was classy and impressive and even the actor’s hiding places were better hidden.
To celebrate the new coaster, Th13teen: After Dark saw several characters from the TV adverts, tormenting the queue line once the sun had gone down for the day. It proved to be a fun distraction while waiting for the ride.
Over at the hotel, The Boiler House returned with the same story but included some new scares and an exciting opening scene where guests ended up being chased INTO the attraction.
With Field of 100 screams gone, the resort premiered Carnival of Screams which seemed to annoy or delight visitors in equal numbers. The light and colourful nature of some of the sets put some people off but we liked the way this juxtaposed with the inherent nature of the clowns inside. The carnival also utilised some very effective big prop scares that made us jump every time we went through.
Finally, the scare rooms returned to the hotel this year, but unfortunately proved to be fairly weak in execution. The rooms were themed around the new ride Th13teen and guests were visited by wraiths and tree monsters through the night.
Click hear to read the ScareTOUR 2010 review
2011 - Attractions: Terror of The Towers: What Lies Within, Boiler House, Carnival of Screams, Th13teen After Dark, Zombies ScareZone, Scare Rooms
On first appearance, 2011 looked to be fairly unchanged from 2010. The biggest difference being that The Carnival of Screams and Boiler House moved into a temporary home within the disused Black Hole tent. The new site weakened the experience of both attractions and compared to the amazing Terror of the Towers (which was free) there was very little to justify the extra expense of the 2 mazes. Carnival managed a serviceable reshuffle of the main themes, but Boiler House felt tired and lazy with large portions of the maze reverting to strobes and security fencing for the finale.
The ride makeover of Duel didn't return but 2011 did see the introduction of the Zombies: Scare Zone which went down a storm with guests and enthusiasts alike. Using a small disused walkway and some old vehicles, the Scare Zone was atmospheric and fun but most importantly was free and you didn't have to queue hours for it!
Scare Rooms returned with a much more cohesive storyline although due to noise issues generally closed by about midnight!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2011 review
On first appearance, 2011 looked to be fairly unchanged from 2010. The biggest difference being that The Carnival of Screams and Boiler House moved into a temporary home within the disused Black Hole tent. The new site weakened the experience of both attractions and compared to the amazing Terror of the Towers (which was free) there was very little to justify the extra expense of the 2 mazes. Carnival managed a serviceable reshuffle of the main themes, but Boiler House felt tired and lazy with large portions of the maze reverting to strobes and security fencing for the finale.
The ride makeover of Duel didn't return but 2011 did see the introduction of the Zombies: Scare Zone which went down a storm with guests and enthusiasts alike. Using a small disused walkway and some old vehicles, the Scare Zone was atmospheric and fun but most importantly was free and you didn't have to queue hours for it!
Scare Rooms returned with a much more cohesive storyline although due to noise issues generally closed by about midnight!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2011 review
2012 - Attractions: Terror of The Towers: What Lies Within, Zombies ScareZone , Carnival of Screams. The Sanctuary, Scare Rooms
Terror of the Towers returned for its 4th year as What Lies Within and although the show still provided some great scares - we hope that this is the final season and that we see something new next year. Carnival of Screams was back again with a new venue and some extra outdoor scenes but failed to ignite the imagination with an extremely lacklustre ending.
The incredible Zombies ScareZone moved to a new location and possibly suffered in comparison to the classy debut in 2012. The route was more linear and although the actors were some of the best zombies we've seen in a while - the whole thing was a fun diversion and less of a "must -see" attraction.
That title went to the incredibly atmospherc, freaky and bizarre Sanctuary that went back to the old school of scare attractions and created something new, original and fun. The Sanctuary was like a breath of fresh air at the event and showed that when allowed some free rein, the creative team at Alton can come up with some of the best attractions around.
Over at the hotels, the Scare Rooms revisited the story of Altonville (synonymous with the Field of a 1000 Screams in 2007 to 2009) and created the most comprehensive story with themed staff, waiters, creatures and more
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2012 review
Terror of the Towers returned for its 4th year as What Lies Within and although the show still provided some great scares - we hope that this is the final season and that we see something new next year. Carnival of Screams was back again with a new venue and some extra outdoor scenes but failed to ignite the imagination with an extremely lacklustre ending.
The incredible Zombies ScareZone moved to a new location and possibly suffered in comparison to the classy debut in 2012. The route was more linear and although the actors were some of the best zombies we've seen in a while - the whole thing was a fun diversion and less of a "must -see" attraction.
That title went to the incredibly atmospherc, freaky and bizarre Sanctuary that went back to the old school of scare attractions and created something new, original and fun. The Sanctuary was like a breath of fresh air at the event and showed that when allowed some free rein, the creative team at Alton can come up with some of the best attractions around.
Over at the hotels, the Scare Rooms revisited the story of Altonville (synonymous with the Field of a 1000 Screams in 2007 to 2009) and created the most comprehensive story with themed staff, waiters, creatures and more
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2012 review
2013 - Attractions: Terror of the Towers: What Lies Within. The Sanctuary and Carnival of Screams, Zombies scare zone
The Sanctuary opened for the early part of the 2013 season with a few subtle changes for the better. As the opening date of The Smiler approached, the attraction was shuttered until Hallowen
Click here to read the Sanctuary 2013 review
Also returning this year were Terror of The Towers and Carnival of Screams. In an interesting move, Carnival of Screams was now included in the standard park admission while The Sanctuary and Terror of the Towers became pay extra attractions. We had expected the Terror of The Towers to get a massive makeover but despite some lively acting and a couple of small cosmetic changes, it was the same story as previously.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2013 review
Over at the hotel, The Altonville story came to a big finale with a meal/show/scare room special that started early in the evening and went through to late. The whole show revolved around a very unique wedding ceremony, which in true theme park style , suddenly took a turn for the worse!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR ScareRoom 2013 review
The Sanctuary opened for the early part of the 2013 season with a few subtle changes for the better. As the opening date of The Smiler approached, the attraction was shuttered until Hallowen
Click here to read the Sanctuary 2013 review
Also returning this year were Terror of The Towers and Carnival of Screams. In an interesting move, Carnival of Screams was now included in the standard park admission while The Sanctuary and Terror of the Towers became pay extra attractions. We had expected the Terror of The Towers to get a massive makeover but despite some lively acting and a couple of small cosmetic changes, it was the same story as previously.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2013 review
Over at the hotel, The Altonville story came to a big finale with a meal/show/scare room special that started early in the evening and went through to late. The whole show revolved around a very unique wedding ceremony, which in true theme park style , suddenly took a turn for the worse!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR ScareRoom 2013 review
Terror of the Towers cast photos used with permission. Please do not steal or re-use.
2014 - Attractions: Terror of the Towers: What Lies Within. The Sanctuary, Zombies scare zone, Scary Tales scare zone, The Ultimate Sleepover
In a move that disappointed many fans, the park decided to drop The Carnival of Screams and left us with just Terror of the Towers and The Sanctuary as paid mazes. No maze experiences were included in park entry. To make up for this - a second scare zone was added. Scary Tales, was a very well executed walkthrough that due to quite narrow paths and a few structures, actually felt a bit more maze like than a scare zone. The attraction was populated with some twisted fairy tales characters and proved quite popular with the guests.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2014 review
Into the night, the scare rooms also departed in 2014 but in their place came the Ultimate Sleepover, set in the Towers ruins themselves. The overnight event started as a fun ghost hunt with some zany ghostbusters but soon built up to a terrifying special effect "seance" that left everyone shaking.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR Ultimate Sleepover 2014 review
In a move that disappointed many fans, the park decided to drop The Carnival of Screams and left us with just Terror of the Towers and The Sanctuary as paid mazes. No maze experiences were included in park entry. To make up for this - a second scare zone was added. Scary Tales, was a very well executed walkthrough that due to quite narrow paths and a few structures, actually felt a bit more maze like than a scare zone. The attraction was populated with some twisted fairy tales characters and proved quite popular with the guests.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2014 review
Into the night, the scare rooms also departed in 2014 but in their place came the Ultimate Sleepover, set in the Towers ruins themselves. The overnight event started as a fun ghost hunt with some zany ghostbusters but soon built up to a terrifying special effect "seance" that left everyone shaking.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR Ultimate Sleepover 2014 review
2015 - Attractions: Terror of the Towers: What Lies Within, Sub Species: The End Games, The Haunting of Molly Crowe, Nox Infernus scare zone, Dark Apocalypse scare zone, Sub Species: Operation Lockdown
2015 was essentially the biggest upgrade the event had ever seem with two band new mazes and two scare zones. Earlier in the year, the park suffered from awful publicity due to the terrible crash on The Smiler rollercoaster and it looked like Halloween may not even return. As it was - it gave the park a massive spike in attendance due to the incredible new attractions that were debuted
Sub Species: The End Games was like nothing ever seen before at the park, with its physical contact, multiple routes, and separation of groups etc. Widely regarded as the best maze in the UK, the park took home the coveted SCAR award at this year's ScareCON for "Best Halloween Maze"
The Haunting of Molly Crowe went down the "hooded maze" route, with guests wandering through the dark before being assaulted by a stunning finale. Most scare attraction fans loved it, but compared to the detailed theming in Sub Species and Terror of the Towers, public reaction was less favourable.
Across the park, the two scare zones followed the example of our US cousins and mostly involved placing some actors on a couple of the main park pathways and letting them interact closely with gusts as they wander through. Opinion as to the effectiveness of these scare zones varied, but it was a great chance for normal park guests to enjoy a few scares without having to pay and queue for the mazes.
Late at night - once the park closed, Sub Species became the location for Operation Lockdown, a hybrid room escape/extreme maze experience, which utilised detailed storytelling with some unique puzzles and scares. The highlight being a terrifying "dead man's button" challenge that left each of us stood alone in the pitch dark of the maze while creatures roamed around us! Genuinely terrifying!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2015 review
2015 was essentially the biggest upgrade the event had ever seem with two band new mazes and two scare zones. Earlier in the year, the park suffered from awful publicity due to the terrible crash on The Smiler rollercoaster and it looked like Halloween may not even return. As it was - it gave the park a massive spike in attendance due to the incredible new attractions that were debuted
Sub Species: The End Games was like nothing ever seen before at the park, with its physical contact, multiple routes, and separation of groups etc. Widely regarded as the best maze in the UK, the park took home the coveted SCAR award at this year's ScareCON for "Best Halloween Maze"
The Haunting of Molly Crowe went down the "hooded maze" route, with guests wandering through the dark before being assaulted by a stunning finale. Most scare attraction fans loved it, but compared to the detailed theming in Sub Species and Terror of the Towers, public reaction was less favourable.
Across the park, the two scare zones followed the example of our US cousins and mostly involved placing some actors on a couple of the main park pathways and letting them interact closely with gusts as they wander through. Opinion as to the effectiveness of these scare zones varied, but it was a great chance for normal park guests to enjoy a few scares without having to pay and queue for the mazes.
Late at night - once the park closed, Sub Species became the location for Operation Lockdown, a hybrid room escape/extreme maze experience, which utilised detailed storytelling with some unique puzzles and scares. The highlight being a terrifying "dead man's button" challenge that left each of us stood alone in the pitch dark of the maze while creatures roamed around us! Genuinely terrifying!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2015 review
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2016 - Attractions: Terror of the Towers: What Lies Within, Sub Species: The End Games, Altonville Mine Tours: Uncover the Legend of the Skinsnatchers, Freak Show scare zone, Dark Apocalypse scare zone and House of Monsters family scare maze
New for 2016 was a maze that went through a number of name changes. It started out being called Skinsnatchers and then was renamed to become Altonville Mine Tours: Uncover the Legend of the Skinsnatchers. The maze itself utilised a never before used entry point into the Towers ruins and then passed through a lot of the route of The Sanctuary. Terror of the Towers got another route change although the theme and story remained as before. The fact that the route no longer went DOWN into the finale in the basement slightly weekend the impact. Finally Sub Species was back but just with one exit following the retirement of the unreliable oversized alien puppet.
This year also saw the introduction of a fantastic family friendly event called The House of Monsters. This show was a perfect introduction to younger scare fans and mixed spooky fun with a genuinely scary finale that we soon dubbed “my first strobe maze”. Finally the Nox Infernus scare zone was retired and replaced with Freak Show - a fun a and freaky take on a twisted carnival. What we liked in this area was some of the unique oversized and colourful props scattered through the zone.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2016 review
New for 2016 was a maze that went through a number of name changes. It started out being called Skinsnatchers and then was renamed to become Altonville Mine Tours: Uncover the Legend of the Skinsnatchers. The maze itself utilised a never before used entry point into the Towers ruins and then passed through a lot of the route of The Sanctuary. Terror of the Towers got another route change although the theme and story remained as before. The fact that the route no longer went DOWN into the finale in the basement slightly weekend the impact. Finally Sub Species was back but just with one exit following the retirement of the unreliable oversized alien puppet.
This year also saw the introduction of a fantastic family friendly event called The House of Monsters. This show was a perfect introduction to younger scare fans and mixed spooky fun with a genuinely scary finale that we soon dubbed “my first strobe maze”. Finally the Nox Infernus scare zone was retired and replaced with Freak Show - a fun a and freaky take on a twisted carnival. What we liked in this area was some of the unique oversized and colourful props scattered through the zone.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2016 review
2017 - Attractions: Terror of the Towers: What Lies Within, Sub Species: The End Games, Altonville Mine Tours: Uncover the Legend of the Skinsnatchers, The Welcoming: Be Chosen, House of Monsters family scare maze, Freak Show ScareZone
2017 saw another new maze added to the line up as The Welcoming: Be Chosen was added to the courtyard area in Mutiny Bay. This maze was a mixture of indoor and outdoor elements and was meant to be an introduction to the characters and back story of th Wicker man rollercoaster being built at the park. Tying in with the sacrificial story of the coaster, the maze also featured several impressive fire effects.
The other three scare mazes, remained pretty much untouched but with a fake gift shop added to the finale of Skinsnatchers,and some small changes to some of the scenes in House of Monsters.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2017 review
2017 saw another new maze added to the line up as The Welcoming: Be Chosen was added to the courtyard area in Mutiny Bay. This maze was a mixture of indoor and outdoor elements and was meant to be an introduction to the characters and back story of th Wicker man rollercoaster being built at the park. Tying in with the sacrificial story of the coaster, the maze also featured several impressive fire effects.
The other three scare mazes, remained pretty much untouched but with a fake gift shop added to the finale of Skinsnatchers,and some small changes to some of the scenes in House of Monsters.
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2017 review
2018 - Attractions: Sub Species: The End Games, Altonville Mine Tours: Uncover the Legend of the Skinsnatchers, The Welcoming: Be Chosen, Project 42, House of Monsters family scare maze.
The big shock this year was that Terror of the Towers had finaly retired from the park. The news of its dearture was bitter sweet, most people agreed that What Lies Within story was getting old, but it was quite strange to see the brand disappear as a whole. In its place, we got Project 42 which was held in the building of the now disused Nemeseis Sub Terra. The maze was intense with some great design and concepts.
The other scare mazes, saw some changes including the removal of the hooded section in The Welcoming and House of Monsters was updated to include a new room with an hilarious stoner duo reminiscent of Bill and Ted!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2018 review
The big shock this year was that Terror of the Towers had finaly retired from the park. The news of its dearture was bitter sweet, most people agreed that What Lies Within story was getting old, but it was quite strange to see the brand disappear as a whole. In its place, we got Project 42 which was held in the building of the now disused Nemeseis Sub Terra. The maze was intense with some great design and concepts.
The other scare mazes, saw some changes including the removal of the hooded section in The Welcoming and House of Monsters was updated to include a new room with an hilarious stoner duo reminiscent of Bill and Ted!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2018 review
2019 - Attractions: The Attic: Terror of the Towers, Sub Species: The End Games, Altonville Mine Tours: Uncover the Legend of the Skinsnatchers, Project42, Darkest Depths family scare maze, Alton Towers Dungeon
This year saw two major additions to the line up - the return of Terror of The Towers and a brand new family maze called Darkest Depths. The Attic was set in the Towers ruins and was deemed to have occupied the "same universe" as the previous Terror of the Towers attractions. The maze was beautifully designed, with some amazing scares and an engaging story.
With the House of Monsters being cleared for the start of construction on the 2020 Gangsta Granny ride, Darkest depths was announced as the family friendly scare maze for the year. The attention to detail and theming in this maze was some of the highest we have ever seen from Alton Towers and the maze was a massive hit with fans.
The final addition to the Scarefest line up was the appearance of the Alton Towers Dungeon which had opened earlier in the season.
The remaining mazes all has some sort of tweak for 2019, and this was clearly one of the strongest years of Scarefest at the resort!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2019 review
This year saw two major additions to the line up - the return of Terror of The Towers and a brand new family maze called Darkest Depths. The Attic was set in the Towers ruins and was deemed to have occupied the "same universe" as the previous Terror of the Towers attractions. The maze was beautifully designed, with some amazing scares and an engaging story.
With the House of Monsters being cleared for the start of construction on the 2020 Gangsta Granny ride, Darkest depths was announced as the family friendly scare maze for the year. The attention to detail and theming in this maze was some of the highest we have ever seen from Alton Towers and the maze was a massive hit with fans.
The final addition to the Scarefest line up was the appearance of the Alton Towers Dungeon which had opened earlier in the season.
The remaining mazes all has some sort of tweak for 2019, and this was clearly one of the strongest years of Scarefest at the resort!
Click here to read the ScareTOUR 2019 review
2020 - Attractions: TBC
At the time of writing, the line-up for 20202 has yet to be announced. A recent post promoting the resort's 40th birthday, has hinted that we will see the "gardens in a new light". Could this be a return of Mignight in the Garden of Evil, or something completely new?
As for any scare zones we need to wait until the official announcement.
At the time of writing, the line-up for 20202 has yet to be announced. A recent post promoting the resort's 40th birthday, has hinted that we will see the "gardens in a new light". Could this be a return of Mignight in the Garden of Evil, or something completely new?
As for any scare zones we need to wait until the official announcement.
ScareFest promotional images through the years:
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