Lake Hickory Haunts utilizes a massive 60-acre plot, featuring 9 unique haunted attractions. All attractions are included in a single ticket price. There are indoor attractions, outdoor attractions, and scares in between with each delivering a wide variety of sets, scenes and scares. Best of all, Lake Hickory Haunts is unique to other attractions, as the entire tour is centered by a large body of water creating a chill-inducing backdrop. Throughout the whole venue, they showcase astounding special FX, actors, scares & sets using lighting, fog, scents, sounds, CGI, pyrotechnics & more. They custom build each haunted house attraction to ensure every set uniquely immerses its patrons into each theme. Guests experience the horror as if they were truly there, and each attraction seamlessly transitions from one to the next, so guests experience a full storyline throughout.

The Midway of Mayhem is the first attraction and offers activities, shops, and a wide variety of entertainment. Typically, the wait at most haunts is not a fun place to be, but it is at Lake Hickory Haunts, because their guests can enjoy midway entertainment and attractions until the DJ calls their group to enter. The Midway’s newest attraction is the 4D Asylum Experience which is an immersive 4-dimensional simulation that utilizes touch, smell, sight and movement to create a scary and realistic reenactment of asylum experimentation conducted by doctors and nurses during the late 1800’s. Another unique attraction featured on the midway is Relic, a voodoo themed mini-escape game which allows patrons 3 minutes to escape the room using clues & puzzles. Live entertainment can always be found on the midway whether it’s coming from the state of the art Lake Hickory Haunts stage, bellowing from the DJ Crows Nest, or from actors roaming amongst the crowd. Guests are always welcome to take photos & video to capture memories of their visit. Other midway offerings include: concessions, the Monster Mart gift shop, psychic readings, photo opportunities, an awe-inspiring overlook of the entire Lake Hickory Haunts tour & more. The Midway of Mayhem is only a taste of what is yet to come during a guest’s visit at Lake Hickory Haunts.


    
Upon entering the heart and soul of Lake Hickory Haunts, guest face their greatest fears in the Nightmare Factory. It’s an old decrepit 3500 square foot building with a mind of its own. Dr. Death and his nurses have created a fast-acting serum know as NR2. Upon entry, victims are showered by NR2, which takes their worst nightmares and turns them into reality. The Nightmare Factory aggressively delivers non-stop terror and scares throughout its entirety. Throughout this horrific beast, victims encounter Dr. Death, the Asylum, Granny’s House of Horrors, the Doll Factory, the Boiler room, and the Heart of the Factory. The Nightmare Factory is one of the most heart-pounding and challenging attractions. For this reason, some guests won’t even make it through before deciding it’s too scary. The Nightmare Factory is a horrifically perfect introduction of what’s more to come.
    
Between life & death, undead creatures wander endlessly in despair in the Lair of the Undead. Their souls are trapped in a realm between reality & dream, and they will do whatever it takes to regain their life. Some of these foul creatures have some soul left, some do not. Zombies, spirits, and everything in-between lurk within the lair. Some slow, some fast, but they all have one mission…to take a living soul and make it their own. The Lair of the Undead is a splendid showcase of Lake Hickory Haunts’ variety of industry leading actors, makeup, costumes and imagination.
    

 



Utilizing its unique location along the banks of Lake Hickory, Shipwrecked is an astonishing attraction within Lake Hickory Haunts. A crew of undead pirates are shipwrecked, the cause unknown; however, they blame the “mortals” for their luck. Now they seek revenge. This soulless crew of pirates have united with an insidious group of voodoo practitioners. Together, they seek to loot, torture, and massacre as many mortals as they can. Shipwrecked combines the classic theme of brutal undead pirates with ancient tales of voodoo & witchcraft. Together, they present an incredible, immersive storyline which simultaneously creates a threatening and uneasy environment for patrons. However, Shipwrecked is a walk-in- the-park in comparison to what lies beyond the depths of the jungle.
    
While some haunted attractions might have a weak spot in the middle of their tour, this is not the case at Lake Hickory Haunts. Right in the center of the hour-long tour, Extinction awaits. This one of a kind attraction combines incredible animatronics, ridiculous special FX, and unbelievable visuals. Grouped with a wide-array of sea-creatures, aliens, and mad-scientists, Extinction reigns itself superior to any other Sci-fi themed attraction. Before approaching the core part of Extinction, tension builds as guests travel through Mutant Alley. From Mutant Alley, guests see the smoke, hear the alarms, and feel the terror emitting from the entrance of Extinction and its facilities. Once inside, a sinister Xenomorph awaits. This alien has not come from outer space but has emerged from the depths below the dark waters of Lake Hickory. Known as Kluath, this creature has powers beyond human comprehension. Its intentions are world domination by means of mutation and genocide of the human race. Its menacing laboratory is found on the banks of the water. Inside, Kluath conducts abominable experiments in which humans, sea creatures, and many other life forms are genetically and physically combined or mutated to create a new race of abominable creatures. Kluath is building an army with plans to destroy all humans, and his sinister power is unmatched by any force in the world. Within Extinction, water, laboratories, and unknown dimensions await. Extinction is a state-of-the-art, Hollywood quality attraction. Extinction alone would be well worth the admission price.
    
After Extinction, guests make their way to a post-apocalyptic attraction, known as Aftermath. If you’ve ever seen Mad Max or Walking Dead, you can imagine what Aftermath is like. This attraction taunts guests with a giant territorial wall, like Alexandria in the Walking Dead. Guests come toe-to-toe with defensive survivalists on the brink of extinction. Using busses, cars, metal and anything else they can get their hands on, Aftermath inhabitants built a small city surrounded by walls to protect themselves from outside threats. Anything and anyone that doesn’t live within their walls are a threat to survival. Using guns, man-made weapons & tools, these once civilized humans are now a force to be reckoned with.
    
While Aftermath is threatening, the Slaughterhouse is sickening. Standing beyond the banks of Lake Hickory is an abandoned slaughterhouse. In the early 1900’s, this slaughterhouse was utilized mostly for cattle & chicken. Unfortunately, the slaughterhouse was closed & condemned when modern corporations took over the industry, but recently a hoard of brutal and cynical cannibals, led by a monstrous madman named Leatherface, have taken shelter inside, turning the old slaughterhouse into a sick and demented place of unthinkable horrors. The Slaughterhouse “family” have endless tools and torture devices used to kill captured humans. This horrifying attraction uses smell, touch, sound, climate control and visuals, bringing to life a new dimension of sick and twisted scares & scenes, and prepares guests for the insanity that’s next to come.


 

    
Once guests have survived the Slaughterhouse, their demise is apparent in Descent. Descent is a brand-new attraction for 2018. Throughout Descent, guests will make their way through a dark and treacherous descent into a cave with unknown horrors… and anomalies. Descent features an actual underground cave! That’s right folks, Lake Hickory Haunts will feature a real and legitimate underground cave. The cave is not just an illusion, guests will literally make their way underground to feature some of their greatest fears. Lake Hickory Haunts is holding true to its reputation by delivering another never-before seen attraction. Within the cave, guests will come face to face with even more fear-filled elements, creatures and special FX including catacombs, caverns, sewers, mineshafts, and total darkness. Descent is sure to be a top-rated haunted house attraction at Lake Hickory Haunts in 2018.  
    
Lastly, guests come face to face Boss the Clown and his Big Top Circus. Boss the Clown is one of the original and most well-known iconic characters. The Big Top Circus has served as a staple in Lake Hickory Haunts since opening in 2012. As guests approach the colorful and seemingly fun-filled Big Top Circus, they hear circus music, smell cotton candy, and watch as clowns dance around and entertain. The Circus is fun and unbelievably cool, but the fun ends where the terror begins, because this is just a trick to lure unsuspecting victims. Boss is another sick and twisted monster with cruel intentions. He brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘evil clown’. His Circus is known as the best evil circus in the Carolina’s. Boss and his clowns use sinister science and experimentation to mutate all humans into killer clowns. His goal…world domination. He is determined to place clowns at the top of the ‘food chain’. If anyone attempts to escape they will be captured and forcibly transformed. The madness, terror, and agony that wait within Boss’s Laboratory are beyond human comprehension. Once inside the Circus, there is no way to escape the horror’s which have been created by the sick and demented mind of Boss. Within the Big Top Circus, Lake Hickory Haunts showcases the nation’s best group of clown actors. They swing on rafters, stilt walk, jump from place to place, and they are insanely entertaining! Oh, and did I mention?... The Circus is 3D! What else would you expect from Lake Hickory Haunts? This dark, high energy, terrifying madness marks the end of the Lake Hickory Haunts tour. These clowns send patrons running for their lives through the exit and onto the midway, delivering the perfect ending of one of the best haunted attractions in the Carolina’s and throughout the nation.

The A-Team
    
Behind all the madness, Ryan Settlemyre, Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Lake Hickory Haunts contributes most of the haunt’s success to his team. “We have a core group of highly talented and dedicated individuals that I call our A-Team. Without them, Lake Hickory Haunts could not be what it is,” Ryan explained. His team includes an Actor Manager, Art Director, Build Crew, Maintenance, and Customer Manager to name a few.
    
Ryan and his team work together as a unit to achieve their objectives & goals. “Every year we hold a team meeting where we brainstorm our ideas. From there, we collaborate and come together on certain objectives that we want to achieve. These objectives range from building new attractions to improving our costume department and improving our staff’s acting skills. Our ultimate mission is to both scare and entertain, giving customers the most enjoyable and memorable experience possible.” Ryan further explained, “As long as Lake Hickory Haunts is in operation, we will make every decision based on our mission statement and core values. Our team is phenomenal, and I think it’s because everyone gets the mission. It’s not about us or our individual opinions. We believe whole heartedly the customer always knows best. Our haunt fans keep us in operation year after year. They’re the one’s who travel to Lake Hickory Haunts and pay to be entertained. Whether we’re working in January or October, our team consistently keeps the customers interest in mind.”

   

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From young to old, goth to redneck, and everything in-between, Ryan’s team is as diverse as his monsters & haunted houses. “A-team is a group of completely unique individuals that come together for a common cause. Our cause is Lake Hickory Haunts and our haunt fans,” said Ryan. “Our team is made up of people who in most cases might never become friends, but because of Lake Hickory Haunts, unlikely friendships and relationships are made, and that is truly valuable. They are the reasons our team is so special, and why Lake Hickory Haunts will continue to succeed for decades to come.”

 

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