The ScareHouse

A group of savage serial killers took over the run down Sunset Lodge. The scenes are various tacky hotel rooms, including a honeymoon suite with heart shaped bed.

Nocturnia is a terrifying tale of wild creatures, twisted illusions, and a final circus of shadows. This haunt was updated to a 3-D haunt in 2017. It is filled with circus performers, clowns, and other creatures.

A collection of cursed artifacts from the darkest corners of the world released a legion of demons from the deepest depths of Hell.

The Basement is not a traditional linear walk through haunted attraction, rather it is an interactive and immersive R-rated experience that involves the actors speaking to and challenging guests. The Basement is designed to provide boundary pushing, intense, thrilling, and emotional experiences in a safe environment. The event is restricted to only one or two guests entering at a time. It is a more intense and thrilling experience with adult content and explicit language. The Basement has also presented additional productions during Christmas, Valentine's Day, and the summer. The Basement is marketed and geared towards those who seek a more extreme experience. Everyone must be 18 years old and sign a waiver before entry.[14] Elijah Wood attended the attraction in 2014 and "raved" about ScareHouse and the Basement on the Seth Meyers show on November 5.[15]

The Basement has received national attention due to the boundary pushing nature of the experience and utilization of social and psychological principles. In 2014 and 2015 the Basement attraction was a site for data collection through the University of Pittsburgh. Researchers collected psychophysiological data from guests who volunteered to participate in the research study designed to gather data during intense, "real world" emotional experiences.[16] The research protocol was a result of investigations into the science of fear by sociologist Margee Kerr, a former ScareHouse consultant [17][18]

The Hall of Nightmares was an assortment of highly detailed scenes and characters that was primarily influenced by EC comics such as Tales From The Crypt, Italian horror movies such as Suspiria, the Haunted mansion at Disney and traditional haunted house situations and scenarios. The designers utilized vibrant colors and stylized scenic design to create a series of thinly connected and surreal scenes involving creatures, clowns, and cloaked figures.[19]

Screamatorium opened in 2007 and was much darker, realistic, and intense than Hall of Nightmares. This attraction was set inside an abandoned research facility dating back to the early 1900s, which was filled with mutated creatures and their helpless victims. The design team took heavy influence from films such as Silent Hill to create a series of medically themed labs, offices, and holding cells lit by flickering incandescent bulbs.[19]

Delirium 3-D first opened in 2008. Guests were given 3-D glasses at the entrance of the haunt to experience the many 3-D effects of the sets. Delirium 3-D took guests into the deranged and demented world of the main character "Delirium", which was filled with fluorescent colors, loud music, puppets, and twisted creatures. The general theme was inspired by a mix of psyho/punk/pop/rave culture. The characters in this haunt were known for their random, confusing, though entertaining sayings and antics. In 2012 the ScareHouse hosted musical artist Delirium Dog,[20] who heavily inspired and took inspiration from the Delirium haunt. Delirium Dog performed live in the haunt during the 2011 season.[21][22]

Rampage! was heavily influenced by steampunk, a subgenre of fantasy and science-fiction that attracted a growing fan base of alternative artists. The term denotes works set in an alternative Victorian era of culture and technology where steam power is still the predominant form of energy. The ScareHouse designers studied reference photos and technical drawings to find inspiration for new costumes, sets, and other production elements.[19]

Rampage! took customers into a world divided by war; on the one side were the 'rebels' who were fighting against the evil 'Die-Rector' and 'Daphnie'. These two characters were featured heavily in ScareHouse ads and promotions. The Die-Rector gained further recognition in 2010 when he was invited to participate in 'Dancing with the Celebrities of Pittsburgh .'[19]

Creepo the Clown

The Forsaken opened in 2009 to replace 'Hall of NightMares.' The Forsaken is set in a mythical town of citizens that have lost their souls and are condemned to stalk and haunt the town. Sets include a broken down and haunted Carnival, complete with demented clowns, roustabouts, and fairway barkers. Other notable sets include a highly detailed and realistic 'game' room and 'butcher' shop complete with stuffed prey and animal carcasses.[23]

The Forsaken introduced the character of 'Creepo,' a murderous clown that became known for taunting and interacting with customers. This character proved so popular that the ScareHouse developed a new haunt, Creepo's Christmas in 3-D, around him as a clown turned Santa Claus.[23]

Infected Zombie

Pittsburgh Zombies opened as the third haunt within The ScareHouse in 2011.[24] The Pittsburgh Zombies attraction features elaborate and Hollywood-quality recreations of iconic Pittsburgh landmarks, while actors portray legions of the walking dead. An experienced team of set designers and scenic artists worked to create a real-life version of the zombie apocalypse that has been so memorably and frighteningly portrayed by the series of Night of the Living Dead films shot in and around the Pittsburgh area over the last forty years. Notable Pittsburgh Zombies sets include a crashed incline cable car, a recreation of Primanti's Brothers restaurant, and a lab where the outbreak started named 'UPEC'.[25]

Creepo's Christmas debuts in 2012 as the newest 3-D haunt. This haunt is built around the character of Creepo, the demented clown from The Forsaken. This experience places guests in a 'creepy' and twisted Christmas town where Creepo, wearing a Santa cap, seethes over early Christmas decorations.[26] According to Scott Simmons, owner and creative director of The ScareHouse, part of the inspiration for this genre came from the ever earlier appearance of Christmas wares in retail stores. Simmons states: "Once the retail stores started displaying Christmas decorations in October, Creepo the Clown decided it was time to take a stand for Halloween."[27]

ScareHouse's expanded tribute to Pittsburgh's Living Dead Legacy surrounds guests with hordes of the hungry dead. The lights are going out and the zombies are getting in.[14]

The Trick 'r Treat attraction is inspired by the Trick 'r Treat film and "Season's Greetings"[28] both by writer and director Michael Dougherty.[29] The attraction is built as a life-size pop up book entirely in black and white. Guests walk through series of rooms themed around rules of halloween including: 1) always wear a costume 2) pass out treats 3) never blow out a jack-o-lantern and 4) always check your candy. This highly artistic attraction utilizes visible luminescent paints which are black light reactive, further creating a realistic feeling pop-up book.

The Krampus attraction is based on the film by Michael Dougherty which was released in 2015. ScareHouse's team of scenic and special effects artists collaborated with Michael Dougherty and Legendary Entertainment to bring many of Krampus' characters to life inside the attraction.[30] The attraction contains recreations of the evil snowmen, gingerbread cookies, Jack-in-the Box, and the Krampus monster. To further promote the film in advance of release, and to give guests a behind the scene look into the characters, Legendary commissioned a small gallery inside the attraction which featured the actual props, costumes, and practical creatures from the special effects company Weta Workshop[31] The attraction also served as the location for film promotion interviews between Michael Dougherty, Krampus actor David Koechner, a variety of press outlets.[29]

The Summoning attraction was introduced in 2013. The attraction is set in the 1930s and based on a secret society called "the Arcana" which is an inspired reimagining of the Elk's fraternal order that occupied the building for 70 years. Further building from the history of the Elk's, many of the scenes are recreation of rooms which existed during their residence; including a game room, large theater, bar, parlor, and lounge. The rooms are all fully themed with time-period appropriate sets and a full cast of actors portraying "sinister" characters.[32][33]