Doomtown
Friday, September 30, 2011
Right now, vacant strip malls, dead supermarkets and empty lots across the U.S. are being transformed into even creepier places for Halloween. But one place stands out above all of these mutations: Arizona’s The Nest Haunted House at Rawhide. And like Jason Voorhees, it has returned yet again to scare the bejeezus out of us.
This devilish promenade sprawls out its wonderland of terror under a 55,000-square-foot structure at Rawhide Western Town, south of Chandler. Last Halloween, The Nest was crowned by MSN, Good Morning America, MTV and others as king of haunted destinations in America. If this isn’t enough of a reason to visit, here’s a small preview to put you on the edge of your seat.
A disorienting walk through a maze of mirrors begins your experience. After a stroll through gravestones, you dive into a 3-D world of clowns and skulls. You sway across swirling walkways, through waves of vertigo. Along the way, living statues, zombies and the maniacal dreadlocked cigar-chompin’ Reverend Fishcrackers keep you company. Then you stumble into a harsh lesson in claustrophobia as you push your way through the darkness of The Void.
The Nest at Rawhide
5700 West North Loop Road
Chandler, Arizona 85226
Now that your nerves are rattled, you’re approaching the main attraction – a tour through the world of Jacob Kell.
Kell was a very real serial killer in the small town of Wenden, Arizona, who stood over 6 feet tall at age 15. He walked the earth with a mental handicap and voices that told him to do unimaginable things. In September 1945, those voices led him on a murderous spree, violently slaughtering over 30 people. The terror ended when a posse tracked him down and shot him as he held his own sister’s body.
You may have realized by now, this is no experience for anyone under 12. And anyone under 16 had better have steely nerves to not run for an exit. As for the upper age limits, Glenn Rea, co-producer of The Nest, proudly escorts his 97-year-old grandmother through the haunted house. She even offers suggestions to improve Rea’s masterfully created world.
Indeed, this wickedly fun world is part of a larger experience for the entire family. All of Rawhide’s faux-boomtown has been transformed into a “doomtown,” complete with zombie paintball, train tours and pony rides that make a drive to Rawhide worthwhile.
And, if you have any guts left, don’t forget to go on The Last Ride. This is the cherry on the icing or should we say “dirt on the coffin?” Crawl in to a coffin. Watch the lid close. Hold on tight and breath deep!
