With Halloween just around the corner, now is the perfect time of year for a night of fright at a haunted house. Since there are so many haunted houses to choose from, it is important to know which attractions are worth visiting. Let me assure you that Phobius Haunted House is definitely one to generate loud screams and leave you feeling satisfyingly scared.

Phobius is located in Wright City, approximately 25 minutes away from St. Dominic High School. It is considerably closer than other popular haunted houses such as Creepyworld and The Darkness. With the ticket building visible from the highway and a large light beam shooting into the sky, it is easy to find. Parking is free and only a short walk is necessary to get from the car to the ticket booths.

Waiting in line to buy or verify tickets is where the haunting begins, with creepy clowns walking around the area. (They also make great Instagram-worthy pictures.) Whether you are waiting in line to buy or simply verify tickets, the crowd moves very quickly. General admission tickets cost $25 and Fear Passes, which allow you to skip the lines going into the attraction, are $35.  I would highly recommend purchasing the Fear Pass as it is worth paying the ten extra dollars to skip the hour-long+ wait to enter the haunted house.

After buying/verifying tickets, it is time to board the Phobius bus and head over to the main attraction.  All the windows on the bus are covered in black paper and the front of the bus holds a curtain separating the passengers from the driver, so you are unable to see where you are going. A clown is also seated with you on the bus to provide entertainment and psych passengers up for the frightening attraction.

Once you have been dropped off at the haunted house, the real scaring begins. A short introduction to the house is given by an actor and then you are instructed to wait in line if you are in General Admission or skip to the front of the line if you have a Fear Pass. Another actor unlocks the door to the house for your group and the screaming begins.

As I do not want to spoil the element of surprise for anyone, I will just give a quick overview of what it is like inside the house. The attraction is set up similarly to a maze where you are constantly twisting and turning in and out of corners trying to find your way through. Actors in costumes jump out at you at the most unexpected times. These actors are notably good at staying in character and interacting with the guests. All aspects of the attraction are perfectly decorated to make it realistic. Whoever is stationed at the front of the line leading the group through the haunted house, I wish them good luck. Some areas are extremely dark and hard to navigate through (my group ran into a few walls and accidentally walked around in circles for awhile). The leader becomes the first target for the actors to scare; however, being in the back of the group means that you will be followed by the characters until you leave their realm of the house.

Walking through the house takes approximately 30 minutes, which is much shorter compared to other haunted houses in the area. However, they make up for it in special effects and scare factor. If you survive the haunted house, there is the opportunity to experience the feeling of being buried alive. Those brave enough to do it pay $5 and are enclosed in a pitch black coffin that simulates your burial. There is also a camera positioned inside of the coffin that projects onto a T.V. so friends and family can watch the experience. People either leave laughing or crying depending on their fears.

Another mini-attraction that Phobius offers is called the Escape Chamber. Walking through the haunted house beforehand is optional, but tickets for the Escape Chamber must be reserved ahead of time. They are $28 per person. Only parties of 4-12 people are accepted. You and your group are locked in one of two rooms, the witch room or the mad scientist room, for an hour. Your job is to complete the puzzle and escape before the hour is up or admit defeat.

To end the night, you must take the bus ride back to the parking lot. The clown is once again stationed on the bus with you.

Phobius Haunted House rates an 8.5 out of 10 stars. While the experience is thrilling and the characters make you scream, it is a shorter haunted house and you have to pay the same amount at Phobius as you would at another longer attraction. However, Phobius Haunted House is highly recommended and will leave you feeling terrified. Check out their website at http://phobiushaunt.com for tickets and details.