Stillwell Manor – 2016 Review

Overall Score – 3.9/5

(all ratings scored out of 5)

Stillwell Manor

Curb Appeal – 3.3/5
Scare Factor – 3.8/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 5/5
Creativity – 5/5

Overall – 4.3/5

Teresa – I loved this haunt. It was rather unassuming from the outside, but I learned after we entered that the storm had knocked out the power in the front of the building. Once you step inside, it is absolutely fantastic! It has this great handcrafted feel, with very intricate sets. There are so many authentic old props, it has a great old mansion vibe, but the handcrafted aspect lends it a sense of unease, because you’re never sure what to expect. You even enter a closet at one point. The characters are so much fun. They have lots of personality and are very engaging. It isn’t overly scary, but it definitely made me uneasy. It has the same creep factor you get from being in a somewhat claustrophobic abandoned house or theater set. And combining this with the other ones included within Stillwell, it is a lot of bang for the buck. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it if you’re in the area!

Paul – This is one of my favorites. The theming is great, the actors did a fantastic job, and it’s huge. I’m not sure how long we were in the building, but there is a ton of haunt in there. The actual building is an old 8-screen movie theater and a large amount of it is walked through during the experience. You’re in an old manor, full of creepy crazy people, and you need to make your way through and back out. There really wasn’t anything I didn’t like. If I were nitpicking I’d say you could see a little too much up high when you were in some of the rooms, which reminded me I was in an old movie theater. That’s a really minor thing though. Very good job.

Gus – Follow the searchlights to Stillwell Manor! It may look unassuming from the outside, but as soon as you step inside you are transported to a far off castle and your journey begins. Stillwell Manor is a unique haunt that is worth every penny.The actors are very engaging and challenge you and tell you the seedy story of the estate. The mind bending ending is a personal favorite.

Todd – The exterior of Stillwell Manor still generally looks like a movie theater, sans posters for coming attractions. However, the indoor lobby has been beautifully transformed into a spooky, cryptic, graveyard. This was just a small example of the changes to come inside.

Stillwell Manor is one of those haunts that you can just tell it’s build with passion. It’s not perfectly polished like a big-box haunt, but that’s what adds to it’s charm. It’s packed with authentic knick-knacks, trinkets and some weird oddities you probably haven’t seen since The Munsters. The interior has come leaps and bounds since we last saw it two years ago. The rooms feel more full now and very real. You’ll encounter bedrooms, living rooms, a dining room – all which are full of details. Some areas such as halls or faux-outdoor scenes, which may have less detail utilize minimal lighting to keep the scene creepy.

The actors are incredibly energetic and while they’re not always scary, they’re always entertaining (sometimes very funny). Most importantly, they play their roles very well to fit their areas.

It’s clearly evident a lot of hard work has gone into Stillwell Manor over the years and it’s something to be appreciated. We had an absolute blast!

Isabella’s Beyond

Curb Appeal – 2.8/5
Scare Factor – 2.5/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 4.8/5
Creativity – 4/5

Overall – 3.5/5

Teresa – My favorite part of this haunt was the characters. They are so interactive. Like Stillwell Manor, it isn’t overly scary, but it is a lot of fun. They told our fortunes, and I got pulled away by myself, and wound up sitting on a stage for a brief, and somewhat comical séance. Lots of fun!

Paul – This one was a freak show type of haunt. The actors did a great job and there were some really unique features that made it interesting. A lot of interaction with the guests and a really creepy vibe.

Gus – While not particularly scary, Isabella’s Beyond is a twisted carnival full of unexpected twists and turns. It’s never exactly what you expect, which is part of what makes all the Stillwell Manor haunts so appealing. Again, the actors excel here, reading visitors grim fortunes, culminating in a seance.

Todd – Isabella’s Beyond is a new attraction. It’s essentially a re-enactment of the old traveling circus freak shows that haven’t existed for years.

This one has the most opportunities among the three. It’s short, only has a handful of actors and felt like it was lacking material. It’s highly interactive – the actors will stop you and fully engage you within their character’s purpose.

At the end, one lucky person in your group will get their fortune read while the others watch the scene from another room walled off with Plexiglas. This part confused me a bit and it’s hard to describe. From the spectators point of view, you see what looks like a stage where the fortune is being told. You can also see the areas “”off stage””, on which one side an assistant maneuvering props on-stage to aid with the fortune telling experience. From the spectators’ point of view, I was unsure whether we were supposed to be viewing this as if it was a fake setup or not. It surely APPEARED so since we could see the assistant using a pole to dangle props over the wall of the staged set. I’m just not sure what they were going for there.

My suggestion on this one is to really flesh it out or scrap it and expand the manor.

Tantibus

Curb Appeal – 2.5/5
Scare Factor – 3.5/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 5/5
Creativity – 4.5/5

Overall – 3.9/5

Teresa – This one was also really fun. Again the actors were fantastic. The scariest part was going down a giant slide. When you get to the bottom, you land in a giant ball pit, and while you’re trying to wade through, a creepy clown jumps in with you. Awesome! I loved the unexpected passageways too (like going through a gross bathroom stall). All of these haunts aren’t super-scary or gory, but they are tons of fun. The actors are fantastic, as are the sets. I love having a unique and memorable experience, and you get that here.

Paul – I’d say Tantibus is my second favorite of the three haunts here. There were a lot a really good effects, yet again the actors did a great job, and there were more surprises that I didn’t expect. It was dark and pretty suspenseful, and a great haunt overall. I think the combination of the 3 haunts in one building is awesome and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to visit a haunt. Highly recommended.

Gus – Tantibus is all of your fears rolled into one experience you are not sure to forget. This one will have you telling all your friends about how much fun you had in your nightmares. Zombies, clowns, its all here. You’ll be disoriented and love every moment of it.

Todd – Tantibus is the medium sized haunt at Stillwell Manor which spans 2 floors. There’s an unforgettable element within that gets you from one floor to the other – we love it.

In Tantibus you’ll experience different nightmarish scenarios – clowns, being locked in an asylum, surgical experimentation, etc. As in the primary haunt, the actors are very interactive and animated. Since this haunt is a hodgepodge of scenes, it doesn’t really have a central theme, but has the same home-grown charm that the main haunt has.

Overall, Stillwell Manor is a very fun and entertaining haunt. It’s not the scariest one around, but it’s certainly one of the more entertaining ones. It’s quite evident that Darrell and his crew share a passion for haunting.