Cover Story - 7 local haunted houses to scare your pants off

CL scribes visit Netherworld, Chambers of Horror, Zombie Works, Camp Blood and more

Netherworld Haunted House
?Dates: Through Nov. 8
?Location: Norcross
?Price: $22-$55
?Scare rating: 5 out of 5
?Picture yourself in a horror movie. There’s an undead spell-caster, or a mangling surgeon, or maybe even both, at work — welcome to Netherworld. With 18 years of scares under its belt, and named by TravelChannel.com as one of 2014’s best Halloween attractions, Netherworld immerses visitors in a pair of brand-new haunts: “Season of the Witch” (30 min.) and “Spliced” (10 min.). Don’t be misled by the furniture store next door — hellish creatures await your arrival in the parking lot. Inside the haunts, you’ll have to survive a path through a rotating tunnel and over a bottomless pit as actors in elaborately detailed costumes appear from dark corners, and a cacophonous soundtrack masks the cries of fellow pedestrians. Thurs., Oct. 30, 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1, &emdash;7 p.m.-midnight; Sun., Nov. 2, 7:30-10:30 p.m.;&emdash;Fri.-Sat., Nov. 7-8, 7-11 p.m. Georgia Antique & Design Center, 6624 Dawson Blvd., Norcross. 404-608-2484. www.fearworld.com.

Chambers of Horror
?Dates: Through Nov. 1
?Location: Atlanta
?Price: $17-$50
?Scare rating: 4 out of 5
?Let’s be honest, which is scarier: being spooked by a ghost or trapped wandering through a subterranean torture dungeon and subjected to a series of twisted, perverse medical experiments at the hands of demented researchers? Now in its sixth year, Chambers of Horror at the Masquerade in Old Fourth Ward is back with even more disturbing spectacles that will (or should) scare the pants off most decent human beings. Gather your wits before you step inside Torture Co.’s twisted labs at the Splatter Lounge, an open-air bar near the entrance. If — even after a couple drinks — you are easily offended, weak-stomached, or weirded-out by projectile bodily fluids, this raunchy haunt is not for you. Thurs., Oct. 30, 8 p.m.-midnight; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. The Masquerade, 695 North Ave. N.E. 404-577-8178. www.chambersofhorroratl.com.

Zombie Works
?Dates: Through Nov. 29
?Location: Atlanta
?Price: $25
?Scare Rating: 5 out of 5
?The sun goes down and the living dead come out at Zombie Works, where participants will run for their lives through an interactive course infested with brainless beings. From debriefing in military tents to following the winding paths of a post-apocalyptic terrain, guests are tasked with evacuating the area as zombified people and savage zombie animals lurk around every corner, ready to strike terror in anyone attempting to make it through alive. To ensure survival, guests are given the chance to fight off attacking undead hoards with paintball guns before the final stretch to the safety zone. Thurs.-Sun., 8 p.m.-midnight. Dosser Works Paintball, 125 Milton Ave. S.E. 404-858-4715. www.zombieworks.info.

Camp Blood and Mentalbrook Estates
?Dates: Through Nov. 1
?Location: Carrollton
?Price: $20-$35 (plus $2 convenience fee)
?Scare rating: 5
?Deep in the woods near Carrollton lies a campground haunted by blood-curdling thrills, enough to send chills up the spines of most city-folk brave enough to make the drive there. Camp Blood and Mentalbrook Estates are truly horrifying gems of the Halloween season. Venture out on the nearly half-mile trail of terror, if you dare. The path to salvation is stalked by ghouls and backwater psychos, who all want to have a go at you. Directions there include a John Deere lot and unmarked gravel roads. When you hear the chain saws ripping through the night air, you’re in the right place. Beware the Mystery Maze of Misery. Bonus: $10 hayride and zombie paintball if you want more. Check the website for celebrity appearances and special events. Thurs., Oct. 30, 9-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 9 p.m.-midnight. 2277 Whooping Creek Road, Carrollton. &emdash;770-854-2267. www.campblood.com.

Gates of Misery
?Dates: Through Nov. 1
?Location: Rome
?Price: $15 (discount coupons available online)
?Scare rating: 3 out of 5
?Located in an old antiques market and grocery store, this 12,000-square-foot, two-story collection of horrors provides an abundance of grab-your-friend fright mixed with the occasional misfire. After being spun around in a pitch-black box, visitors tiptoe through themed rooms featuring faux (we think) bathtub suicides, mad hatters, and undead ax murderers lurking in the shadows. The tent maze is sure to freak you the fuck out. Thurs., Oct. 30, 7:30–10:30 p.m.;&emdash;Fri-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 7:30-11 p.m. &emdash;174 Chatillon Road, Rome. 706-676-8328. www.gatesofmisery.com.

Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse
?Dates: Through Oct. 31
?Location: Atlanta
?Price: $25-$45 + $3 parking
?Scare rating: 5 out of 5
?Do you secretly wish a plague of zombies really would infest the planet and you could live like it’s Dawn of the Dead? Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse offers an adrenaline-pumping hell ride with its haunted house-meets-immersive dinner theater experience, where you are the dinner. Beware: AZA is high action, as you sprint to beat bullets and biters for a solid mile, navigating a trashed FEMA facility and a city in ruins. There’s also a paintball zombie shoot if you need more action. The end is nigh for AZA, at least for its current location. Drop what you’re doing and go this weekend. It’s all over come Halloween. But let’s not forget the Rock ‘n’ Roll Monster Bash on Sat., Nov. 1. It’s a closing party of sorts featuring horror film screenings; a dance party; a costume contest; hungry zombies; performances by Gunpowder Gray, the Night Terrors, and Casket Creatures; and other thrills and chills. Thurs.-Fri., Oct. 30-31, 8 p.m. 4215 Thurman Road. www.atlantazombie.com.

Fear the Woods
?Dates: Through Nov. 1
?Location: Stockbridge
?Price: $15-$25
?Scare rating: 2 out of 5
?This is a good haunt for haunted house newbies. Located on a remote farm in rural Stockbridge, about 30 minutes south of Atlanta, this Halloween attraction features three haunts. You’ll hop on the short Haunted Hayride through dark farm fields and arrive at the Haunted Trail. There, you’ll wander through a trail through the middle of the Yule Forests, where you will encounter a handful of surprises. When you return from the woods, the Haunted Barn awaits you with five themed rooms in which you can anticipate meeting some new friends. Thurs., Oct. 30, 7-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 7 p.m.-midnight. 13 Reagan Road, Stockbridge. 770-954-9356.

??5 more Georgia haunts
Talmadge Brothers Funeral Home and Casket Company
?Location: Jasper
?Tour the Talmadge Brothers Funeral Home, which, according to legend, was the locale for horrible acts of violence that still haunt the funeral home today. Are you brave enough to enter? $15-$25. Fri., Oct. 31, 8-11 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 1, 8 p.m.-midnight. 501 Hood Road, Jasper. www.talmadgebroshaunt.com.

13 Stories Haunted House
?Location: Newnan
?13 Stories recently upgraded to a 54,000-square-foot haunt featuring the attractions Ward B, Zombie Alley, Clown Haus, Sacrifice, and the Apocalypse Zombie Kill Experience. $25-$35. Thurs., Oct. 30, 7:30-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.-midnight; Fri.-Sun., Nov. 7-16, 7:30-10 p.m. 320 Temple Ave. W., Newnan. www.13storieshauntedhouse.com.

Blowing Screams Farm
?Location: Flintstone
?An outdoor haunted attraction featuring monsters, bonfires, and more, located just a few miles from Chattanooga in Flintstone, Ga. $16-$25. Fri.-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 7 p.m. 271 Chattanooga Valley Road, Flintstone. www.blowingscreamsfarm.com.

Sinister Suites Haunted Hotel
?Location: Griffin
?Tour all five stories of the hotel, which features 13 themed guest rooms where numerous unexplained experiences and sightings have taken place. $20. Thurs., Oct. 30, 8-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 8 p.m.-midnight. 132 W. Solomon St., ?Griffin. www.sinistersuites.com.

Paranoia Haunted House
?Location: Canton
?Paranoia Haunted House features two attractions: Toxic City and the Forgotten. Walk through the haunts unguided while dodging costumed actors and special effects. $20-$40. Thurs., Oct. 30, 7-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 31-Nov. 1,?7 p.m.-midnight; Sun., Nov. 2, 7-11 p.m. 261 Marietta Road, Canton. 678-793-1544. www.paranoiahaunt.com.