Slim Chance's Chamber of Horrors
5750 Sunrise Highway
Sayville, NY
Step right up to Slim Chance’s Chamber of Horrors! It’s easy to scare people in an abandoned asylum or warehouse, but creating an unsettling environment in a strip mall is an adventurous endeavor. Haunt veteran, Marty Arominski has done just that. What Chamber of Horrors lacks in atmosphere, it makes up in spirit.
When we arrived, we were elated to hear blood curdling screams as two zombies chased a teenage girl through the parking lot…at a full on run. Moments later, a chainsaw wielding clown ran through the crowd, eliciting another round of shrieks. Chamber of Horrors is filled with a cast of demonic characters dying to scare you over, and over and over again.
Is It Scary
According to Proprietor Slim Chance: “We have sights and sounds to thrill you, entertain you, entice you and ultimately leave you and your gallant party of friends and family, screaming, begging, pleading, running for the exits in terror and crying for the very mothers that birthed you!”
The Raven and Black Cat says: Chamber of Horrors is a faced paced, carnival inspired haunt bathed in blood and loaded with disorienting effects and startle scares. If you’re afraid of clowns, spiders, living dead, and can’t help but scream when things go bump in the night, than this is the haunted house for you.
What We Loved
The clever set design allows for multiple points of entry in each room. Instead of lingering after a scare, the actors rush off, creating a glorious wtf moment. Before you can process what just happened, they’re back again for more, sometimes following you through multiple rooms. The heavy use of strobe lights is disorienting and sets you up nicely for startle scares from porcine demons, crazy clowns, and blood thirsty zombies. Favorite moments include a pitch black maze of directional arrows, a Long Island housewife dying to feed us a home baked fetus and a silly sing-a-long rendition of Highway to Hell.
What Could Be Better
We would love to see a unifying theme or story line to tie the rooms together. Character development is always more effective when the actor has a very clear idea of who or what they are portraying. A few characters at Chamber of Horrors had fabulous depth and detail, but many of the actors just screamed in our faces, which is ineffective and irritating. Come up with a story for each room and a background for the characters in it. When the actors know exactly what’s happening and what their objective is, then they can react to the audience as they enter instead of relying on a set script or constant volume. Some of the most unsettling moments can come from just a whisper.
The caged mad doctor throwing entrails is a brilliant idea; the effect will be perfect when you dye the wash cloths dark red to look like bloody flesh.
Final Thoughts
Chamber of Horrors is an evil carnival loaded with startle scares, hair-raising creatures and dizzying effects. The weekend after we visited, Attius Plaza hosted an actual carnival surrounding the haunt with rides, games and food. The combination of the two events makes for a perfect Halloween celebration.
Slim Chance's Chamber of Horrors 2012 Season
October 5 - November 4
Ticket Information
General Admission: $15.00 | RIP Fast Pass: $20.00 | Timed Tickets: $25.00
Age Requirements
According to the official website: "This attraction was not designed for very small children. It’s up to parents to decide if their kids are mature enough for The Chamber. If their age is in single digits and you hope for more, give this careful consideration."
Additional Information
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