Sunday, October 13th, 2019
Brighton Asylum
Located at: 2 Brighton Ave, Passaic, NJ, 07055
3 Attractions:
(Portal 9
Brighton Asylum
The Bleeding Grounds)
Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 8/10
Acting Overall: 8/10
Costumes/Makeup Overall: 8/10
Entertainment On Lines: 8/10
Food Options Overall: 5/10
Set Design Overall: 8/10
Props & Animatronics Overall: 8/10
Extreme/Contact: Optional (glow stick)
Free Parking on Premises
We arrived at Brighton Asylum on Sunday October 13th, around 6:30pm. We took our time checking out all the new outside photo ops and other add-on attractions that were added for the 2019 season. Our favorite addition for this year being, a zombified version of Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc gang! As far as outside entertainment goes, there was a great butcher character, a very knowledgeable on point Charles Manson, and Frankie; a high energy inmate that has escaped from the asylum. Every night at Brighton they offer an optional “contact experience”. If you accept a glow necklace the actors can and will touch you, if at any point the contact becomes too much for you, you can simply discard the glow necklace and continue through the haunt. Of course we opted for contact. Lines here tend to get long very quickly, luckily we had Fast Pass tickets so our wait time was around 15 minutes.
(VIDEO OF CHARLES MANSON COMING SOON)
Portal 9:
Actors: 7/10
Makeup/Costumes: 7/10
Use of Props & Animatronics: 7/10
Set Design: 6/10
Overall Attraction Rating: 7/10
Our journey begins at Brighton’s “Research and Development” Center where we underwent a series of “tests” to determine if we were ready to proceed to the asylum. After proving our worth we were loaded onto a subway train to be transported to Brighton. Along the way something terrible happened to the subway train (all part of the experience) and we were forced to disembark and begin the rest of the journey on foot through the tunnels to make our way to the asylum. This adventure consisted of giant sewer rats, a hobo encampment and a satanic cathedral.
Brighton Asylum:
Actors: 8/10
Makeup/Costumes: 8/10
Use of Props & Animatronics: 9/10
Set Design: 9/10
Overall Attraction Rating: 8 /10
After braving the tunnels of Portal 9 we arrived at Brighton Asylum, the main attraction. All of the sets in this attraction are amazing and really create a completely immersive atmosphere that makes you forget about the outside world. This is the longest of the 3 attractions and you won’t want it to end. Alongside some mind-blowing props and animatronics in this attraction, some of our highlights include the actor in the padded cell, the actor with the axe in the “Shining” hallway and the chaotic duo of Momma and Uncle Daddy that made our team member Jon, get inside a refrigerator.
The Bleeding Grounds:
Actors: 8/10
Makeup/Costumes: 8/10
Use of Props & Animatronics: 8/10
Set Design: 9/10
Overall Attraction Rating: 8 /10
The final attraction is located on the “abandoned” 2nd floor above Brighton Asylum. The Bleeding Grounds is said to be the former staff quarters where the asylum staff once worked, slept, researched, and experimented. Again the sets, animatronics and actors were all phenomenal in this attraction as well. Our highlights for this attraction were the female actor that gave Matt a wheel chair ride down a long hallway, the doll room and the greenhouse with man eating plants.
If you are interested in doing any add on experiences during your time at Brighton Asylum they offer five options you can check out:
1. Fracture VR: Experience one of two different virtual reality scenarios in an immersive motion simulation experience. Simulator seats 2 at a time.
2. Fear Pressure: 4 all new 5 minute escape room challenges for the 2019 haunt season.
3. The Hack Shack: Feel the thrill of throwing an axe at a wooden target.
4. The Twitching Hour: Explore the most spiritually active parts of Brighton Asylum with nothing but flashlights and the latest ghost hunting equipment. This paranormal investigation lasts 2 to 3 hours and begins after the haunted houses close for the night. Note, this experience must be booked in advance, limited spots are available.
5. Brighton Asylum Escape: These one hour escape rooms are like no other. Try your hand at escaping either The Tomb or 1408. Open year round, reservations must be made in advance.