Introduction
Brighton Asylum (Passaic, NJ) is best described as a haunted attraction that places you in the center of movie quality, interactive sets that feature some of the most impressive, immersive set designs that exceed industry standards. Every single room, hallway, and corner is photogenically perfect in the horror sense, a visually haunting, stunning attraction that is on a level of its own. Every scene has no detail overlooked, and few attractions focus so heavily on design quality; clearly, this is a “big budget” show. There is a clear desire to achieve perfection in attraction design, and we should not overlook the character design and performances. Not only will you experience some of the most innovative, gruesome, and creative scenes, but we felt that this season featured an army of intense actors that seem to attack from all angles, playing their respective roles which range from terrifying to twistedly humorous perfectly. Make-up, costume design, and character performance are at the highest level. While this is one of the most aesthetically inspiring attractions in the country, there is equal attention to quality acting and operational professionalism.
The production values of Brighton Asylum are breathtaking, as the design team and management have taken scene creation to a new level. Set within the confines of a large industrial complex, Brighton Asylum transforms each corridor and room into a nightmarish scene with incredible special effects, intricately detailed rooms, professional lighting, and sound effects that create an immersive experience of the highest quality. Very few attractions have a level of detail that causes us to stop entirely and want to explore each room. Obsessive attention to detail makes this attraction stand out. Even the most minor details in each room tell a different story, from “crayon” drawings created by the “insane” on the walls to some of the most lifelike gory props in the industry; each element is carefully planned and implemented to stun the senses and bring to life realistic scenes that transform the entire environment.
An intense level of detail and appreciation for the artistic design is visible in all attractions and different events such as “ax-throwing” and various photo opportunities. Each season, innovation and commitment to building a better show is the primary goal. A “museum of horror,” while many haunts rely on pitch darkness and blinding lights to create fear, Brighton Asylum is designed so guests can see and feel the gruesome details of every scene, and rooms are often “interactive.” Scare performers, while not as interactive as previous seasons due to pandemic safety operations, engage guests with energy, feature impressive make-up and costume designs, and ensures guests “believe” in the chaos they are immersed in
In such a large, big-budget show, guests must experience the show in all its horrific grandeur, and the massive crowd was managed effectively, allowing each group to become immersed in the realism generated by this show. Proper pacing is critical to show enjoyment, and Brighton Asylum’s management paid close attention to ensuring each group received the best experience possible.
Attractions
Brighton Asylum features a massive midway with numerous photo ops, food, music merchandise stand, escape rooms, and even axe throwing on site. A unique “industrial Screampark,” guests can and should spend an entire evening enjoying all the entertainment options offered at this event. A destination this season, Brighton Asylum’s core “haunted” attractions are “Brighton Asylum,” “The Bleeding Grounds,” and the new for 2022 “SubCulture.” A linear interconnected experience, each attraction is world-class in design and creativity, with more actors, legit interactive rooms, and scares that are non-stop and from all directions.
SubCulture
An urban nightmare, the demonic and depraved have taken hold of the subway system underlying the “Brighton Asylum.” A unique take on a haunted attraction, this twisted reflection of a society plunged into the depths of darkness, the journey starts on a simulation of a horror subway, following an adventure into the sewers below. A variety of dangerous/aggressive characters and twisted vagrants that have been stricken with evil are around every corner. Post-apocalyptic warriors “shoot” weapons, swamp creatures bolt out of the depths of the sewers, and the psychotic scourges of society stalk guests throughout this new attraction. In a dystopian nightmare, the demonic influence is evident as one transverse a hallway of satanic worshippers into the depths of a full-blown mass that worships Lucifer himself. “SubCulture” is a warning of what evils can arise in a modern city environment and a memorable, innovative attraction featured at “Brighton Asylum.” “SubCulture” is a nightmarish alternate universe, a dystopian vision of a future corrupted by excess, violence, and the depraved purity of evil. A survival horror experience comes to life, “SubCulture” is one of the most innovative, genre-pushing themes of any attraction featured this season.
Brighton Asylum
“Brighton Asylum” features some of the best set designs, special effects, and unique interactive rooms in any haunted attraction. From a movie quality representation (not an exaggeration) of “Stephen King’s It” to a hallway of containment units featuring the undead bursting at the seams, each scene is unique, diverse, and heavily detailed. The quality of set designs, lighting, and audio effects are top-notch and disorientates guests as they transverse the halls of the “Brighton Asylum.” The attraction’s unique, innovative set designs add to the scares, and the actors become shockingly aggressive in their dedicated efforts to “scare.” We witnessed numerous scare-actors work tirelessly to stalk hapless victims, chasing even some into the stairwells and out of the attraction itself. These actors are insane; they hang from sets, jump from planks, make off-color jokes with guests, and play their roles phenomenally. Constant aggression and scare acting to manage the attraction’s flow are a tribute to the level of detail placed into the haunt’s design. The quality of acting, coupled with high-tech, detailed set designs, make this attraction something special.
The detail and quality of each set design and corridor are impressive and cannot be understated. We often found ourselves admiring each room and each hallway, and every little detail breathes life into this haunted attraction. Animatronics and props are lifelike and feature disturbing imagery, such as tortured half-dead hanging bodies and depictions of gruesome surgery. Not afraid of controversial themes, scenes of satanic sacrifice are depicted with gruesome brutality. For example, a “nun” melts candles onto the helpless body of a victim while crucifixes are turned upward. Haunting corridors feature interactive doors, actors underneath walkways, and doors that move and jolt, leaving little downtime and a constant sense of thrilling horror action. Guests must duck, walk across “unstable” bridges, crawl, dodge massive props that “reach” out for their victims and avoid at all costs the twisted characters who seem focused on trapping each guest within the asylum. “Brighton Asylum” is longer and improved in every way and a spectacle to see. For the most part, pacing prevents “bottlenecking,” but we did run into another group due at some points, but overall, this was not a major show-impacting issue. It is easy to become “immersed” in each scene and focus on each horrific detail. You will want to experience each set in its entirety, and each corridor features action and surprises that scare and challenge guests to escape the “Brighton Asylum.”
The Bleeding Grounds
A haunted “mansion” basked in blood, gore, and unadulterated violence, “The Bleeding Grounds” is a theatrical, realistic representation of what would imagine as a true “house of horrors.” Scenes of violent murder, set upon the thunderous storms, come to shocking life in libraries, dinner tables, and the layers of butchers that violate the victims of the “Bleeding Grounds.”
The “Bleeding Grounds” brings to life a period long in the past, with the perfect combination of scare-acting, the use of technology to create scenes such as massive “thunderstorms,” and interactive rooms that move and force you to duck at times to generate a period-authentic experience. After an upstairs visit through an abandoned library, a rather gruesome “dining room,” and “living room,” the experience becomes even more intense. Hanging bodies, galore mutilations, and insane actors seem to pop out of the most unexpected places, have such character designs, and engage in performances that make one’s skin crawl. While we wish the” finale” were more defined, “Bleeding Grounds” is an adventure into a violent nightmare that is gruesome from start to finish.
Final Word
A genuine “museum” of horror, nightmarish beauty, and immersive elements make this one of the finest attractions one can ever visit Brighton Asylum is one of the most richly detailed haunted attractions one can imagine, every single scene of horror is brought to life with interactive props, world-class sound, lighting, and special effects, and performers that are not only talented but again receive the “big-budget” glitz that allows them to shine. An interactive experience, Brighton Asylum is designed for guests to be “involved” in the show, challenging guests to confront disturbing moments where you have to move dead bodies, the entrails of those slaughtered, and escape from “padded” rooms that move and disorientate. Not enough can be said about the detail and creativity level in each scene. Quality acting performances that embrace dark humor, aggression, and madness add depth to an attraction that heavily relies on atmosphere and thematic excellence.
Brighton Asylum is one of the few haunted attractions that not only outdoes itself every single season; it goes overboard in terms of implementing the latest in haunted attraction technology, set design, sound, and show performance. It is hard to fathom how a “haunted house” can be interactive. Yet, the technology and design implemented by attraction designers focus on presenting an entirely transformative, immersive experience unlike any other haunted attraction, Rooms will “move” animatronics. Actors attack from all angles (above and BELOW) and there is constant action set upon some of the finest scenes draped in horror. You will not find a haunted house or scare park that is as detailed and interactive and one that brings to life horrific imagery that transforms one’s entire experience.
The designers of Brighton Asylum have exhausted almost all possible resources to bring to life three diverse haunted attractions, each boasting the finest in scene design, audio, animatronics, and rooms that come to shocking life. It is one of the few attractions that are so picturesque, practically perfect, that each scene can be explored for an eternity to pick up on every intricate detail above, in front, and below each guest. A genuine 360-degree, interactive experience, Brighton Asylum is truly a premier haunted attraction/industrial haunted scare park and one that continues to raise the bar in innovative themes and design excellence. One of the finest you can ever visit, be sure to enjoy the gloriously violent, action-packed visit to an attraction that exceeds the hype every single season, the Brighton Asylum!
Strengths
- Scene Design, Special Effect, Sound and Atmosphere
- Quality of Animatronics, CGI and Interactive Rooms
- Quality Performers, Make-Up and Costume Design
- Innovative Themes
- Industrial “scare-park” numerous extra events and activities including escape rooms and paranormal tours
Room For Improvement
- More Defined “finale” endings to each of the three attractions
- Wish the attractions were even longer, this is a next-level haunt!
Location: 2 Brighton Ave #20, Passaic, NJ 07055
Website: https://www.brightonasylum.com