Official opening night for Arx Mortis haunted attraction and our very first haunt on our 2022 haunt tour. We were very excited to get the year going. From Birmingham it is approx. a 2 hour drive to Arx Mortis. Once you are in Killen, Al, you cannot miss the place. There are so many attractions here running at different various times throughout the year, that there is something for everyone to do. The parking lot was already filling up quickly when we arrived at 7pm. This is a testament to Arx’s history as one of the premier haunts in the state. They also have their Frankenville attraction which will open on October 1. This kid friendly attraction we were introduced to last year and we believe this is a huge opportunity when it comes to haunts.
Arriving at Arx Mortis, they have a very large area for parking, so they can handle some big crowds. When you approach the front gate, they have a VIP entrance as well as a general admission entrance. The line here flows around until you arrive in their updated midway. We were told that with the updates to their front room and midway area they anticipate being able to handle even larger crowds than they have in the past. With this in mind, get there early to avoid the waits.
We’d never do a disservice to the customers by giving away too much information about what you’ll find inside any haunt, but we promise that with Arx Mortis, you will not be disappointed. Props and scenes commonly utilized by Arx year after year appear fresh and still assist with delivering an overall satisfying experience. Truly the only aspect of the experience we both wish was slightly different is that we wish there had been more actors along the outdoor trail. The build up and the fear factor can still be executed if more actors were planted into this trail, but by adding this to the woods they could really take the outdoor sets to the next level. The guests who were in our walk through group expressed the desire to see more actors outside, without us mentioning anything to prompt such a comment.
Improvisation is utilized by the actors, & to our delight. While someone in a stenchy dark hallway screaming “Whatever you do, do not accept the honey buns from them!!!” isn’t point blank scary per se, it was one of the more memorable moments of our 52 minute tour and entertained us thoroughly. An accordion player also made an appearance; we applaud his sense of humor and the entertainment value that he added to our experience, as well as everyone else’s in our group.
Actors generally showed great energy and passion in their performances, as we always expect from Arx. Additionally, they work with their scenes and scene mates to create an overall feeling to the patron - very rarely is an actor given a scene and people to work alongside and the actor goes off and decides to do something all on his or her own. The comradery of the Arx actors is strong, and that’s seen in how they work together to attain their scares within the scenes.
Makeup and costuming for the characters at Arx Mortis are always top notch. You can tell that a lot of thought and care goes into creating the characters. We love that so many of the characters have back stories and actual personalities. This truly allows the actors and actresses to really take things to another level.
We spent some time with one of the gentlemen who runs it, Sonny, he told us of some of the changes made for this year. He told us they clocked it at approx 52 minutes for a walk through…I will say this, they are spot on and I do not think we have ever been in a haunt that lasts that long. Well worth it for sure. The entire property that Arx Mortis is on continues to grow and while haunt is obviously a big deal for them, we recommend checking out their other attractions throughout the year for some fun.
Pricing is also spot on for a great night out. For one haunt you will pay $25 VIP for $45, for the full experience its only $35 with VIP at $55 If you purchase online there is a small fee for the purchase, but we promise the VIP is going to be worth it especially if you want to visit on a very busy night.
Bottom line, if you want a good night out, Arx Mortis is worth your time. If you live out of town, it is well worth the drive. Enjoy your haunt season!
