Town of Deadwood presents Deadwood Inn

Now in their third year, the Town of Deadwood continues their ever-changing theme by introducing Deadwood Inn. With an absolutely breathtaking two-story façade facing the street, all passerby’s will see Deadwood Inn and immediately stop for pictures and to investigate further. While the actual maze is more a singular lengthy hallway with a few turns, the experience packs a punch, with numerous scare-actors hidden within every corner and turn found. The actors won’t touch you, but with the smaller hallways, this can feel scary for younger kids, despite the short experience length of two or so minutes.

The entirety of the front yard (from the walkway to the home and the area in front) is completely decorated to set the appropriate atmosphere. Replacing their Western theme from last year (complete with Jail, Morgue, and Saloon), Deadwood Inn replaces the cowboy aesthetic of tumbleweeds, swinging doors, and hay bales, and replaces it with skeletal bellhops, Dead and Breakfast signs, and plenty of twinkle lights. The Western façade still peeks through, but that’s understandable without fully redesigning it from the ground up. Pumpkin headed trick or treaters, skeletal horses, and day-of-the-dead themed families wait for an opening at the Inn.

A large window showcases the lobby of the hotel. Signs that say “Check in Only” and “A Place to Rest Your Body” poke cheeky fun at the theme. Numerous room keys hang behind a skeletal receptionist, all saying Room 1313. There’s some luggage scattered around and the saloon bartender from last year. It’s a cool display—with plenty of character and customization added by creators Mike and Beverly.

Now, stepping into the haunt, the air is thick with fog and a haze hides the scare actors wonderfully. Room 1313 glows a neon green on the doors—but sadly, none of them open. Paying homage to the Overlook Hotel, a pair of ghastly twins await by the stairs and direct you down a long hallway. Here, red eyes glow through the haze, and a man in a skeletal mask raises his fingers to his lips, begging you to “shhh.” The diversion works, as a scare actor jumpscares from behind, and I’m ushered out through the side door. It’s a quick experience, but for a free home haunt, Deadwood Inn has a lot of character.

It’s difficult to change themes each year, and Deadwood Inn does a wonderful job of taking what came prior and only adding to it with some shifts in décor and style. This expertly captures an atmosphere that is part The Shining, part Haunted Mansion, and part Western Inn. Mike and Beverly have created something special, and I know I’ll be back each year to see more of the Town of Deadwood.

For those adding to their OC Haunt Crawl, make sure to add Twisted Dreams to the list as it pairs wonderfully with Deadwood Inn. Town of Deadwood is located at 7475 Mohawk Cir, Buena Park, CA 90620. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.

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