Remember 3D mazes? They seem to be a staple at some of the larger theme parks? Six Flags has Sewer of Souls. Knott’s had Uncle Bobo’s Big Top of the Bizarre. Even Halloween Horror Nights brought 3D with This is the End in 2015. These mazes often break up the dark and foreboding nature of others with over-saturated neon colors that seem to just fit so well with contamination themes—or with clowns. Yet, I rarely see this effect used outside of theme parks. Enter Fear in 3D. This haunt brings Southern California a full, expansive 3D maze.

Fear in 3D offers The Experiment, located in the Shoppes at Chino Hills. It’s a traditional haunted attraction in which you walk through various corridors while wearing 3D glasses the entire time. The bright neon color and gorgeous art inside all serve to make the sets feel layered and deep, as if you are moving through a vivid nightmare. While the experience is a full twenty-minutes, we were wishing we could go through a second time, just to marvel at the art inside once again.

There’s no apparent narrative inside, only an implied through-line in which we are the titular Experiment and, as such, we must navigate our deepest, brightest fears brought to life. The sets shift from classic ones veterans should expect: a hospital scene turned laboratory, a graveyard, a swamp (with some wonderfully textured flooring that shifts as you move), a space themed area, and of course, clowns. While they aren’t pushing any boundaries here—they are bringing some haunt favorites together in one greatest hits volume for you to enjoy. If you’re a fan of 3D, they give you a full serving, compared to the small snacks you may have received in the past.

Where Fear in 3D does innovate is in its art. The set designers should be incredibly proud—every wall is decorated in graffiti-styled paintings of clowns and creatures. They pop in brilliant color, each feeling as if it is ready to come alive. The wall art becomes set pieces, made tangible by the 3D glasses, and occupying an imaginary space in the room.

The actors also do a fantastic job of scaring you, interacting with you, and pushing you forward. When we attended, we were the only people in the maze, and thus, we had a horde of scare actors following us, emerging from every trick door and slide panel. They popped balloons for us in clown-inspired rooms and followed closely behind our group, as if they had become one of us. They knew just where to hide and when to scare us. We appreciate their passion and commitment to the art.

While Fear in 3D doesn’t do anything beyond what you’ve seen before, what they excel at is giving you a greatest hits experience with more actors, more care, and more dedication than any theme park will give you. They do all this with some of the best art I’ve seen in a haunt to date. If you’re in Chino Hills, combine this with Dark Harvest and see them the same night (see our review of Dark Harvest here). They’re both well worth it. Volunteer to be The Experiment and come face-to-face with nightmares so vivid you’ll think they were real.

For more information about Fear in 3D, check out their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok.

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Fear in 3D is a psychedelic 3D maze. Fear in 3D has fantastic graffiti art that pops in the black light.

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Fear in 3D is a psychedelic 3D maze. Fear in 3D has fantastic graffiti art that pops in the black light.