Ten years after his genre-defining film Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero returned to Pittsburgh to film Dawn of the Dead, a biting commentary of a consumerist society told through the lens of a zombie film. The majority of the content was filmed at nearby Monroeville Mall, where a band of survivors are outlasting a horde of reanimated bodies that are drawn to the shopping center because, as the protagonist Stephen Andrews put it, they have “Some kind of instinct. Memory of what they used to do. This was an important place in their lives.” scarehouse 2020

While globally relevant, the success of Romero’s independent films has weaved the zombie into the cultural fiber of Pittsburgh. To the average “yinzer,” zombies define the city as much as Heinz ketchup, Super Bowl victories, and putting french fries on an otherwise healthy salad.

It’s only appropriate then that, after a brief hiatus, iconic Pittsburgh haunted house Scarehouse has found a new home at the forgotten The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, an 80% vacant mall that was sold at an auction in 2017 for just $100. And with the promise of a zombie-heavy haunt, they are hoping the locals will return to an abandoned place that was once important in their lives too.

Entering their 20th season, Scarehouse has amassed a litany of awards and accolades from blogs and magazines, most stemming from their gorgeous, immersive sets filled with minute details. On a visit to their previous location, Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro remarked “With the sound design and the atmospherics, it is beautiful. I could live here!” It’s a tall reputation to uphold for a location that is now abutted by an empty mall food court pizza shop and a Bath & Body Works.

While unconventional, the failing mall locale just works. While it’s a part of the experience that Scarehouse had no hand in designing, the mall just feels like a post-apocalyptic world. The lights are dim. All of the storefronts are blockaded. There’s a letter missing from the greeting above the entrance. Haunted houses are known for tight hallways, flashing lights and loud noises. To enter into an experience through an eerily still two million square foot shopping center not only creates brilliant contrast for what’s planned ahead, but truly makes one believe there may be a flood of monsters ready to pour out of the abandoned cinema across the hallway.

The fears of losing the inner beauty of the Scarehouse sets are put to rest while still in the queue line. A weathered, bayou-inspired shack stands at center stage and every chip in the paint or askew nail feels to be thoughtfully placed. Upon entering it, the drywall and fluorescent lights of the mall are suddenly a thousand miles away; the house empties into a voodoo-inspired swamp complete with vines and arches made of discarded bones. It’s a jarring change, especially when entering with expectations of relentless zombies. The sets – or what is visible of them through the bulb of the supplied flashlight – are meticulous. Each room is like living within a painting. For this reason alone, it’s forgivable if the deep south overtones are a bit muddied in transitions between indoor and “outdoor” scenes.

Thumping bass beats grow in the distance, signaling the approach of a retro-futuristic club with less-than-savory characters hiding in its shadows. Set design once again wins the day, with certain rooms giving the feeling of a party on Alien’s Nostromo mixed with the prismatic apparitions of an early Argento film. It’s a 1980s vision of a dark future, but one that still has a modern sting when it comes to scares. It’s a short fever dream, however, as the promise of an abandoned mall full of zombies finally comes to fruition.

Branded as “Pittsburgh Zombies,” the final section of the haunt is a re-visitation of a concept Scarehouse explored in the mid-2010s. The theme is as heavy on brain-hungry monsters as it is Pittsburgh-related easter eggs, such as a victim in a shredded Troy Polamalu Steelers jersey. But much like the difference between Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, this new iteration feels much bigger in scope, showing the carnage of an urban center in Pittsburgh. While it never steers into the expected outcome of using the mall’s natural features to have zombies tearing apart a faux department store floor, the pace feels quicker through this section, and the stakes do feel higher. Maybe it’s from the direct orders to clear the quarantine area from the authoritative man in the hazmat suit; maybe it’s the urgent honking coming from the car crashed through the interior wall. Escaping a whirlwind of flashing lights and fog, the experience ends in the only appropriate way – through a storefront gift shop.

In the current climate, a haunt that ends in a world ravaged by a communicable disease that devastates urban and commercial centers might be considered to be a bit too on-the-nose, especially when the economic devastation is the only thing left to gaze upon while waiting in line. But Scarehouse’s creativity soars in blending local safety protocols with concepts that make sense for the world in which their characters live. The club is full of monsters behind glass showcases, ala go-go dancers. The bayou has an elderly man behind a clear plastic shower curtain. And of course, there’s that poor, uninfected human soul still trapped in the wreckage of a car, awaiting their fate of a swarm of zombies. Admittedly, the total amount of scares did feel a bit light due to a heavier deployment of animatronics over human interaction. But for the actor-driven moments, rather than the set-up being a constant reminder of the state of our reality, these precautions all feel natural to the loose narratives being spun.

At a run time of only about 25 minutes, the biggest detraction of this version of Scarehouse is that it will likely leave guests wanting more. Due to social distancing attempts, however, the entire experience easily maintains immersion by leaving large gaps between groups. Expect slow moving lines to enter, as these guidelines appeared to harm throughput later in the night.

After a year-long hiatus, Scarehouse has returned to horror excellence in a new home. Fortune favors the bold, and Scarehouse’s utilization of urban decay for a creative space is not only a payoff for their final product, but a trailblazing template for the industry.

Find out more about Scarehouse 2020 on their website, Instagram and Facebook page. Check out our Event Guide for more horror and Halloween entertainment throughout the year.

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