I walk deeper into the home of a dangerously unstable clown. At each turn there are pictures of the twisted life that has created the owner’s deadly nature. But as I turn left, a face-painted resident behind a frame tells me to turn back. To my utter surprise, her entire wall moves in my direction. It’s very clear I can no longer go this way. I glance back to where I came from and realize that door is locked tight. I have a problem – there’s no way out. twisted manor

Photo: Thea Rivera

Club Fear: Twisted Manor is a home haunt that fits a surprising amount of story and scares into a 3-car garage and a 10-minute experience. Developed by the house’s owner, Jason Shields, Club Fear: Twisted Manor offers those who enter a haunt comprised of interesting visuals, a really large number of clown-themed scare-actors, and exceptional set design.

What truly sets Club Fear apart from other home haunts is the fact that each year is part of an ongoing narrative about the main clown known as Rellik (played by Shields himself before this year and now played by his son). Each year the haunt tells a new chapter of Rellik’s story and, in 2019, participants get to visit the deadly clown’s actual mansion. Once inside, participants find themselves trapped in the first room until a servant opens a secret door to allow further exploration.

Photo: Thea Rivera

Throughout the haunt, Rellik’s servants and other clown friends find exciting ways to hunt for the trespassing audience. From doorways that move to hands springing forth through wallpaper, there are clowns everywhere. It’s nearly impossible to catch a breath after one jump-scare before another hits. Even the last moment of leaving the mansion guarantees at least one more scare as a surprise last clown appears out of nowhere. If audiences react impressively to that last scare, there’s even one more possible shock as Rellik himself travels the area just outside the doors.

Photo: Thea Rivera

Club Fear: Twisted Manor stands as one of the top home haunts in Santa Clarita. Changing the path participants need to walk, in real time, creates exactly the right type of confusion for a mad clown’s lair. The dungeon set looks impressively solid, as though people truly could be caught there. The photos that define how a deranged clown gets created are so interesting to look at it’s easy to miss that actors have appeared from the opposite direction. From start to finish, Club Fear: Twisted Manor exhibits a level of polish, detail, and excitement that many haunts with far larger budgets fail to reach.

Club Fear: Twisted Manor has finished its run for this year but will return with a new chapter of the ongoing narrative in 2020. For more information, follow them on Facebook. Check out our Event Guide for more Halloween and horror entertainment throughout the year.

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