Del Mar Scream Zone: 2019 Review

Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA

Our third and final stop in San Diego’s “Big Three” haunts is the Scream Zone, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Another long-running haunt, this thrill fest mixes its themes around each year around the same trio attractions: the Haunted Hayride, The Chamber (replacing Karn Evil from the past several years but calling back to the identically-named maze from years before that), and the House of Horrors. All three attractions are located near the race track area of the Del Mar Fairgrounds, accessed from a central mini fair area with some concessions, benches, and a small stage for Saturday night entertainment. Guests need to drive deep into the fairgrounds, following the signage across the bountiful parking area, before trekking a few minutes further to finally reach the ticket booths.

The general “midway” of the Scream Zone.

An interesting facet of the Scream Zone (some ironic in some sense, given the name of the whole event) is that it has no actual scare zones. The main thoroughfare is basically a holding area for guests moving between the attractions or sitting down to rest or eat or take in the entertainment. Thus, there is a distinct lack of screams in this central "zone," other than those emanating from the two side-by-side mazes. A half dozen roaming street talent would go some ways toward helping increase tension and ambiance, though it's possible that part of the omission may due to crowds on peak night.

Haunted Hayride

The Haunted Hayride takes guests on a 20 minute or so trip through the stable area of the Del Mar Racetrack, winding between the buildings through a series of different themes that range from the traditional haunted house motifs to a few vaguely IP-centric allusions. There's a haunted motel, vampire night club, a carnival area with some distrinctly hostile clowns, some ragged hillbillies, a Mad Max-esque dystopian scene, appearances by Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, a strobe-filled slaughter house, and more. Similar to the L.A. Haunted Hayride, guests sit on a wagon lined with a thick bed of hay, as opposed to actual hay bales. It's a less than comfortable arrangement that results in hay pricking ankles and bottoms, but it does turn the guests' back to the talent sneaks up on them, leaving a more vulnerable position.

Compared to the L.A. Haunted Hayride, though, Scream Zone's version is surprisingly intimate, due mostly to the narrower alleys in the Del Mar stable area vs the more relatively open park area of the Old Zoo. This creates a greater sense of entrapment, as the scareactors close in more quickly and more abruptly, out of hiding spots that can sometimes be missed.

The talent is also more inclined to maintain that intimacy in their scares, following for greater distances and focusing on guests who elicit a greater reaction. The banter is fantastic too, as the monsters thrive off the energy of each wagon. I was fortunate enough to bear witness to a group of theater students who were especially jumpy, and that terror drove talent to be more aggressive and engaging.

There are plenty of screams caused by scareactors that are not afraid to invade personal space!

As with any haunted moving ride, those who are less immune to startle scares will likely find it less exciting. The overall theming, while far from sparse, is also not as scenically sophisticated or dramatic as that of, say, the hayride's Los Angeles compatriot (especially with the new Plague Productions-revamped makeover). The lighting and ambiance is often dim, with less saturation and contrast on the scenes. But this works to a certain benefit as well, giving the hayride an eerier and moodier feel. The fact that it's not so polished adds to the tense atmosphere. It's a case where the grittiness makes the vibe feel less staged.

Who knows what lurks in the shadows on the Haunted Hayride?

The Chamber

Of the two walk-through mazes at the Scream Zone, The Chamber is definitely the younger sibling, as evidenced by its smaller footprint and the fact that it doesn't actually feature a VIP front-of-line access. This year, the maze takes on a Wizard of Oz theme--one where everything has gone terribly wrong. That's not exactly what one would expect from the name of the maze, but it's an interesting surprise.

The maze itself is mostly dimly lit, with a few sets to communicate the farm setting of Dorothy's home and an interesting, strobe-filled "corn maze" (actual corn fields painted onto maze walls) where guests can actually wander in circles and into dead ends while being stalked by more murderous variants of the Scarecrow. Apparently, he's tired of having no brains and wants others'. The moment can be genuinely disorienting both from the strobes and the layouts, and it's similar to the labyrinth portion of the eXperiment Maze in the Haunted Trail--which makes sense, since that ownership group has ties at the Scream Zone too. The maze concludes with a close encounter with the Wicked Witch of the West, plus a very dramatic Flying Monkey, before guests escape back out into the general concourse.

This Flying Monkey is quite dastardly with his giant hammer.

Theming-wise, The Chamber could definitely use more detail and attention, with more vibrant sets and pointed lighting, and more furnishings in general. But the scareactors help make up for the less elaborate atmosphere by being focused on their scares and theaterical in their dialogue and interactions.

House of Horrors

Last and best, the House of Horrors is the jewel of Scream Zone. If there is one attraction guests need to visit (the Scream Zone sells tickets for individual attractions as well as a pass for single admission to all three), it's this one. The maze itself is similar to a comprehensive, multi-theme haunted house, and similar to some of the other attractions in the San Diego "Big Three," there is a mix of mostly non-proprietary inspiration with a smattering of intellectual properties featured.

The Niebolt House from It is one of the highlights, especially with a massive Pennywise animatronic and several fiendish clowns. There is a variety of other spaces too, from Día de los Muertos to a medieval torture dungeon to a haunted church to a zombie outbreak gauntlet to a a mad doctor's lab to a satanic worship temple and more.

A creepily haunting, lightning-lit Día de los Muertos scene in the House of Horrors.

Most of the maze is relatively dimly lit, with flashes of lighting to illuminate details. This gives monsters plenty of hiding places to prowl and ambush guests without warning. A more serious maze in tone, House of Horrors has monsters that tend to stick to more scaring and and less banter, through a couple of spots like the mad doctors and the devil worshipper provided some fun, improvisational lines to guests passing through. Overall, this adds up to a very solid and well executed maze, and it's no surprise that this commands some of the longest lines at the Del Mar Scream Zone!

Overall, the Scream Zone is not quite the elaborate and sprawling haunted fair that I expected, instead focusing its footprint on a tighter and more efficient space. But the three feature attractions are pretty fun, with some unique aspects that make give them some distinguishing characteristics from the other San Diego haunts of the night. And it's still the largest overall haunted attraction in the San Diego area.

The set level of detail is similar to the Haunted Trail and Disturbance--carrying more of the "old school" feel that emphasizes scares and mood over slick visuals and advanced technology. But there's a sincerity and earnestness that comes with this approach. Not every haunt needs to look like a fancy movie set, and often, those more elaborate home haunt style attractions end up having more passion and heart and shine in the energy and enthusiasm of their scareactors and supporting talent. The Scream Zone is definitely worth checking out, especially for those who've never been.

The Scream Zone runs select nights through Saturday, November 2nd. Tickets can be purchased online or in person. Parking is free, and front of line passes are definitely encouraged for the busier Friday and Saturday nights, particularly in the peak middle-of-evening times.