Beware the Dark Realm: 2021 Review
Beware the Dark Realm, Santa Clarita, CA
50 years of fears. That's how long Beware the Dark Realm has been scaring up a storm. Or, to be more precise, that's how long creator Scott Sivley has been haunting and bringing frights to his neighbors during Halloween season. Through various residences along the way (no, Beware the Dark Realm's medieval castle of horror has not always been in Santa Clarita, though it certainly seems like it), from his early youth until now, Scott has always showcased his affinity and passion and creativity for this most beloved October holiday.
We’ve written before about how Beware the Dark Realm absolutely nails the definition of "Epic Home Haunt," that incredible residential haunted house that rises above the class of merely being very good to a peak level that scores top marks on all the facets of a haunted maze--storytelling, theming, effects, ambiance, and scares. With its imposing and intimidating castle facade that completely covers the Sivley residence entirely, it's long, winding layout competitive in duration to any professional haunt, its rich and immersive theatrical sets, it's moody and dramatic lighting shrouding terrors behind the shadows, and its boundless cast of never-ending monsters and ghouls that are dying to torment guests who trespass, Beware the Dark Realm consistently renders an incredible haunt experience each and every year.
Beware the Dark Realm is full of secret surprises of the scaring variety!
This year, after a slight step back as a yard display that happened to include a small, outdoor walk-through component last year, Beware the Dark Realm is back to deliver its Middle Age macabre to guests near and far. Indeed, when we arrived last Saturday night, we found a sprawling line stretching down the street, with both the regular and the front of the line (available for those who provide a $10 donation) queues packing plenty of eager Halloween fans. And from within the confines of this fearsome fortress, the screams and shrieks of guests enjoying themselves being terrorized echoed into the nighttime Santa Clarita Valley air.
Beware the Dark Realm is a haunt that repeats its theme each year, but like a fine Swiss watch, it doesn't really need to tinker with the basic elements, because the strength of its execution is so high. So this year, once again, guests enter the domain of a cursed castle, encountering a sinister hag before winding their way out through a bit of a village area. Passing through the hut of a wily witch and avoiding the barrelling blows of a brute blacksmith, guests are warned of a fearsome dragon ahead. No worries, though, right? The dragon is probably perched high above, just like in previous years.
New for 2021 is a fearsome and daunting dragon, much larger than in previous years!
Well, that's where one of the changes in this year's Beware the Dark Realm occurs. Rather than encounter the winged beast high above, guests find themselves trapped and face to face with a much larger and more horrifying dragon, charging forward at ground level through mist and fog! In the disorienting veil, there seems to be no way out, until an unseen opening reveals a passage into the inner sanctum of the castle.
Guests retreat from the beastly threat and wander deeper indoors, passing scenes of torture and imprisonment. Scares come from all corners and even sometimes from behind, as a motley band of scareactors release their aggression on the singled out groups. As guests descend deeper into the dungeon, they encounter another dragon--this one chained behind bars, but snarling and snorting threateningly nonetheless.
The winding route continues, with more fiends and monsters along the way, until finally, just when it seems they may be trapped here forever, they encounter an unassuming door that leads back to the relative safety of the street.
Not everyone inside Beware the Dark Realm fares fortunate fates.
Beware the Dark Realm continues to deliver epic scares. Half a century young, it shows no signs of slowing down, and the sizeable cast and crew continue to pour their passion and love into the haunt. Though Scott and his son, Christian, may be the most prominent faces of Beware the Dark Realm, they owe the successful operation of the haunt to a most supportive network of family, friends, and especially neighbors who patiently tolerate the added traffic and attention that this spectacular haunt garners every year.
It helps that Beware the Dark Realm continues to use its popularity to support great causes like Family Promise, which provides shelter, food, and support services for homeless or about-to-be homeless families and homeless pregnant women who need temporary assistance to stay on their feet. Family Process assists with short term housing, employment search and connections, and meal aid. They're a wonderful cause that Beware the Dark Realm has supported and fundraised for over many years. All donations to Beware the Dark Realm go to Family Promise.
Guests find themselves trapped with gruesome creatures such as this one in Beware the Dark Realm.
Beware the Dark Realm is located on 28621 Sugar Pine Way, Santa Clarita, CA 91390 and continues its run this Friday and Saturday, October 29th and 30th, opening from 7:00 to 10:00pm. It is not open this Sunday, Halloween night. The past few years, this haunt has been one of the few home haunts to operate the last three weekends of October. In his 50th year of haunting, Scott Sivley certainly shows no signs of slowing down, although from what I’m told, next year may bring a drastic change of scenery for this haunt. Not a move, per say. But a change of scenery so to speak nonetheless! So take a visit this final weekend to celebrate the occasion, and bring patience, as the crowds will likely be even more bountiful than last weekend. The wait will be worth it!
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.
