Editor's Note: Impressed with their work at Lafayette High School's The Image, we tapped four teenage journalists to review and compare three of St. Louis' scariest attractions: The Darkness, Lemp Brewery Haunted House and Creepyworld. Teens are often tough critics, and these four didn't disappoint.

While we'd only recommend these attractions for older kids, say 14 and up, these haunted houses provide a spooky Halloween thrill for families with teens.

The Darkness
1525 South 8th St., Saint Louis, Mo. 63104
314-631-8000
www.scarefest.com

Featured on the Travel Channel as one of the scariest haunted houses in America, I was definitely expecting a lot out of this house, and I was pleasantly scared. Walking through the black rooms, I could feel the hairs and goose bumps rising on my body. Just as I thought it was safe to proceed, a terrifying clown prop with sharp teeth and blazing red hair would turn its head and screech in my ear.

The Darkness definitely has the best props and actors. Everyone was on cue and ready to elicit a scream. However the new Terror Vision 3D didn’t really do much for me. The room was too bright and took away from the initial shock of being spooked. Otherwise, The Darkness offered many screams and shocks and was well worth the money.
-- By Mia Schenone

What Others Said
"The best part of this haunted house was its actors. They seemed incredibly devoted and showed quite a bit of personality. Some actors would follow us for large parts of our journey, adjusting scare techniques to each individual," said Caleb Cavarretta.

"With interactive and well-dressed actors, and detailed scenery, The Darkness delivers an authentic haunted house experience equal to that of a Hollywood production," said Adam Harris

"Overall, the dedication to getting a scream from every passerby was outstanding and truly made for a great experience," said Max Thoman

Lemp Brewery Haunted House
3500 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63118
314-631-8000
www.scarefest.com

Lemp Brewery Haunted House, in general, left something to be desired. The characters were incredibly talented and worked to receive a true scream from every patron. They created an atmosphere of pure horror and had ingenious hiding places. Around every corner another ghoul was waiting to attack, and overall, the anticipation was incredibly effective.

Unfortunately, however, the setting was lacking. Instead of incorporating the gory history of the Lemp Mansion and Lemp Brewery, the attraction opted for a generically scary atmosphere, much like The Darkness. Although the setting was incredibly graphic, the maze-like effect that Lemp Brewery was built upon was an awkward display of horror, allowing for some grace periods where nothing frightening happened. For this reason, Lemp Brewery was a fun and scary ride, but it lacked in some areas.
-- By Max Thoman

Incredibly short is the best way to describe the new Lemp Brewery Haunted House. The trip through took about 15 minutes, which was disappointing. The actors did not seem to be as devoted as those at Darkness, as some did little more than jump out and go right back to their hiding places. The different themes throughout were not as strong as they were at the Darkness, though some were still very frightful. The real drawback of Lemp Brewery was its abrupt end. Although there were a variety of paths visitors could take, the 15-minute experience was not worth a second trip through.
-- By Caleb Cavarretta

What Others Said
"The Lemp Brewery was quite a letdown. The hype that many paranormal activities happened in the tunnel was not as promising as I had hoped. The actors had excellent places to hide and used them to their advantages, but I felt more focused on trying to see a real ghost rather than an actor," said Mia Schenone.

"Waiting on the side of the brewery, groups of seven are escorted into a 150-year-old elevator that drops several floors to the basement level of the brewery. A vampire named Kitty awaits and points to three corpses with mugs grasped in their cold dead hands as she explains they are her three ex-husbands whom she has murdered. From there you walk into a cellar that reeks of 100-year-old must, yet before you can dwell on the smell, a handful of murderous actors lunge at your group. Bloodied girls let out blood-curdling screams as others claim they did not mean to kill their loved ones, fitting in nicely with the stories that surround the Lemp family," said Adam Harris.

Editor's Update: STLSprout has just received notice that Scarefest has improved and lengthened the experience at Lemp Brewery Haunted House.

Creepyworld
1400 S. Old Highway 141, Fenton, Mo. 63026
314-631-8000
www.scarefest.com

Known for having seven haunted houses in one, Creepyworld has a variety of themes that are sure to probe most phobias. First, you enter a drive-in with beat-up cars scattered throughout the lot. The drive-in is haunted by the undead, who stalk and chase unwanted guests into the Ravens Mansion. Like the other two haunts, these actors are well-dressed and are enthusiastic about their roles (though a few wear only a mask and regular street clothes, taking away from the experience).

The hayride makes this haunt unique as patrons are shoved onto a tractor bed and toted around an old western town haunted by ghouls and murderers. Chainsaws (without blades) buzz by visitors' heads as burly demons race toward the tractor and hop aboard to torment its passengers.

The outdoor environment makes for a refreshing breath of cool fall air as opposed to the cramped quarters and fog-filled rooms of The Darkness, yet this haunt changes themes drastically without giving visitors the time to soak in one or the other.
-- By Adam Harris

What Others Said
"The hay ride in Creepyworld presented a new type of scare because visitors are trapped on the trailer with no where to run," said Mia Schenone.

"The use of terror vision, which was in an ice-cream themed area, was better here than at The Darkness and provided some great visuals," said Caleb Cavarretta.

"There was constant surveillance and a wait time between each attraction, which interrupted the ambiance within the attraction, leading one to believe that the haunted house was geared towards a younger age group. It's because of this lack of constant horror that Creepyworld fell toward the bottom of the barrel," said Max Thoman.

About the Writers

Adam Harris (left). a senior at Lafayette High School, has been on the newspaper staff since his freshmen year and has experience as features and entertainment editor. After high school he plans to attend Mizzou and major in journalism or writing.

Caleb Cavarretta (second from left) is a senior at Lafayette. He is the Opinions editor of the The Image, and he is also a member of both Model United Nations and the Debate Team.

Max Thoman (second from right), a junior, is the print managing editor of the Image. He has been on the Image staff since his freshman year at Lafayette and has served as the News and Online News Editor. He is also a member of the cross country and track teams, National Honors Society, Renaissance Student Steering Committee, and in his free time, he enjoys riding dirt bikes and playing indoor soccer.

Mia Schenone (right) is junior at Lafayette and is the publication's webmaster. She has been on the Image staff since her freshman year.

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