From Jacci Howard Bear,
Your Guide to Austin.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Billed as "Central Texas' longest running and most terrifying haunted house" our 2005 experience at The Nightmare Factory was frightfully unsatisfying overall, with a few high points. The setup is interesting in that you can choose different paths to take as you proceed through the maze of hall ways and past various rooms with their ghouls, monsters, and scary scenes. We went with a group of 6, split into two groups of three each going in different directions. Better Scares in 2006: Read Review

Extend the Experience with Multiple Trips Through the Nightmare Factory

The least expensive of the area Halloween haunted houses, if you've made the drive out to Buda you might want to consider purchasing a two- or three-trip wristband so you can take a different path each time and experience all the frights (and to extend the experience because one trip only takes about 8-10 minutes).

You'll Find the The Nightmare Factory about 15 minutes or less south of downtown Austin at:
17050 S. I-35
Buda, Texas

Once you take exit 220 and proceed down the frontage road you'll eventually see the spotlights. Turn there and drive to the building with the huge lighted jack-o-lantern on top. You can't miss it.

Keep Your Distance From Whining Wimps in The Nightmare Factory

Our group entered with the mindset that we were going to "get into the spirit of the haunted house experience" yet none of us felt that the number of frights were all that exciting. It may have been the screaming teens ahead of us or the crying child, but there was not enough suspense to keep us on our toes. I'd recommend trying to keep your distance from any groups ahead of you so they're screaming doesn't ruin the anticipation.

Not So Nightmarish But There are Some Scares in The Nightmare Factory

The ability to choose different routes is a plus although we all felt that our paths crossed too frequently even though we intentionally sought out different ways to go. Except for a few employees standing in the shadows (presumably to assist in case of problems) the ghouls were all stationed in static displays - no fear of some monster coming up behind you or trying to block your passage in most areas. The fellow with the circular saw who implored us to "come wipe my butt mommy" was one of the more memorable creatures. The hallways are dark and I ran into a wall a couple of times - that's a plus in my book because the darkness can be scary.

Admission to The Nightmare Factory (2006)

Check the Website for all the details on pricing and hours and Special Nights, such as an appearance by Gunnar Hansen (the original Leatherface in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre) on Friday the 13th and Family Night (with discounts) every Sunday through October 22).

General Admission:
$10 for everyone for one trip through
2-Trip Wristband: $15; 3-Trip: $20; 5-Trip: $25

Hours of Operation:
Fri-Sat 7:30pm-midnight; Sun 7:30pm-10:30pm through the 15th of October.
Open everynight from the 20st through October 30th - Sun and weekdays til 10:30pm and Fri & Sat til midnight.
Halloween night: 7pm-midnight.

There are better scares in 2006. See our 4.5 Star review of The Nightmare Factory.