2007 Update: No Nightmare Factory this year. Temporarily closed due to City of Buda Building Codes.

After a lackluster showing last year, I was apprehensive about our return visit to "Central Texas' longest running and most terrifying haunted house." But where our 2005 experience was terrifyingly dull, in 2006 The Nightmare Factory delivers a delightfully thrill-filled adventure with a few new twists.

Choose Your Path, Choose Your Peril in the Nightmare Factory

As in previous years, each trip through the maze of dark hallways can be quite different because you can choose to go "This Way" or "That Way" at several different points. Improvements this time around included more monsters and ghouls roaming the hallways, lurking in dark corners, and screaming or leaping out at you. The room of doors was a delightful twist -- which door should you choose? Try a different one each time you go through. From north Austin it's quite a drive out to Buda and barely worth the time it takes to go through just once so I'd recommend a two- or three-trip wristband. With the ability to choose your route, each trip can be an entirely different experience.

You'll Find the The Nightmare Factory about 15 minutes 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 big lighted jack-o-lantern on top. You can't miss it. Be careful turning off the frontage road, the spotlights can be a bit blinding.

Keep Your Distance and Go in Small Groups Through The Nightmare Factory

Getting stuck behind a large group of people or a bunch of excessive screamers can ruin your fun so try to keep some distance between yourself and the group ahead. I'd also suggest going through in small groups of just 2 to 4 people. If going with a larger group of friends, intentionally split up and take alternate paths. You'll eliminate the whole "safety in numbers" thing making for more satisfying scares -- after all, the whole purpose of going to a haunted house is to get a good fright.

Better Scares in Buda This Year

I commend the organizers and actors for putting on a much better show. Maybe we just caught them on a bad night last time? The dark, sometimes confusing hallways (a good thing), more (and creepier) screaming and roaming monsters, the alternate routes, flashes of light, and things that go bump add up to a terrifyingly good Halloween haunted house experience.

Warning: I know a lot of people have a problem with clowns... yes, there is a creepy clown in The Nightmare Factory. He was one of our favorites.

Admission to The Nightmare Factory

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.