My hub and kid have gone to this for several years now and it's their favorite. They insisted, a horror scaredy like myself come. So hubs bought the VIP package. We went on the last night of this season which turned out great as it wasn't crazy busy and the tshirts were cheap! I had read some things that people were disappointed this year and that the experience was shorter and different from years previous but as I've never been I had nothing to reference so I enjoyed myself a lot. I don't want to go into too many details as to ruin the fun but there were some scares (nothing over the top), and it wasn't super crowded. And it was fun interacting with various characters and being in a small group. I really liked the behind the scenes tour that we got afterward, as the gentlemen who took us around was really knowledgable about the show and it was pretty neat to go behind the scenes and witness other people experiencing the show...we got a non-scary behind the curtain point of view. My hub and kid still enjoyed the experience even though it was different from years past. The gentleman explained that each location has its own set of complexities and things they do at one location might not be able to be done at another. Seemed on point to me. Looking forward to going with them again next year. It was really fun to be part of the show with my family. I really liked that they had a "hold your arm up policy" for the scaredy-cats like me. I went in knowing that I could hold my arm up and protect myself from the scary if it got too bad!! This experience is pricy for sure but I felt the set up and experience itself was on par with the cost. Someone has to pay all the actors and the rent. I liked going on the last day as it wasn't super crowded and we were able to enjoy everything. The VIP package was worth it for the behind the scenes tour. We could have also sat at VIP only places to have drinks but we had our kid with us so it wasn't that kind of night. read more

There was $10 parking across the street on a Saturday night. Almost unheard of! The staff was very nice but unfortunately, there was no complementary food or drinks, even for VIP. The VIP room was pretty empty as well. And you're not allowed to bring outside food or drink. Some shirts and hoodies for sale but pretty lackluster overall. Many people complained about the plot, but I went in with no expectations and had a good time. If you reframe it as you somehow fell into hell and need to escape, then you'll have a great time. Don't think too deeply. The actors, ambiance, decorations and room setups were well done. The ice room could've been colder with some dry ice. I do think it's pretty steep for a 35 minute escape maze and the behind the scenes was cool but short. The whole experience took us an hour, including bathroom breaks. I recommend going early because it seemed like the actors don't get a lot of breaks so I'm glad I got to see their more passionate acting when they're not tired yet. I think it's good to try once as a beginner but definitely more excited to try other productions like Willow. read more

Last year's experience was so awesome, the location, the on-site parking the story the actors everything about last year was amazing. This year the location was in downtown. LA parking was an additional $40. The tickets have gone up in price. The story was kind of boring. And the worst part is it was only like 30 minutes if that. Such expensive tickets and parking and time and effort and energy going out to celebrating this cool experience just for to be like under 30 minutes was really disappointing. I definitely agree with a lot of the people that have posted stuff about this year's experience if you've experienced any of the ones in the past, this one was just not it. The location was horrific. They decorated it well. But the storyline was not it. The time spent with the overall experience versus the actual actual expenses, and additional expenses was just not it. Definitely disappointed this year. read more

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This event used to be so amazing, until the 13th Floor corporation got their hands on it. The creative team continues to be great, but the business practices are terrible. It's still pretty high production and the show itself is amazing, but they have repeatedly failed to deliver what you pay for. I'm talking generally about VIP benefits - I think you'll have an amazing time if you just get the General Admission tickets, but not sure if my complaints apply to that at all. The last 4 years since 13th Floor took over the ticketing has been overly complicated and predatory. Then they don't deliver the promises of the VIP benefits. For example, the "VIP Experiences" are just a room with no effort to create a vibe or experience whatsoever. They sometimes provide a bar with VERY high priced drinks. (It was $18 for a shot-glass sized cocktail (with ice)). This past year (2025) they didn't even bother with that. The bar was dark, closed and no staff. The room was a dark room in the basement with no decoration, no thematic lighting, no effort and there was no bouncer so anyone could come and go, regardless of ticket access. Making it worse, they used the space as a waiting room for BTS tours so it was really even worse than nothing. They really did take your $150+ and gave you almost nothing in return and obviously do their best to spend and do as little as possible on the VIP experience. This has been the case for the last 4 years we've gone (The last 2 years we were not going to go, but friends paid for us and dragged us along.) and at other 13th Floor attractions we no longer attend. And don't bother with customer service. They don't provide any at all, intentionally. read more

This experience was amazing! Went in blind not knowing what to expect, and it was so much fun! Note: you will be running around and it is intense. But that's what I loved about it. It wasn't a traditional haunted house, it was so much more. Without giving anything away, it involved rope swings, hiding under beds, and so much more. We were in a small group of 4 which I think is ideal. The smaller the group the more you get to be apart of the story. Only downside is the price, it is soooo expensive. I think if they dropped it at least $50 more people would come. Jeff who did magic in the lobby was also really cool! read more

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We have attended Delusion for several years, first when it was in LA then a few years in Pomona as well. We were disappointed here. The VIP ticket offered us a separate bar behind the general admission bar, but the drinks were the same $20. There were no coupons or complimentary drink for VIP tickets. There could have been a welcome spooky cocktail or even a small souvenir for VIP tickets. The venue doesn't do enough for VIP tickets. We were disappointed that they didn't use the new property to its full potential. We really liked last year's trailer ride, but this year's opening garden scene was confusing and dull and lacked substance. The dialogue was uninteresting and its attempt to be comical fell very short and made the experience silly instead of frightening. There were many rooms in the house and we enjoyed the overall design, but we felt as though they really failed to implement as many special effects as they have in the past years even with smaller buildings. There really wasn't anything that stood out as amazing. Nobody flew across the floor or ceiling, it was mainly just story telling. They did engage the guests a little bit more, but that didn't make up for the dull experience otherwise. The ending was upsettingly bland and uneventful. The VIP participation in the story was fun and the staff directed it well. Overall, we believe there was much more potential that wasn't taken advantage of which left us talking about how it could have been more exciting. We return because we enjoy the event and appreciate the hard work they put into it, but we thought there could have been more, especially with such a big house. My suggestions for the future: Make VIP tickets more attractive with at least a complimentary themed cocktail, food item, and/or souvenir (photo, keychain, etc..) Make the VIP bar prices lower than GA prices. Use a planted guest (like last year) and make it memorable. Implement more special effects and acrobatics. read more

2025 Delusion Event Spoiler Alert I've loved Delusion in past years for its blend of theatrical storytelling and interactive horror. This year felt underwhelming. The production design is still top-tier--elaborate rooms, strong atmosphere, and committed performers--but the experience itself ran short and rarely cashed in on the tension it created. Our run time felt closer to 30-40 minutes versus prior years that played more like 45+. The pacing was brisk to the point of being rushed: we were often moved quickly from one impressive space to the next without a meaningful challenge, scare escalation, or decision point. Several rooms set the stage beautifully for bigger payoffs, yet the "interactive" beats boiled down to simple tasks with little resistance, so the fear never fully landed. There were flashes of tension (including a hide-and-seek moment that briefly spiked the adrenaline), but they were exceptions. The narrative connective tissue was also thin; transitions felt mechanical and the finale arrived abruptly, ending the evening without a clear story resolution. I left more confused than cathartic. What worked * Immersive set design and ambiance; high production value throughout * Enthusiastic cast and effective sound/lighting/fog elements * A few strong suspense beats that hint at what Delusion does best What didn't * Shorter feel than previous years; limited time in each scene * Low-stakes interactivity (tasks felt too easy; little friction or consequence) * Repetitive transitions that broke momentum * Abrupt ending with minimal narrative payoff Bottom line: If you go for craftsmanship and mood, you'll find plenty to admire. If you're seeking the hallmark Delusion blend of interactive stakes, escalating scares, and a satisfying narrative arc, this year doesn't quite get there. Constructive suggestions (for the creators) * Add "friction" to tasks so choices matter and outcomes feel earned * Build escalation within rooms (set-up jeopardy payoff) before moving on * Smooth scene transitions and extend dwell time to deepen immersion * Land the finale with a clear, story-driven resolution read more

This my 5th or 6th Delusion experience and the Harrowing of Hell was shortest one yet unfortunately. I appreciated the concept and delivery but for the cost of a ticket, having the experience be less than 20 minutes was disappointing. Only one of us got picked to do something that was very minor and no one else got picked out or hidden like in past shows which was always fun and heightened the excitement. There was one scene that was impressive though, it was the scene where you wade in a river of filth, that was well done. The special effects were minimal and there were no cable effects. We travel from San Antonio, TX to see this show almost every year but I'm not sure we'll be going again after this experience. It felt watered down to avoid liability which was disappointing. Nevertheless, we made the most of our short time in Hell and will stay cautiously optimistic that next year will bring back some of the past special effects while adding new ones as well. read more

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I used to LOVE delusion, but each year it's getting worse and worse- and this year was the worst and the most expensive. The experience had very few actors and felt under-written as a story, and was very short. There were 3 cool things (not spoiling those so I won't say what) and that's it- that's it. The experience was far shorter than in previous years, and right when we got to what we thought was the halfway point where it would really get good- it was over. An abrupt end. We walked out into the lobby- everyone in our group (and we didn't know them) was equally baffled. The whole thing was lackluster and overpriced. It's such a huge disappointment. If I could I'd ask for a refund. Also, nearly every time is a $30 up charge so the pricing is false advertising. Please do this like you used to when it first began. I know you want more and more money but you're going to lose repeat business. I realize you don't care about repeat business- LA has more than enough people for everyone to only attend once and you to make tons, but it's sad. I hope I can save someone else their $150. Go to one of the them park events, or queen mary- lots of lines but honestly they're a way better experience this year. read more

I've been going to immersive productions for many years and Delusion is always a must see every year. The locations, actors and experience are always top notch. This year's iteration was fantastic. Do yourself a favor and grab your friends and family and go Play your Part! Tip: Plan to get there early as parking can be challenging some nights. And Get the VIP pass to access special perks!!!! read more

This is hard to write because I love Delusion and have been going annually since 2018, but I want to be honest so that the experience can improve next year. This year felt like a 1/3 of what Delusion usually offers. The overall experience was interesting and had some good set pieces, but the story was no where near as cohesive as previous years (I did not understand who I was supposed to be in this story or if our group had any kind of goal other than "get to the end"). In previous years it was clear who our group was in relation to the story (patients, cult deprogrammers, even something as simple as "delusion fans") and what our goal was (find what happened to a doctor, infiltrate a cult, find the writer of the delusion stories). It gave a clear motivation from each scene and our relationship to the characters and why we should trust OR be scared of them. This year felt much more like a haunted maze at Universal. We were just going along and looking around, not part of the story itself. And the experience was shorter than normal. We were only in the experience for about 35 minutes when past years have been closer to an hour. The final room is very epic and fun, but we found out later that pretty much everyone in our party missed what was meant to be the final stunt, and we were all very confused when we were suddenly back in the lobby, which no understanding of how the story ended. And finally, the VIP experience was not worth the money this year. My group of friends spring for the VIP every year because usually the extra experience and private bar are well worth it, and we end up spending another hour or two at the event. This year however, there was no food (minus candy and bagged popcorn), the bar did not offer anything special, and the BTS experience was lackluster. The food was the biggest problem for me, I was hungry after our show time, and did not want to stay and drink if I couldn't also eat something. And previous years had offered plenty of food options, so I was shocked when it was so limited this year. The BTS experience was very quick and while it was fun to see things from different angles, it was only 2 moments of the show, and our guide seemed very anxious for time and up front said "you might not see everything that's part of this BTS experience" when we asked if we could wait for the next tour so we can see everything he flat out said "no." Like I said up top, Delusion is usually my top experience for the Halloween season. I recommend it to everyone and I want it to continue for many years. It's a very special part of LA haunt history. I can't say that this year's experience is worth the money, but I really hope things are more recognizable next season. read more

This was my 3rd time at Delusion. It was good... but not as good as my first experience. Im not sure if its because the first will always be your best, or that it is just not as good. I LOVED the venue... I love all the venues. To be honest, perhaps getting to see these cool spaces is part of the allure. Of course being right next to a main street with lots of exterior lighting was not as good for creating the mood like in past years. I really liked the experience they take you through and they do a pretty good job creating the experience. The elevators were new to me but I wonder if the elevator operator could have been more in theme of the story. ( SPOILERS) The laser water was super cool.. medusa was super cool... but I was a little confused on the merging of the priests and the Greek mythology. Our time was 9:05 and we we got in 9:10 so right on time. But the previous year we were like 3 hours delayed. Ugg. Even though we were on time this year, I really wonder if they should reduce the ticket sales to better manage the waits and the timing. Cost seemed steep. When I compare to Knotts at $90 and Universal at $110 and Delusion at $140 I wonder what has more bang for your buck. I do appreciate the more theatrical experience of Delusion and not being in the huge theme park crowds but $140 seems a bit steep. I wonder if it is reflected in the ticket sales. Seems there are still plenty of tickets available when previously they would sell out. I do like how this is genuinely a more frightening experience than the theme parks in which they all look like they're just wearing Halloween masks and and doing jump scares. After doing this 3x Im starting to see the experience to be a bit formulaic. Interesting enough in all 3 of my years, while the production was pretty good... the endings always seem to fall short. I never felt like there was a proper finale or conclusion... we just sorta walked out the hallway and we were back in the lobby... all three years. Each year we would look at each other thinking "was that it?"... This year I was thinking "Oh no.. not another lame ending"... I think they could do better finale and summary with an actual "enter back into your world" where we would know the experience was ending would help with a better final send off and better last impression. read more

Been going to Delusion for 6-7 years. There's been som great experiences and some "ok" ones, but this year prompted me to write a review. It was so bad. No story, very little interaction, it felt like a Knotts Scary Farm maze that you paid $150 for. There were very few actors, I couldn't follow a story if there was one, I was excited about the venue thinking such a huge building would mean maybe a longer experience, but it was even shorter than last year which was shorter than the year before. These things used to be 1.5 hours with dozens of amazing actors now they're down to like 35 mins. What bothers me more is I really hyped this to my guests and convinced them to spend their money on what amounts to a money grab. 6 of us for a 35 min semi-interactive play with half a dozen actors spending $800 on tickets and another $200 at the bar. We would have had a better time at a decent sushi spot spending that money and likely a couple hours of time together. Sadly I won't be coming back to Delusion or recommending it to anyone in the future. read more

The most harrowing parts of this year's show were unfortunately not part of the storytelling or sets, but rather the price and runtime--for $143, we waited in the queue longer than we were actually in the show :-( And this year's show was a shadow of former storytelling and audience engagement. The new location downtown seems to have potential, and there was parking available across the street for $10. But the lounge this year did nothing to set up the theme or story; in past years, there were actors or lore around to engage with. There were just two (loud) bars. We were texted at 9pm that they were ready for us. Our slot was at 915pm, and we were used to lining up with our group a few minutes early before beginning the experience. Instead, this year saw us go up some stairs with no further direction, and enter what seemed to be a line. The "line" did not move for 15 minutes, and only then did we realize we were squished into a narrow balcony that was a waiting room. No one told us we could move in this room, and we weren't the only ones confused. We were not actually called up to begin our experience until about 945pm. After all that waiting, I was disappointed that the story wasn't really there at all, and there were no characters for us to follow, or buy-in/motivation for the audience as participants in the story. It just felt like we were quickly ushered from one room to the next by masked cult members, and that's where the beginning and end of anything cult-y started. I did enjoy some of the sets--a swamp and the final room were highlights--but we moved so quickly through them, it was hard to take it in. The beats also felt like rinse and repeat from former years: hide under a bed, find an object, but there were less one-on-one or split group experiences. Invoking Dante with the theme seemed like a huge waste--there were no clear allusions to the actual mythology, which seems like it could have served like a stronger backbone for the story if they wanted a shorthand. We were done by 1015pm, and definitely felt the short runtime. Overall, this is the first year I am disappointed I bought tickets for the show. I'd love to see (1) a more cohesive, audience-engaging story, or even (2) reheat past years' nachos and bring back old favorites like Lies Within or Blue Blade. read more

Had a blast this year at Delusion's 2024 The Red Castle! The tickets were kind of a bit overpriced in my opinion, but they really did put a lot of effort in to make for a safe and immersive experience. First, the area was a bit sketchy, but gated parking was next door was a part of the Mount St. Mary's College and was both free and had helpful security who helped us park, told us how to enter the event, and wished us a good time at the event. Then there were three check points to enter the event. Once inside, there were two hang out areas with cool lanterns and spooky vibes and a themed food area and a bar. I noticed two curtained VIP areas too - and I peeked in one and saw couches and more tables and stuff. I was fine in the regular areas - there was an escaped inmate who really helped set the stage for the event - kind of spooked me out - super creepy but nice! There was a really good table magician doing card tricks. Now, they had airline style restrooms, but something happened while we were waiting outside to be called to go in and there was a sewage leak or something and the smell got really really bad to where everyone was plugging their nose and hoping to go in and get away. There was also a merch area and a museum of sorts with artifacts from previous year shows. I did go with someone who had a slight mobility issue and we were able to let them know and they accommodated us no problem... The event itself was very immersive, had good character actors, and was really cool. I liked the fact that a lot of people had opportunities to "play a part" throughout the storyline,but you could always opt out by crossing your arms like an X or saying no. My favorite parts were when we had more than a minute or two in a room and got to do stuff on our own to be able to better experience/immerse in the story. I wish there had been more of that. There were a lot of stairs... and rushing around up and down stairs... I barely understood what was going on. It was dark, but they were clearly marked with glow tape and it felt safe. I had a lot of fun - even saw a celebrity there! I would go again. The event location was perfect - well chosen. read more

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Last year I vowed not to attend anymore Delusions due to decreasing show quality and high ticket prices, I gave a pretty harsh review, but I decided to give it another chance. I guess watching the midsummer scream panel and past nostalgia had brought me back in for another year. This would be my 5th year in a row attending Delusion and honestly, I had no high expectations going into this. Upon arriving at the venue, the building looked very uninspired and the bar area didn't have any immersive elements whatsoever, it wasn't looking good to me at that point. The actual show however was totally unexpected, it seemed like a very surreal dream like experience to me with the same fast paced movement to each scene. Unlike past Delusions I've been to, this had a much more "Open World" feel to it, I was really impressed with the special effects and how well they used the venue to their advantage. Some of the actors were very physical too (likely by accident), the lady with the pitchfork was so aggressive poking me to get out from under the bed and the big spider from the swamp scene almost literally tackled me. I don't know if others had the same experience, but I enjoyed that, the physicality seemed more immersive and fun to me lol. I also have mention that our slot time was 1030pm and our group was very small, about 5 people total, so with that it made our experience a bit more personal and enjoyable. Man overall, this was the most fun I've had at a Delusion event in a while. It's not perfect of course, some things they need to consider improving like the ticket costs, runtime length, VIP offerings (still not worth the extra cash), etc. I never thought I'd say this again, but Delusion is my top Halloween event of this year, and yes I've done other immersive events this year too like The Willows, HHN, Reign of Terror, etc, etc, etc. read more

This year was my 5th (or 5.5th if you count the pop up experience they had at a game shop) so I've seen how Delusion has evolved over the years. From the West Adams houses to the Pomona House and now the Stimson House as well as the move to being under new ownership of 13th Floor, I can say what makes Delusion special but also how it's changed. I remember Delusion being a rather intimate event. There were lots of times where you really did become the protagonist of the show, sometimes you were left in a room with no other actors, just you and your group, and you had to solve what to do next. There were also lots of special effects and small moments including 1:1 encounters (I myself was stranded from my group, put in a coffin, and then had to be rescued). After moving under new ownership it seems the focus is now more on efficiency and profit. Also I know location is always hard to secure for this show but the Stimson house as a historical building restricted their use of building anything that would alter the house which meant less special effects except one projection and maybe one half stunt. The groups are pretty large, 12 people, so sometimes you can't see or hear what's going on and it even seemed hard for some of the actors to control such a big group (more than once this year did our actor do her best to tell some people in our group to stop talking while still staying in character.) We did get split up but they ended up being pretty inconsequential moments. After experiencing Creep this year, it reminded me of what I used to find special at Delusion, but these past few years seems to feel slightly like running out of gas. I know that creator Jon Braver has said this year might be his last writing and directing the show, but I don't think that helps the logistical issues of there being too many people for a relatively short 45-min and for $100+ tickets. I know they want to make money but some of the last ones have been so disappointing I stopped going completely. I hope they refind their spark. Four stars though because the actors are so wonderful and fun. read more

DELUSION - Main waiting area. Portapotty toilets only. - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This review is for Delusion 2025 Harrowing of Hell at the Variety Arts Theater in Los Angeles. We were blown away this year! The experience really capitalized on the venue. The paths winding, the multiple levels, the large and small rooms, and the final room was amazing. We got the VIP experience also, which allowed us to go behind the scene, and walk another group experience the final two rooms. The VIP guide was friendly and knowledgeable. We're so glad we were able to catch it this year! read more

This was my first time experiencing Delusion. This year it was the Red Castle story. The event was so much fun. The characters were amazing. Their costumes were elaborate. The acting was incredible. Such a perfect venue. It has the haunted exuberance of a timeless mansion. However, I feel that the tickets are a little pricey. And, I feel that the lounge and before and after areas should have more festivities. read more

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The price goes up and the quality goes down each and every year. There are plenty of reviews here and on Reddit that go into great detail. Believe the bad reviews! Buyer beware! read more

This review is for Delusion's 2025 show, Harrowing of Hell. I have gone to every single show Delusion has done, and I have to be honest, there is a continual drop in quality each year, with this year being one of the worst. Let me explain. The entire premise of Delusion is that it is an interactive play where you (and the other people in your group) are actual characters. Delusion's tagline is literally "Play Your Part." Yet this year it felt like there was little effort put into the story, the plot, or what part everyone was playing. If Jon Braver (the creator of Delusion) is reading this, man, I'm not asking for a lot here. I just want some kind of intro scene that explains who I am and why I'm there, what my mission is, maybe a little foreshadowing about what is to come, and then an actual conclusion that makes it feel like I achieved my goal / reached the end of the story. This year, once we went in the play opened with a woman in a white gown giving some kind of speech about the evils of Hell. Maybe she explained the plot, but I'm telling you there were 8 people in our group and afterward absolutely no one had any idea of what the plot was. Who were our characters? Why did we need to go into Hell? What were we trying to accomplish? Who were all the cultists in red robes? Like, I'm a smart guy and I love this stuff, and I just had no idea what was going on at any point. And when we got to the end... oh man, what a letdown. OK, stick with me here. We get led to a big boat with the grim reaper standing there, and I don't think any of us would be called crazy to assume the boat is going to take us somewhere. But instead, we're asked to sit down and then this very cheesy looking plastic demon flies in on a wire above us. Then we're told to get out of the boat (which has gone nowhere) and we walk out a door and back into the lobby. Only then do some people in our group ask me if I saw the woman get yanked away by some wire. I had no idea what they were talking about, nor did others in our group. You can see the same complaint in other reviews here as well. Apparently depending on where you were sitting in the boat, you may or may not have even been looking at the woman when she got yanked away. But even if I had seen her, I had no idea who she was (because she was not set up in the story), nor would I know the importance of her being yanked away. And then to just walk through a door and have it be over is mindblowing, in the bad way. I mean, how about a room where a little video plays with some kind of epilogue? And putting people in a boat that never goes anywhere is also kinda strange. Even if the boat couldn't be on some kind of pulley system, how about using projection mapping on the walls a la Willy Wonka to create the idea of motion? I will say on the positive side, the Medusa creature looked amazing, as did the spider thing in the swamp. Some of the sets were cool looking as well. But like, you're charging $125 minimum (more if you want a good time slot or the VIP experience). I literally saw the new Stranger Things play on Broadway for $100 and that's almost 3 hours long. This was like maybe 30 minutes. Multiple people in our group were complaining about how short it was compared to other years. And the crazy thing is that it wouldn't be that hard to increase the length by adding some much needed prologue and epilogue sections. I think back to shows like Lies Within and The Blue Blade and am just filled with sadness for what Delusion used to be. There used to be a sense of effort, a sense of pride. There used to be more story, more interaction, more special effects. Now there's basically the same "hide under the bed" sequence every year and "find this coin" which the actor immediately finds for you with no explanation as to why you need it. Maybe I'm spoiled from going too many times. Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe I should just enjoy it while I have it before it's gone for good. But also, if I never say how I feel, how can improvements be made? I get that it's expensive to run a show of this size. Renting the location, paying actors, building the sets, getting insurance to approve the stunts, making sure Thirteenth Floor gets their cut. It all adds up. But you're asking people to pay more than almost any other haunted attraction (with The Willows as the sole exception) and it's just starting to not feel worth it anymore. Please, I am literally begging here, Make Delusion Great Again. Set the stage, give me a role, give me a mission, and make me feel like I went on a journey that ends in a satisfying or unexpected way. Make it feel like an actual play and less like any other walkthrough haunted house. read more

The only reason I'm giving it three stars is because for the prior three years, I always had a good time even though it concerned me that it seemed each year seemed to be going downhill in quality. At least the three previous years were worth it. This year it was not. I can't recommend it to anyone. I was extremely disappointed that it was so short without any plot. It felt like a singular, knotts scary farm maze, but I could've saved money by going to knotts scary farm instead. This had none of the amazing qualities that makes me come back here after year. read more

My favorite entertainment of the year. Sadly they really under delivered this year. The new venue had far less Easter eggs than the previous ones. The waiting area was just boring and felt limiting in comparison to what Delusion did for the previous several years. The act felt lacking as well. But my biggest disappointment was with the VIP experience, where they take you inside and you become a part of the show. They did not warn us that the VIP experience would be a spoiler. For me it completely ruined the night as soon as I realized I'm a part of the scene I haven't experienced as a guest yet. They could have just told us to do VIP AFTER the main show. read more

DELUSION - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I know a bad yelp review is extreme. Honestly I feel like a jerk doing this, but I just want to prevent others from spending $150+ per ticket on this. (Spoilers, stop reading). ------------- The actors were delightful and the set was fun. I loved the bit with the beds and the groaning elevator guy, good grief. To the guy in the basement that startled me so bad he dropped character, that was a great moment. To be honest my biggest complaint is that it just felt rushed and ended so abruptly I thought we accidentally walked out of an emergency exit. Every person in my group said, "wait, is that it?" For $167, I wanted the experience to last longer than 35 minutes. Sorry. I'm sure it's expensive to do a production like that, so fine, charge us $$$, but let's have an experience closer to 90 minutes. read more

It's a shell of its former self. Be prepared for a hour plus wait beyond your scheduled time, for a experience that's 25 mins long.

A+ to the amazing Jon Braver and his fantastically talented 2025 Delusion Team for putting on a truly chilling, freakily fun and simply spooktacular "Harrowing of Hell" immersive haunted house at the Variety Arts Theatre in LA. This elevated special effects event will scare even the most hardened Angelenos---I witnessed three grown men cower and shiver! A must-do for anyone who loves the season of scare. Highly recommended! read more

DELUSION - Don't look now... - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The good: - What a venue! Holy crap the ballrooms and basements housed this show with an impressive scale! - The sense of urgency while not being too scary. There were moments where you had to hide, freeze, or scuttle past a baddie, and with a little suspension of disbelief they were exciting fun! - Handoffs / transitions: playing into the previous point, we would be handed off from actor to actor to guide us to the next part in natural, diagetic ways. It was a smooth operation, no small feat. Tip of the hat to the direction ) operations team and the actors for being dual-role professionals. - The actors in general did a good job, I know how hard it is to act with material that doesn't give you much to work with. But the creepy guy was convincingly creepy, the sad lady was convincingly sad, and if the narrative didn't come through perfectly it wasn't their fault. - Groups of 10ish felt about right, although of course the smaller the better for something like this. "One elevator full" would be a good way to describe it. - A couple genuinely cool moments! I can think of three "creatures", used loosely, that were impressive for very different reasons. -------------------- The bad: - Value: $100 for a half hour or so (a time short enough to feel misleading given their "give it two hours" - The lounge experience: kind of embarrassingly bad. Zero immersion (less than zero; there was a giant poster for the show on the wall), no character interactions. $16 cocktails and lame non-alcoholic options ("we can give you a soda+cran", $4). I don't really know why you would stay there besides sunk cost fallacy. - Narrative: Really this goes in the "medium" category. Moment to moment it was always clear what we were running from or where we were trying to get to, and the actors were doing their best God bless them. But why were we trying to get to hell? Who were we in the story? A little disorienting to have the primary motivation through line so opaque but something I've seen lately from many haunted houses. I was definitely expecting more of a tight cohesive story, with more work gone into the writing than the haunted House aspect in terms of balance. You got the gist though of having to escape a cult, I just wouldn't expect much more than that and because of that thinness, to call it a play is generous. - Character interaction: I understand you can't go overboard with improv and reacting to guests, and it's not meant to be fully interactive, but this skewed far enough the other way that it really did feel like just walking through a haunted house with a guide, even though I really tried to suspend disbelief. I expected something more personalized. Again, I know we don't want this to be Evermore, and I recognize the need for balance but I think it was just a little off. - Details/quality: it was maybe my mistake for expecting more. It's probably unfair for me to compare prop work to a Universal Horror Nights haunted house but having just come from those a couple weeks before, the comparison is unavoidable. This was mostly in the dark and had the quality of build that you would find in a very good amateur haunted house. I hope I'm not insulting someone's hard work if I say that there just seem to be a good amount of prefab drop-in components. I don't want to make it sound like there was no custom work put in, especially in larger scale things, and I don't expect perfect realism but I have to say things like the ice corridor felt cheap and could have used a cooling effect or something to hide from the low quality wall effect. DIY vibe is charming but charging 100 bucks does diminish some of my enjoyment of the "gee shucks" aspect - Finale: I hate to give a spoiler for the ending in a review, but I feel like it's necessary to tell you that when you're on the boat, you should keep your eyes on your actor, even if you see something you shouldn't. Because half of my group simply didn't see the exciting set piece moment because we were distracted by a moving piece of scenery, and honestly I feel a little ripped off that focus wasn't given to the important moment before it happened. Probably the only time that I'll complain about one of the actors. Even if it breaks immersion, it would have been better to have them break the fourth wall and say "look at me" and wait for everyone to look than what happened to my group. Half of us literally didn't know anything had happened until we left the venue and talked among ourselves. ------------------ On its own, this was a fun haunted house with some unique selling points, and again going through the amazing venue was really really cool and the physical scale of the space felt special. But it lacked the polish I've come to expect in premium experiences and is not something I would rush back to do again. read more

I've been coming to Delusion since 2018 and, unfortunately after a recent decline, this may be my last year. First, the good: the actors are great as always performing in a show that I'm sure is demanding and complicated. Some cool effects and monsters here and there. The rest: the first problem was the queue. Our slot was running about 45 minutes behind schedule so there were multiple groups (50+ people) crammed up on a narrow balcony right next to a magic show, so there were people standing watching the show next to people who were looking around for where to stand for their slot. There was no signage or anyone present to explain where to be, they told us just "to wait and someone will come get you." We had to learn from other patrons around that there was some sort of line forming, but everyone was confused. The show itself felt unfinished, low budget, and rushed. We were in and out in only 30 minutes, including a wait in the middle due to technical difficulties. In the past, Delusion has thrived on audience participation and making the guests feel like they're part of a story by interacting with characters and environments. The story this year is so confusing and vague and our group was just rushed from room to room. We felt more like flies on the wall than active participants. There were only 3 or 4 instances where anyone got to do anything, and it was little beyond "hold this prop." I think the new venue is too big for the intimate storytelling of Delusion, and many of the rooms felt like they were just filling in empty space with fog machines. It feels like a pretty big fall from grace of what used to be my favorite interactive horror experience in LA. read more

I've been wanting to go here for years, and finally made it on closing night. Such a fun experience! Even though I'd been wanting to come, I still wasn't sure what to expect, and I didn't realize how interactive it was (which was great and made the experience so much better!). Loved how it felt like you were a part of the action, and the frights were real. The whole experience was about an hour and was the perfect amount of time. Prices are a little high, but it seemed worth it this year. They do have food and drinks for sale outside of the venue - food was pretty good. Drinks were a little pricier but still good. Definitely hope to return next year. read more

DELUSION - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This year may be my last Delusion after going for the last three years. Please give me some patience as I go into the context of my attendance. Last year, I felt that the story was much too convoluted with the different elements from different years. I left dissatisfied since it felt like much of the story was just characters directing you to run-run-run to the next room, which I had chalked up to them being an hour behind when I went last year. Sadly, that mechanical run-run-run aspect was still present this year even though things were like clockwork on our night. Characters: All the actresses and actors did a good job with the material they had. But I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, and they didn't feel complex or multi-dimensional. The patients were just "all crazy" and "liars" and "had to be avoided" per the "good characters" of the play. Good writing doesn't have to tell you that they're bad--they just show they are. Another review stated that Delusion felt "amateurish," and I concur. All the characters are reduced to stereotypes. Mad scientist Lowell, tragic dead wife Matilda, abandoned but righteous daughter Anna... it was so typical that nothing became memorable. One tone, one pace: in the first year of delusion I attended two years ago, there were many moments where we as participants were allowed to pause to interact with the environment. Solve a puzzle in a room to get something to stop haunting us, find a clue in a book and accidentally summon a monster. Duck and take cover while we ran for our lives from a caretaker with a gun. Those moments truly felt like the tension was high and that we had some level of agency. I didn't feel that tension build this year. I felt like a puppet in a play since the actors and actresses would just tell us what to do. There were no false doors or passages to shock and surprise. Pointless powers: This also felt like a narrative cop-out or a crude attempt to make things immersive. Every time the characters had us "use our powers," which weren't actually named, I was legit thinking that we could have just moved stuff and it would have been faster. Disappointing end: I don't want to give specifics, but I felt that the end was so anticlimactic. There was an opportunity to really draw on the tensions between the doctor and his assistant that the characters alluded to the whole time. But the whole production fizzled out with a supernatural element that felt random in the context of things. Overall, I wish delusion writing would just go back to basics and stop trying to be everything at once. An insane asylum is scary enough as it is. No need for supernatural stuff if you just commit to the bit. If it's the supernatural element that's highlighted, then go all in on it and don't half ass it. Other things: parking was GREAT and FREE! The potties were very clean and high tech. Love delusion for thinking about that for us. The lounge this year was very meh compared to the multiple areas of the Pomona house. Even the gift shop felt like a hodgepodge of stuff they were trying to get rid of from past years. Spooky season is usually my favorite, and delusion has been near the top of the list to prioritize since I've first gone. But next year, I'll wait and see for reviews before I think of going again when there are now other immersive horror experiences more worth the bang for your buck. read more

My wife and I had a great experience at delusion this year. We went a couple of years ago to the one in Pomona, this was very different. Both times it was a really great experience. Scary, fun, exciting, mysterious, basically everything you are looking for in an immersive haunted experience. read more

Finally got to experience this. It's been on my list for years - people in the industry recommend this across the board claiming it's, "the best Halloween activity" over everything else (mazes, haunts, etc.). The price kept going up and up but I finally bit the bullet and made a reservation during the presale when I learned they'd be utilizing the Phillips Manor for the last time this year and I still hadn't been there. I've always been a bit hesitant to try this out for several reasons, two biggest being price point and the premise. There are 0 details about this because it's highly secretive and meant to all be a surprise, with the sets changing every year to a new story. The only thing you know is that it's an interactive play. Personally, I am not a theater person, nor am I really interested in escape rooms so I was really hoping it wouldn't be cringe... and it wasn't! It was you know, surface level creepy at times but fun and impressive at several points in different ways. It's an experience with around 10+ people in a group, actors, sets, low level puzzles in weird / spooky situations. Actors were good in their own ways. Takes about 45min+ to get through. It was great in that I'm still thinking about it days later, still impressed and satisfied with the experience. So if you've never been and are into Halloween activities, it's definitely worth checking out at least once. Was it worth the price? I'm not sure. Besides the experience that you reserve a time for, there's the Phillips Manor itself which is cool but can be easily explored in about 10 minutes. We sat in for their "seance" bit which was good and maybe lasted 15 minutes. The website had stated to leave up to 2 hours to explore the environment but we covered it in 30 minutes. Besides this, there's a small outdoor patio with some limited drink and food options (looked pricy, didn't try). Easy street parking, a bit of a drive. It's definitely the only Halloween activity that stands out as being unique and unlike any other themed thing going on in LA. read more

First time at Delusion, frequent immersive attendee (JFI, Rogue, Particle Ink, etc.). The Red Castle is a Victorian-ish horror story, not a haunted house Very impressive from both a performance and production perspective. The actors, technicians, staging, lighting, the whole damn thing was outstanding. Unfortunately, for my taste, the narrative-heavy story kept getting in the way making the sum less than the parts. I like it when immersive theater is more of a living tone poem than a 3d drama. But if you like ghost stories and prefer mood over scares this could be a match. read more

This review is for 2024's show only-- last year was 5 stars. I'm pretty disappointed! The new location is very cool, and it's fun that they were able to utilize so much of the actual house. I could tell the actors were trying their best to keep us engaged. However, for an experience founded by a stuntman, there were basically no special fx. This year felt much more like we were watching a play than last years where it felt like we were in a horror movie. It felt very simple. You could tell they tried to make up for it by having lots of opportunities for us to be "part of the story," but about half of those things didn't even really make any sense within the plot and weren't scary, and made me wish I was still with the main group. Delusion is still a unique concept and overall we did have a fun time, but it's a very expensive experience and it's difficult to swallow that the quality level is unpredictable every year and they just expect you to keep paying the high prices. Also, they had to "hold" mid show due to pacing so we didn't run into another group, and it was literally just a tech guy who came out and said "we're holding." I've done theater all my life, I get it, live theater is unpredictable, but there should be an actor with the tech guys who gets sent out to stall the group in these situations so that the reality of the show isn't shattered. It really took me out of the experience. Overall, we'll probably go back next year to see if we can recreate as amazing of a time as we had our first year, but if you're considering coming this year, it's really not worth the money. read more

Long story short; I love Delusion, but this was bad. I've been a huge fan of Delusion since 2018, and every year I look forward to this event. Last year was spectacular, and unfortunately that only made this year's shortcomings even more clear. The run time felt rushed and was noticeably shorter than in previous years. The story was underwritten and rushed from scene to scene, with minimal tension and simplistic, low-stakes interactivity. In previous years moments were allowed to linger, and characters were often followed from scene to scene, or interacted with each other in the context of the larger narrative. People would be peeled off for little side stories or tasks that made the whole experience feel richer and more immersive. This year, individual scenes and production pieces were impressive, but didn't hang together in the long run. The space, while impressive, often felt big and under-dressed, versus years prior where spaces were small and involved and full of character. My excitement diminished over time as nothing felt particularly atmospheric or frightening. One telling moment was when I was tasked to go retrieve an item from a closet - in past years I would have likely had the door shut on me once I entered the room and been taken away by a spooky actor. Instead literally nothing happened until a group chase sequence transition was triggered. A weird thing I noticed as well: I and my companions were overwhelmingly favored for the extremely limited amount of interactive opportunities. While I like being chosen for these things, it made me wonder if it was because we had obvious VIP lanyards, or if it was because, due to the actors guiding us switching SO frequently, they had no way of keeping track of their group participation. I do the VIP experience every year, and happily. I wasted my money this time. In years past, the communal spaces (often and preferably outside) would be highly decorated, with decent food options, and additional premium scare experiences like a small maze, or (my favorite) the opportunity to be a scare actor in a scene. This year it was absolutely not worth it. The BTS experience was interesting but very short, and the VIP lounge was indistinguishable from the general ticket lounge. There was no food, no free drink, and no special atmosphere, not even music. When I went with my party of four, it was dead. The staff is all extremely nice, proficient, and good at their jobs. I will probably go again next year, but as a general ticket, and not without some heavy skepticism. Pros: -individual fun scenes with decent-to-impressive production values -one EXTREMELY impressive animatronic/mechanical set piece -Well-intentioned, skilled staff and performers -History of good performances Cons: -Ever increasing price point for diminished returns -Truncated run time and an underwritten narrative (What I thought was the midpoint of the evening in fact turned out to be the finale) -Location (DTLA) meant no free parking, unlike previous years -Location also felt underwhelming when compared to past venues -VIP experience not worth the expense read more

A Total Trainwreck - Don't Waste Your Time or Money I don't even know where to begin with how absolutely terrible Delusion was. It's hard to believe anyone could charge money for this disaster. The actors were painfully bad--think middle school drama class levels of awkwardness. They completely failed to deliver any sense of tension or excitement. The storyline was a jumbled mess, and whatever they were going for just fell flat. There wasn't a single scary or fun moment the entire time. For a so-called "immersive" experience, it was a complete joke. We spent more time wondering if the actors were bored out of their minds than being engaged in the plot. There was nothing immersive about it--just a bunch of random, disconnected scenes, acted out by people who looked like they couldn't wait to go home. To top it off, the price is outrageous for what you get. It's honestly offensive that they expect people to pay that much for something this bad. Do yourself a favor and stay far, far away from Delusion. There are so many better ways to spend your time and money. This isn't just bad--it's the kind of terrible that makes you regret even considering it. A complete and utter waste. read more

Delusions of Grandeur I want to preface this message and state that this has been my 6th delusion experience, and it by far was the worst of what has been a really wonderful run. Our group paid full price to be treated like a test audience for the show. If you are going to do a "soft opening" then you shouldn't be charging full price. Here are examples of things that occurred while we were in the experience that were inexcusable: Firstly, we were a group of 14 people going in. This is WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE. You can't fit all these people into each room with this number. You couldn't see or hear half of the things being acted out. This should have been figured out by now. Secondly, a staff person literally came in and interrupted the performance at the dinner table and took the actors out of the room. Our group just sat in the room for minutes staring at each other wondering what kind of BS is this. It completely broke the immersion and it felt like amateur hour at the haunted mansion. Third, half of our group missed the "big" reveal on the top floor because we had been separated and stayed behind in another room, where I might add nothing new happened besides checking the pulse of a skeleton prop. What kind of bad joke is that? We walked in the room and missed half a scene and had no idea what had happened and had to have the other half of our group explain to us what had preceded before stumbling in. I have been to many other Delusion experiences before but the bad lighting, the subpar storytelling, and the lack of unique reveals/surprises just made me sad at how far this show has fallen. My group felt like they had been fleeced and we all agreed this Delusion was a ghost of one's former self. read more

The only thing scary is the price point. First the positive: The house the main experience is held in is great. Sufficiently spooky. Low lighting. Understated decorations that enhance the mood and don't come across as cheesy Halloween fare. Some of the costumes and acting were quite good as well. The negative: Did I mention that this was ridiculously expensive for the quality of the experience? They were running late, and we ended up waiting at least 30 minutes in a bland bar setting with lackluster merch. No entertainers or such, which I'm used to at other haunted experiences. Once it started, the overall story part made little narrative sense and left us scratching our heads afterwards. There was a lot of potential, but it just fell flat. TLDR: Spend your money on Dark Harbor or 17 Doors instead. read more

Love the interaction between us and characters. Def coming back and doing the VIP again, read more

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Don't miss Delusion: The Red Castle. It's an incredible experience, drawing you into the world of Dr. Frederick Lowell, the asylum that housed his experiments--including yourself, once upon a time--and where his wife threw herself from the spiring building. Between the walls of the Stimson House, the cast and crew have brought a brand new Delusion story to life. I've loved Delusion since 2014, with the Lies Within installment. As a longtime fan, this year delivered the complex and moving storytelling that has always been my favorite part of this experience. Was I scared? Truly terrified at times. They're separating the groups far more often than they have in a bit, and some of the "side quests" are more chilling than others, but they're all deeply engaging and bring you deeper into your part of the story. Take the time to read the few paragraphs on the website that offer the flavor of The Red Castle. Choose to Play Your Part. That little bit of background helps you understand clearly your part in the narrative. It's not necessary to follow what's happening, but it is fun to go into knowing just a little bit. It's a fantastic show! Matt Felton performed some excellent close-up magic that we caught in the lounge before the show. He was great last year, where he had a bit more space to play around with. Limited to a small table, his performance is fantastic and worth catching before the show. read more