Five years ago, I penned a four star review of a Quarantine production that took place in a corn field. This year I'm updating with another four star salute and I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum. If you're on the fence about buying a ticket, forget my rating, read this description and ask yourself if the play (not a traditional haunted house) sounds like your cuppa blood, er, tea. If you're familiar with Quarantine's previous work, you know they've tackled some scary scenarios, from aliens to a zombie apocalypse, in performances that break the fourth wall and ask the audience to actively participate in the slaughter. It's great fun, somewhat freaky, super immersive. In 2019's "Fantasmagoria" (great title, yo), they've perhaps regressed and lept forward; the fourth wall has re-erected -- there's no audience interaction, here -- and the theatrical performance has been enhanced. Now playing in a fully furnished Victorian home (amazingly, in a warehouse on a dark street in a spooky area of the city), the set is impressive, the storyline more involved than ever, acting is sharp and intense, you're going to see a play that literally moves. A format all the rage in larger cities, "Fantasmagoria" splits the audience into groups who follow various characters about the house, witnessing scenes that build the dramatic tension that ultimately leads to the bloodletting. Some of it works, some feels like filler, but you're never wandering far from the central narrative. If you're into this kinda thing, they offer a fun, inexpensive way to return and get an entirely new tour of the carnage. I keep dropping in bloody metaphors, but really, this is a very tame show -- no jump scares, I'd let my 9 year-old do it, if she asked. Ultimately, I was impressed with the commitment to the material, particularly by a few notable performers, and I consider this show a terrific way to welcome the Halloween tradition of great haunted houses back for another season. Now, where are the chainsaws and zombies, already? read more

Quarantine ABQ - Haunted Houses Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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This years Quarantine ABQ Harvest Ball well I'll just say someone dropped the ball. Deflated the ball. It was from start to finish hard to follow. So much chaos. If you're expecting to be scared like we were save your money. This isn't at all like the other two haunt's we've been to. The zombie apocalypse in the corn fields was so good. And the one at the state fair grounds was also great. This not so much. Different rooms had conversations going on that you couldn't follow then one character would end up killing the other. The janitor was a crazy dude. Hopefully next year we go and get our money's worth. read more

If your goal is to donate money to local amateur theater, Quarantine has everything you're looking for. If you are looking for some Halloween frights you'll have better luck riding the bus on Central at night. It was really bad. The story made zero sense and it was not scary in any way shape or form. Very disappointed. In sum, don't go. read more

This was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was scary, but not too scary. Great for teens and up, but not for the faint of heart, as there is running involved. I found myself out of breath running and screaming my way through the corn maze. It was a great cardio workout and so much fun! A couple of suggestions that kept it from hitting the 5-star mark: - It isn't easy to find for those who do not know where the Rio Grande Community Farm is at. There is no lighting around the sign and it is a very dark area. - I know they are going for the full effect, of spooky, but some lights around the parking lot and the bridge that you cross over wouldn't hurt. In my job, I am always accessing risk and liability, so please take me seriously when I say you need to add more lighting for the safety of the participants (just around the parking lot and the bridge). I mean, I don't think it would jeopardize the guest experience, but only increase safety. Other than that, it was an excellent time to be had. I strongly recommend!!! read more

Quarantine: Origins isn't half bad! I'm used to being scared by all these haunted mazes, so I'd like to think I'm better at handling these things now. Alas, I still jumped (and possibly screamed...) at a couple of scares. Quarantine ABQ is similar to your typical haunted mazes, but slightly more interactive. Rather than just having you walk through a path and have people jump out at you, this attraction involves its audience by integrating them into the storyline. The Origins storyline tells the tale of how the zombie outbreak starts in Albuquerque. I haven't been the previous ones, so I'm assuming there's a different story presented each year. While the plot is pretty typical and a bit cheesy at times, it's a lot of fun if you go with friends and with the mindset of wanting to be scared. Go with an open mind and without expectations and you'll have fun. The whole thing was a bit short for the $20 admission price, but I had a lot of fun so I'd recommend it for Halloween enthusiasts. Tips: Bring comfy shoes! You'll be trekking across some lumpy uneven ground, so make you have decent shoes so you don't roll your ankles on accident. Also, there's a part where you're riding in a vehicle, so make sure you're securely in so you don't accidentally fall out and get eaten by zombies ;) read more

Whoa....so this was a fun experience. I wasn't sure what I was in for here, but I should have read the reviews. If you are planning in partaking in this interactive haunted adventure, be sure to wear your running shoes and be prepared to run from zombies! You go with a small group of 5-7 people and as you go through the scenario, you are lead by various actors of the experience and once you get through it, you learn what role you played in your group. But as you go through the journey, you are in such a state of panic, and your adrenaline is pumping that you don't have time to think about it. For me, my friend and I were "bitten" as we lost our group as we ran through the dark and erie,dark cornfield filled with zombies! As soon as I heard that it was brought by the Blackout Theater, I knew it would be good! I loved all of the little touches that made this a very fun, scary, unforgettable experience. read more

What's your typical haunted house? "Oooo, see the vampire! Now marvel at the killer clowns. Fear the smoky strobe light!" What's Quarantine? NOT that! The interactive nature of Quarantine made quick friends of the 2 random young ladies who were added to my group. In line, we made small talk about our lives and in the field we were pushing each other and screaming to beware the zombie sneaking up on the right. The single narrative makes this much more satisfying than the October spooks I tend to avoid. Fair warning, if you're not the type to play along and get into the experience, go ahead and stand in the back and let the fun people enjoy. Now I just have to go back and find out what happens if choose Fate! read more

The show is all new this year! Phantasmagoria is unlike anything else you'll see in ABQ. Suspensful, but not a traditional "haunted house" where people startle and chase you. This is like getting to be on stage during a spooky play. You become part of the scenery, and no two audience members will experience the same sequence of events. Go with a group, but don't be afraid to get separated. You'll all get together during the show and at the end to compare notes, and you'll all want to go back to see more! read more

Maybe I should blame society, perhaps I should blame my parents. Apparently I'm desensitized to any third rate scare tactics. I had high hopes waiting in line to take my turn through the Quarantine...heart racing, knees weakening. I won't spoil the experience for anyone. Many in our group appeared to thoroughly enjoy this interactive experience. I, however, was unimpressed. Perhaps I needed a closer environment and more props. I can say this....to have the best experience go into this event with the correct mindset. PLAY THE PART and you should have a good time. read more

******************* SPOILER ********* ALERT *********************** ***** DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS ******* *************** BUT DO READ IF YOU'RE AWESOME **************** ******************IT'S UP TO YOU, DON'T BE LAME THO ;D ************* I first want to say that I LOVE the interactive nature of this haunted house! I love haunted houses, and the best one I've been able to find around Burque is at McCall's. But QUARANTINE has real potential to be the best...with a few modifications of course! Albuquerque has been taken over by a deadly (or rather undeadly) virus causing people to transform into zombies. The only way out for survivors is through Quarantine...duh duh duh!! The goal is to make it through to the train where you catch a ride to rural New Mexico where the virus hasn't reached. When you enter, they slap a name tag on you and the 'doctor' explains why you're there, then introduces the person that will lead you through the facility safely. Buuuuut, then the doctor gets bit and rapidly transforms, chasing you out of his office forcing you to hold the door shut behind you....aaaaand he bites the guide. So then you and your group (of 5 people or so) are left to figure out how to get out of there alive. At one point you have to search for an antidote while zombies are chasing you. You are also faced with choosing which doors to go through, when to open doors and how fast to get to the next safe spot. Without giving away any more details, I'll just say that at one point I was running at top speed dodging zombies left and right, and I even hurdled over a guy! Here's the good: The interactive nature of this haunted house made it more fun! The actors were calling us by our names and prompting us for our next move. They were very dedicated to their roles, which was great! They did a good job of getting me into survival mode. My favorite part was when we had to search for the antidote (even though it was ineffective and our guide turned into a zombie anyway!!). The relationship between progress through quarantine and the level of intensity/scariness was definitely exponential. At the end, my heart rate was high and I was out of breath. Loved it! Here's my critique with suggestions: 1) Needs MORE interaction!! The best part was when we had to search for the antidote. Our guide had been bit and we needed her to get us through the facility, so we had to find and administer it to determine which door to go through (which BTW was the unlikely door behind a gurney we had to move!). There should be MORE TASKS to complete in each room. For example, you should have to find items that are useful in a zombie apocalypse (e.g., machete, rope, hammer, big stick, medical supplies, dried foods, water, gasoline, whatever). Orrr, you should have to find access keys to open doors. There was a room with 3 bunks that each had a body bag - It would be cool if those were dead facility workers whose uniforms you had to search for an access card (you'd find it, then they'd scare you). Orrr, you should have to find a board to block the door shut from the zombie doctor whose trying to push the door open from the other side. Orrr, you should find a map to figure out where valued items are (the kicker is that they're all in danger zones!). Once you learn the doctors have been infected, the goal should change to find supplies and solve little puzzles to get the heck outta there! It would be really cool if you or one/some of your friends could be separated from the group then turn into a zombie and scare you (because in zombie stories, you always lose a friend)! 2) Split people up!! There was a point at which I thought I would be separated from my group and I got really scared. If they had actually separated us, it would've been awesome!!! AND more realistic. Going through a haunted house alone would be waaaay scarier, AND to my knowledge, that's never been done (in ABQ, that is). 3) NOT LONG ENOUGH!! For the price ($20), this thing wasn't long enough. I think the whole thing lasted somewhere around 15 minutes. When we made it out of the quarantine facility (to the empty train tracks), everyone was like, "that's it?....it's really over?...aw..." I kept thinking it wasn't over and was looking around for more zombies. Add some zombies in a bush or something! You know...when people think it's over, there's one last scare! They could even add a train segment. You could make it out alive, then get on the train and think you're safe, when you're NOT! Ok, I may have gotten carried away here, but the main thing to take away is that this idea is gold! Just needs a little perfection. My advice is to go with 4 or 5 of your friends. AND go in with the right mentality. It is what you make of it! If everyone's really into it, it'll be a better experience. Also, you can get in free if you come a second time and bring someone new. They give you a pass. read more

Incredibly disappointed. Every year we look forward to Quarantine and were so excited for this years return. This was nothing like previous years. Instead of being immersed in the story you are simply a member of the audience watching a play and far from scary. Defiantly not worth the amount of money they charged. read more

Man, what a bummer. The 2014 story was waaayyyy better. Actors did good, story was alright. This year they are doing the pre sale tickets, so now on top of the $20 per person, you have the online fee added. 2014 I felt $20 was well worth it, this year I don't think it added up to even $10!! It still was running around which is great, zombies around, but it only lasted about 15 minutes and only interaction with 2 "sunflower people". Huge let down for the 2015 year. Sorry guys, I know you work hard to make this fun every year, but this was disappointing. I think if your going to pre sale tickets, those that do order in advance should get to jump the line right to the tent instead of waiting with everyone else. I got there around 645pm and didn't get in until 9, just for a 15 minute run around with very little interaction. read more

The storyline was great, but it wasn't as long as it was last year. There were more interactive activities last year than this year. You had to choose between two storylines and work your way through the maze. However my adrenaline wasn't pumping through my vain's and it wasn't as scary and action packed as I would have hoped. It was not worth the two hour wait to get into the corn maze. read more

I had so much fun tonight! This isn't your average run of the mill haunted house. I think that's what I liked most is you really get into the story line and have fun running all over the place! Lol. It was great for ABQ.... Worth the $20 per person in my opinion, and I will definitely be back again next year!! read more

Pre bought my tickets online a week in advance, still waited 2 hours in line with the people still needing to buy tickets. It's a great place to go if you like a more interactive haunted houses, and getting your cardio going. Story line is great but I feel like it was about half the time as last year and a little less interactive. I did enjoy the cult like theme, but still a very long wait for what you get, actors did great but I do believe last year was a better year. read more

The. Best. Haunted. House. EVER! I got to go with my family Saturday night and it was AWESOME! It's really unique because you aren't just a passive observer like in every other haunted house, just shuffling by waiting for something to be shown to you. In this haunted house, you get to play along! You go with your group (up to 5 each group- we had 2 groups) and try to make it through the zombie apocalypse without anybody in your group becoming a zombie. Think Walking Dead strategy here folks... if you have anybody in your group that might freeze up when they get scared or don't react quickly, stick them in the back of the group and when they dissappear LEAVE EM THEY ARE ZOMBIES NOW THEY WOULD WANT YOU TO SURVIVE! Oh, and wear sneakers cause you are gonna want to be fast on your feet! read more

This isn't your run of the mill haunted house. This is super interactive and immersive! The actors are so amazing and very into their parts, which is awesome to see! You run around from room to room trying to figure out what's going on and focusing on surviving each room. I highly recommend it as a haunted house junkie, this is one of the best there is! read more