Spookiness Goes 3-D at Nest Haunted House

PHOENIX, Oct. 11, 2010— -- There's dark. And then there's scary dark. And Christina McDonald of Arizona State University discovered the difference at Bleak, one of the attractions at the Nest haunted house in nearby Chandler.

"The scariest part was the 12 minutes of complete darkness and trying to find your way without any light at all," the junior said. "It was intense for sure."

Maybe so, but it's the animatronics, special effects and new 3-D maze in particular that have caught the attention of America's Best Haunts and MSN, both of which consider the Nest among the best in America.

Not to rest on their laurels, however, organizers moved the attraction this year from its old location in Phoenix to historic Rawhide, which made the maze possible.

Nest co-producer Glenn Rae said eight weeks of preparation went into building the haunted house.

"It's the traditional Nest but it is like the Nest on steroids this year," Rae said. "A bunch of new actors, new equipment and some really good scares."

The Nest covers more than 50,000 square feet and has more than $1 million worth of special effects. It consists of four different levels: Mirror Mania, Turmoil 3-D, Bleak and the Nest itself.

Senior ASU student Aldo Vazquez said he believes technological advances make the Nest No.1 in the nation.

"The Nest was one of the most frightful places I had gone into," he said. "It literally is a trip.

"I think the 3-D features and special effects of the haunted house is what makes the Nest better than any other haunted house I've gone into."

Sixty actors hide among the dark corners of the Nest and wear more than $1,500 worth of makeup alone, Nest art director Nicole Alarib said.

Hundreds of hours go into planning to make the terrifying experience better than the last.

The Nest Haunted House

"I'm already preparing for next year," Rae said. "I'm already making my drawings, my plans and new effects for next year; over a year goes into planning something like this."

Tickets are $25 for general admission or $35 for VIP FastPass.

For more information and special discount tickets, go to the website at www.Frightened.com.