Enter the Asylum OPEN THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS, AND SATURDAYS THROUGHOUT OCTOBER FROM 7-10 P.M.
Fear Asylum
What originally was designed as a small walkthrough attraction in Brookings has turned into 8,000 square feet of action, immersion, and high-level special effects. Fear Asylum began in 2009, and is now South Dakota’s premier haunted house. “This is a professional event that has been developing for over a decade,” said owner and designer Buck Burdick . “We not only build our haunted house, we build things for some of the largest attractions in the world. Not many people can say that.” Burdick and his team have movie-quality sets, costumes, and makeup, along with special effects and lighting “that are top notch.” The doors to the abandoned Brookend Asylum at 216 West 6th Street have been opened for the 16th season, and it’s been "overturned by restless patients." Doctors have ulterior motives, and patients have been taken by the facility to a newly unearthed government-funded Covert Experimentation Center . The C.E.C. is filled with “the most vile, disturbing, mutilated creatures.” How has this all gone unnoticed? The avaricious caretaker of the Asylum’s graveyard has been hiding the failed experiments amongst the numerous headstones. Burdick and his team change about 20 percent of the attraction every year, working year round on it. Because of the details and theatrics of the experi- ence, people keep coming back for more. “We have realized our attraction is part of thousands of people's fall calendar,” said Burdick. “It’s a family tradition. We have parents that show up with older kids, and they tell us they have been coming since their children were little. That is an honor.” Fear Asylum has become much more than a haunted house. There are also three mini escape rooms, photo ops, Halloween snacks, and a gift shop.
Escape rooms include The CRYPT , DEFUSED , and the motion simulator, The Last Ride . The Last Ride is a five-minute solo experience where guests are taken in a hearse and “hear the sounds, feel the movements, and smell the roses, dirt, and decay while being buried alive.” Burdick’s favorite part of Fear Asylum is the creative team behind the scares. “I love our staff and what this place has become to them,” he said. “I can look back at the hundreds of team members we have had over the years. They grow up and move on, but they still stay in contact.” Burdick says it’s been a stepping stone for people to come out of their shell, gain confidence, and be whoever they want to be. “Building something together that is adored by so many is a true gift,” he said. Preparation for the next season begins while the current season is running. The crew sees what works and what doesn’t. Burdick flies in specialists from around the country to help curate the scenes. “For example, last March I flew a lighting engineer in to program and light three scenes,” said Burdick. “I have scenic artists, computer programmers, and prop makers that all help out.” His main goal is not to scare people, but to give them a good show. “We can’t scare everyone, but we can entertain everyone,” said Burdick. “All I care about is that everyone who attends has a safe and memorable experience. As long as they leave saying ‘wow, that was cool,’ we have succeeded.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT FEAR-ASYLUM.COM+
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