REVIEW: reichland asylum
NOVEMBER 1, 2022
review: reichland asylum
Slightly south of downtown Riverside lies a neighborhood pocket of historic homes that love to celebrate Halloween. Most of them, like a completely otherworldly Haunted Mansion yard display, remain unnamed. However, there are a few historic houses such as the Wood Streets Pirate house that create a very realistic display of their home being burned down by pirates - so much so that the fire department visits them every year. Centered amongst this wonderful celebration is Reichland Asylum - a legendary haunt that has been bringing scares to its community for almost two decades. This year they presented the mazes newest chapter “The Return of Sarah Crawford Part One”.
The exterior is massive and built to both frighten and awe. Drenched in purple and red lights, a patient lies dead in a hospital bed. The carcass rests among the spectral tombstones, all dwarfed by the haunt’s decrepit two story facade. This pre-entry display offered many photo-ops for those waiting in line. Visitors could also take this time to notice intricate details, such as the tombstone of this year's villain - a 14 year old named Sarah Crawford.
This maze was very high tension and contained absolutely incredible scare actors. The main protagonist, Matthias (played by infamous cosplayer/drag queen Dragpool aka David Schoelen), is a legitimately frightening and intimidating character. As someone who has lost his mind in the Asylum, Matthias tells you about the evil Sarah Crawford and warns you of your impending death. This leaves you convinced that Matthias isn’t warning you, but rather is celebrating the chaos that is about to ensue.
Inside you take steps through the Asylum amongst the chaotic, dimly lit rooms and the hospital's possessed patients. The scare actors are all incredible and flowed with the wonderful build of the maze. The environment was unsettling - with cages, graffitied walls, and rusted props lying about - helping to tell the story through the tension in the air. It all felt completely perfect, making it one of our favorite visits we have ever had to the Asylum.
We can’t end this review without acknowledging David St. Pierre - the father of Reichland. This maze was built by Joshua Roa St. Pierre and his partner Sarah Whitley. Their team is full of dedicated and talented people, including Joshua’s father - electrical engineer David St. Pierre, who helps them out with the maze every season. Sadly David recently passed away causing them to become uncertain of what to do for 2022. They announced in early October that this year would only be a display - however they changed their minds right before Halloween to make it a smaller scale maze. Our visit this year felt extra special knowing that the Reichland team was mourning a huge loss while continuing their legacy in honor of David. Everyone from the builders to the actors made the experience this year both memorable and heartfelt. It was a wonderful way to honor a dearly departed family member while simultaneously ensuring that his art will live on as something that will be celebrated for years to come.
RIP David St. Pierre
VC
November 01, 2022
#reichlandasylum #riverside #hauntedmaze #hauntedhouse #halloween #hauntsofla
