Hera's Nightmare Stirs Westminster with Summer Screams
WESTMINSTER, MD — Maryland’s newest haunted attraction, Hera’s Nightmare, awoke from hibernation this May for their first-ever ‘halfway to Halloween’ event at the TownMall of Westminster. Subtitled “Summer Screams”, Carlos Rivas and his team at Hera’s Nightmare have scared up yet another incredible event to thrill and chill enthusiastic Marylanders, and with only four weeks to build following their “Cursed Cottontail” Easter-themed haunt last month. The haunt’s three attractions have been newly-transformed into a candy-coated fever dream, and we were delighted to have received press invitations to the debut event and to get an inside look at just how quickly things have come together for the team.
Hera’s Nightmare is an all-indoor haunt located inside the TownMall, which makes it a great activity for both fair and foul weather days. Parking at the mall is free and plentiful; but if you want get from your car to Hera’s with as few steps as possible, it is best to park between the adjacent properties of Belk Outlet and Boscov’s. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door, and there is a fast pass (VIP) upgrade that can be purchased to get through the queue lines faster. Although the haunt consists of three separate attractions, it is meant to be experienced in a linear order; one ticket buys the purchaser admission to each of the three attractions in succession. Before and after customers’ foray into the darkness, they are also free to browse an exceptionally well-themed Horror Shop, which sells haunt-branded merchandise as well as commodities from local vendors.
Above: Hera’s Nightmare was louder and prouder than ever this summer, with the midway having nearly doubled in size as compared to the ‘Cursed Cottontail’ event this past Easter.
Customers headed to Hera’s Nightmare will be greeted first by huge props, displays and photo ops in the small but mighty Midway. These is a great opportunity for a “sick pic”, and you might even get a chance to meet a roaming queue line monster. As this was our second visit to Hera’s Nightmare, we were quick to notice that the theme of the Midway changes with the season. The displays keep in line with the overall theme of the linear experience throughout the attractions, so the midway can be considered customers’ first small taste of the updates and changes to the walk-through attractions. Victims of the haunt who are brave enough to pose with props or roaming actors are encouraged to share their pictures on social media, tagging @heras_nightmare to help get the good word out.
Naturally, the attractions themselves are the real highlight. The first maze, known as “Hexen Hollow” during the main event season, was retitled “Hexen Harvest” for the summer event, bringing it into sync with the overall event’s theme of summertime scares. The story of this attraction was also cleverly reworked to feature the town of Hexen Hollow hosting a fall festival of sorts; but instead of bountiful crops, maze icon Mayor Dale is boasting about his brand-new candy shop. In all forms and variations, Hexen Hollow offers a spectacular first impression of the haunt as a whole; you weave your way through an entire town, building after building with scare after scare waiting around every corner. By the time you reach the end of the first maze, you’ll likely have forgotten that the entire attraction exists inside the shell of a department store - such is the dedication to immersion and world-building at Hera’s. This particular maze also offered patrons of the ‘Summer Screams’ event a first look at some of the larger-than-life candy props that would tie-in to the overarching storyline - though certainly not the last. Those that survived encounters with the townsfolk throughout the maze were rewarded with free candy from Mayor Dale…but were unlikely to consume it, after having seen how his “famous” candy had turned the town sour.
The second maze, normally called “Containment”, usually leans headfirst into a ‘zombie apocalypse’ theme by showcasing a laboratory that is struggling to contain a deadly viral infection. For ‘Summer Screams’, however, the lab was transformed into “Sweet Tooth Factory”. Narratively, this expanded the story of the event by giving victims a look into the untoward supplier of Mayor Dale’s beloved candy shop in “Hexen Harvest.” This walkthrough was reminiscent of the “Chuckles and Truffles Candy Company” overlay that we saw for the same attraction during the haunt’s Easter event, but offered even more candy and some scenic updates than we had seen during our previous visit, including an all-new finale with lots of moving pieces. Clowns were also replaced by very enthusiastic factory workers who were thrilled be to giving guests a tour of the facility, despite glossing over some of the dangers associated with the consumption of their candy.
Above: Haunters, locals and families from all over the state came out to support Hera’s Nightmare during their “Summer Screams” event, and the expansive midway offered the perfect place to gather for photos.
The final maze, “Rotten Aftertaste”, took over the shell of main season attraction “Reign of Darkness” and finally revealed the trade secret of the Sweet Tooth Factory products…those unfortunate souls who consumed the candy have turned into pumpkin-like monstrosities! The makeup and costuming of this attraction really helped to sell the interwoven storyline, which has been a real highlight of all of the seasonal events that we’ve been able to experience at Hera’s Nightmare thus far. After surviving the third and final attraction, guests were returned to the midway from whence they originated - and most everyone we overheard exiting the attraction was in agreement that it was one of the coolest and most unique things they’d experienced this summer.
All things said and done, it’s safe to say that Hera’s Nightmare delivered another “sweet” off-season event, and with only four weeks to transition from the “Cursed Cottontail” overlay to the “Summer Screams” overlay, we were really impressed with the team’s hard work and dedication. The cohesive narrative of the three attractions was well-executed, and so many changes were implemented in an extremely short amount of time. If this event, or the preceding Easter event, are any indication - we know that we have great things to look forward to in the Fall. Those interested in experiencing Hera’s Nightmare during their main season or any of their future special events should be sure to check out https://www.herasnightmare.com/index.html for tickets and information, as well as to follow Hera’s Nightmare on social media to be the first to know about any new events the haunt has planned. In the meantime, you can check out our experience vlog below to get a bit of behind-the-scenes action and watch us take on “Summer Screams” for ourselves!
