The staff of Philly EDGE had the opportunity to walk through Nightmares Xtreme Scream Park at the Wachovia Spectrum (through Oct. 31) last week.
Below are accounts from three of our staffers who encountered ghouls galore.
To read more about the venue, grab a copy of Philly EDGE. For more about Halloween events, venues and all things spooky, check out one of the best Halloween sites in the free world at phillyBurbs.com

I habitually shield my eyes and peek through them at horror movies.
I still sleep with a nightlight even though my parents disposed of my original nighttime beacon three decades ago.
So, I decided to visit NightmaresX why?
For starters, I love all things Halloween – watching `Psycho,’ creating costumes, carving Jack O’Lanterns, candy corn… OK, I despise candy corn.
And on top of that, all my friends were doing it.
But I realized while waiting in Fear Park to enter NightmaresX that this place might put me over the edge.
Nasty-looking, ghoulish skateboarders were whizzing by me and making loud scrapes and growls in my vicinity. Perched atop a tractor-trailer, a flame-blower let loose with a blazing burp.
And then a ghoulish usher slithered up behind me and hissed in my ear. HISSED!!!
Enough, I’m out, let’s go home.
I started to breathe easy in the land of the FearLeaders and during the Edgar Allen Poe short film.
But then it was into the House of Usher and the Freakshow in 3-D.
We were told to walk single file with our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us. I guess it might’ve been easier to make my way if I wasn’t hiding in my date’s back. And if my ``friend’’ didn’t shout out my name for all the ghouls to hear, memorize and repeat in their efforts to terrify me.
So, what do I have to say in a sentence about this chains-clanking, creep-sneaking, ghoul-hissing place?
Can I come back next year?

Kristie Grier
Philly EDGE General Manager

When entering the Nightmares Xtreme Scream Park there should be an additional sign placed next to the one that instructs visitors not to touch the performers because the performers will not touch them…
…“Please do not eat anything in large quantities before entering the Scream Park, because you are likely to shit your pants.”
Even if you aren’t one to get scared at such insignificant things as haunted houses, be aware that at NightmaresX you will be surprised by things jumping in front of you and women screaming behind you.
As you enter each section visitors are instructed to place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. (As a side note, I would like to advise people to place themselves in back of someone of equal or shorter height because I was in back of someone substantially taller than myself and all the blood eventually ran out of my hands, which gave me a major case of pins and needles. However, my taller friend also provided an excellent object to grab as the shit was scared out of me.)
The 80 minutes seemed like an eternity spent in the mazes of hell (that’s a good thing), ending with a room that will make you feel like your food may come out the way it came in.
It left my senses blown as I stumbled away in search of a clean pair of undergarments.

Dave Tomko
Philly EDGE Graphic Designer

The first thought that went through my mind when I found out I was leaving the office early on Thursday to attend an event at the Wachovia Spectrum was, “Yay, this will be a nice change of schedule.”
However, two minutes after our arrival, my excited state quickly changed into focusing on not peeing my pants. This went on for a good three hours.
Nightmares Xtreme Scream Park proved to be just that; an extreme nightmare in the form of a “scream park.”
In addition to making sure that I did not pee my pants, I was also seriously afraid that I was going to throw up. I’m not sure about you, but I’m not really into dead people/things jumping out at me/getting real close/hissing at me. On the other hand, I will say that I am a huge wuss with this kind of stuff (Ask my co-workers. I was whining the whole time).
So, if you are into getting the snot scared out of you for 80 minutes straight while shuffling through four differently-themed rooms, each getting scarier and scarier with new characters emerging throughout, this place is definitely for you.
But, if you are like me, this place will leave you crying for your mommy.

Margo Christiansen
Philly EDGE Marketing Associate