The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Netherworld’s new site offers more room for scares
“This is one of our Mega Mouths,” says Netherworld cofounder Ben Armstrong. He indicates an enormous, toothy set of jaws hanging in an alcove in the mazelike attraction called “The Awakened.” The Mega Mouth works like a giant puppet, which an unseen operator uses to scare distracted visitors. “His bite is almost 10-12 feet open all the way. It’s soft, so it can actually bite you.”
Even with the house lights up on a Tuesday morning tour, Netherworld’s haunted houses display an almost overwhelming number of creepy props, menacing statues and meticulously designed sets. They’ll be far more frightening under the moody lights at showtime, with unearthly sound effects and costumed creatures leaping from around corners.
Armstrong himself is feeling a little more suspense than usual. After 20 years in Norcross, Netherworld has moved to a more spacious location in Stone Mountain. Now taking up almost 10 acres with expanded seasonal and year-round attractions, Netherworld offers more spooky spectacle than ever. Armstrong and cofounder Billy Messina just hope that their fans will follow them to the new digs.
Nevertheless, Armstrong and the Netherworld team are braced for big crowds eager for a good scare. “On a slower night, we have hundreds of customers. On a busy night, we have thousands,” he says.
Netherworld requires a massive number of people to operate, and not just the signature monsters in makeup nicknamed the Netherspawn. “We have close to 200 people working per night,”
he says. “There are 125-150 actors inside and out. There are stunt actors, puppeteers, people operating the animatronics, as well as ticket takers, police officers and the ones in charge of operations.”
Now located at a former construction firm, Netherworld uses the second-floor offices for lockers and dressing rooms for the performers. “When the actors come in, they report to casting, find out the roles they’re playing, and go to costuming and maybe to makeup or the armory. Over seven days a week, the cast revolves a lot, so every night is different.”
The former warehouse space now contains the attractions and provides more room for monsters to roam. “It’s either a quarter or a third larger in walking path than the old one. And the ceiling is higher, so you’re able to see tall things from a distance.” Some creatures may even glide overhead on zip lines or swoop down on bungee cords.
“The Awakened,” an occultthemed attraction reminiscent of such horror writers as H.P. Lovecraft, sends visitors through the cursed town of Whyshburg, into a macabre mansion and across dimensions into the demon-plagued Netherworld itself.
“‘Subject: UNKNOWN’ is based on science fiction storylines, with an alien virus causing mutations and chaos in a facility,” Armstrong says. The audience passes through a scientific/military base full of alien autopsies, marauding zombies, even dinosaurs from the “paleo-cloning” wing. “This is a very aggressive show, with a lot of flashing lights and high-end action. The other one has that, but it’s more moody.”
After going through “The Awakened,” audiences can take a breather at the new open-air midway that includes carnival games, photo ops and such snacks as Demented Doughnuts (but no alcohol).
The bigger facility gives Netherworld the chance to extend the fun beyond Halloween season. “The escape games and the monster museum are open-year round,” Armstrong says. “During the year, people have heard about Netherworld and might be passing through town and want to poke around and see stuff.”
Netherworld currently offers three horror-themed escape room games, include a remote cabin menaced by a Sasquatch. “We tailor the experience for the group,” Armstrong says. “Some of them don’t want to be scared, but some definitely want a Netherworld game.”
The facility includes a gift shop and a museum called the House of Creeps that features costumes from previous attractions, a Krampus display and famous movie monsters, including a puppet prop from the film “Saw.”
Netherworld even resurrects sets from movies shot in Atlanta. “Subject: UNKNOWN” repurposes walls, mechanical arms and a crashed plane from such films as “Passengers,” “American Made” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”
Netherworld has no official age restriction, but discourages attendance by children under the age of 6 or so young they have to be carried. “It’s at the parent’s discretion,” says Armstrong. “You can have little kids who love it and 40-year-old men who’ll curl into a ball.”
He emphasizes that the intensity of the experience, from the Netherspawn who mingle at the ticket line to the chainsaw-wielding figures who chase people out of the final attraction, is all in good fun. “We don’t use profanity or extreme gore — we want the audience to be thrilled but not traumatized. We want you to have nightmares for a week, not the rest of your lives.”
Just don’t let the Mega Mouths bite.