House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soiree
I went to House of Spirits in 2019 based on another writer’s very positive review. Sure enough, it was a great event, with several delicious drinks and a fun atmosphere. Best of all was the variety of spooky entertainment, including a puppet show, creepy dance performance, and a quest/game. Each of these were optional and could be done whenever you felt like it–or not at all if you just wanted to enjoy the drinks and atmosphere. That was 3 years ago, with a pandemic taking up most of it, so I was curious how House of Spirits had evolved.
Dead Man’s Party
The location was the most obvious difference. No longer at a residence with outdoor grounds, House of Spirits: Vaughan Hall is now a multi-story commercial building. In fact, I had visited this exact location before, for Theatre Macabre. It’s a good location for an immersive event, although I miss the residential environs and especially the outdoor opportunities. A garden setting is wonderful for a change of scenery and different opportunities for spooky happenings.
Arriving early let us take advantage of the free coat check. This is very welcome, as the interior of the building was noticeably warm. Don’t let that deter you! Drop off your jacket and pick it up when you leave. The lounge gives you time to review the “rules” printed on the tarot-esque card that identifies your entry group. This area also has a cash bar and nice spot for an Instagram-ready photo. When our group was called, everyone excitedly entered the experience itself. A “spirit” in what looked like Crusader’s attire gave the backstory and myths of Vaughan Hall, loosely based on the haunting of Loftus Hall in Ireland.
Monster Mash
After some instructions (no touching the spirits), we were let loose! With no set path, House of Spirits gives options for you to explore as you see fit. A hallmark of the experience is themed cocktails scattered around the venue. All have Irish names, fitting the folklore of the story, along with an ingredient list. There are 4 or 5 different drinks, depending on your ticket; you can try them all or repeat the same one every time. It’s up to you! Most of our group went straight for a bar, so we went to a dark maze with no drinks allowed. Being first inside made it extra fun, as we were nearly alone in the dark with the monsters. The costumes were spectacular (another House of Spirits tradition), and the maze, while sparse in decoration, was a true maze. Unlike theme parks, this is not a one-way walkthrough. It’s got forks and dead-ends, and you legitimately have to find your way out. More mazes should be like that.
We got our first drink after that, and headed to the other activity on that floor–a kind of scavenger hunt. The 3 rooms here were very evocative and atmospheric. Wonderfully detailed spirits inhabited each room, and were both creepy and helpful if you needed guidance towards the objects to retrieve. I enjoyed the exploration, the settings, and the spirits. The objects meant nothing to me at this time, but we learned later their significance to the story.
Thriller
The second floor focused more on performances. The Trophy Room (another reference to the event’s lore) had a band in dragon-themed costumes performing covers of popular songs. Suits of ominous armor lined the walls, while an acrobat occasionally twirled around a central ring. During this, a wandering spirit delivered thematic details to any bold enough to ask. Once again, her amazing costume was a highlight. House of Spirits has the best costumes I’ve ever seen at a Halloween event.
A large theater was mid-performance, so we instead sought out more of the lore (and drinks!) All of the cocktails were good, depending on your personal taste. The cups had a LOT of ice though, so the actual volume of drinks was on the smaller side. It hurt the environmentalist in me to have a few sips of a delicious drink, then throw away a plastic cup–5 times! Multiplied by hundreds of attendees–that’s a lot of trash. But I digress. We found another spirit, with another incredible costume, who played coy but eventually beckoned us to follow. In a secret room, the spirit performed an exclusive scene sending a message between worlds. This private moment was a highlight of the night. I know of at least one other hidden scene that we didn’t see because that particular spirit was busy when I first saw them, and missing when I looked again.
The big performance was mostly traditional theater, plus audience participation and a dance number set to the best cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (haha, ‘Spirit,’ get it?) I have ever heard. Just a perfect remix of the song to fit the scene (I’m not even someone who enjoys watching dance, but this really got me). The show was funny, the story was fascinating, and I was thoroughly engaged. There is only one questionable aspect. With the amount of information the show provides, it seemed to render all my hard-won clues about the narrative moot. I took a lot of pride in talking to the spirits and piecing together the story. Then the big show flat-out tells everyone a lot of that same information. I still got the fun of finding out the information on my own, but I do wish what I learned felt a bit more “secret.”
Grim Grinning Ghosts
With only one room to go, we were having a great time. The final room had the last bar, a giant Ouija board that answered questions live, and a central platform with two more mini-shows. An impressive Owl creature led a ceremony in front of torch-wielding audience members. Then an acolyte in a mystic robe stepped up, dropped the robe, and performed a burlesque striptease. Once more, the variety and detailed costumes were impressive. Lastly, my friend flirted with Ouija board until it gave us the answer to a task we’d been given early in the evening. Rushing to follow the instructions we found the final piece of the mystery of Vaughan Hall. Narratively, it was a great conclusion. Theatrically, there could have been a little more oomph to this finale, as it mostly involved reading on a phone. I loved the story and have no complaints with that. But for the final scene, I wish there was a hidden room or event to trigger as a reward for learning the truth.
We did this with about 10 minutes remaining in our 2-hour time slot. I tried to find the other hidden scene from earlier, but the spirits were rapidly disappearing. Our drink tickets were gone. Rather than linger just because we could…we actually left before they shut it down. This was a new sensation, as usually I stay until the last minute. But I felt a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment this time. I’d finished the story/mystery (to the best of my knowledge), I got one secret scene, and although I failed to find the other one, I wasn’t too upset about it. I felt my experience was complete; a welcome sensation compared to events where I left disappointed about what I’d missed.
This is Halloween
In essence, House of Spirits was fun, satisfying, and perfectly timed. It’s my favorite spooky season event so far this year, and the only one I would recommend to anyone (over 21) without caveats. It’s entertaining for anyone who likes Halloween. The only reason it’s not a 10/10 is the accumulation of a few nitpicks. Specifically: the environmental waste of multiple plastic cups per person for relatively small drinks, the anticlimactic final answer to the mystery, and its emphasis more on performance than audience engagement. A couple times I thought I had stumbled upon a puzzle to solve and got excited, only to learn it wasn’t. But it could have been! House of Spirits could benefit from adding one more challenge for guests, and I already have ideas where it could be placed. Hey, House of Spirits–call me for a way to spruce up the audience engagement at minimal effort!
Some logistical notes: House of Spirits gets warm, and there’s a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes and take advantage of the coat check. Parking is not great in the area, so carpool, rideshare, or be prepared to walk a couple blocks through some dark streets. There are 3 ticket levels; $65 gets you 4 cocktails, $70 adds a 5th cocktail, and $84 adds a paired chocolate truffle to each cocktail, plus first entry in your timeslot. The truffles were indeed delicious, although I generally don’t think chocolate and cocktails go well together. I recommend the $70 ticket, which is still a pretty great deal compared to the pricing of similar Halloween events. More details about House of Spirits, including ticket purchases, can be found at their website here. It only runs through 10/31, so don’t wait long!
