The anticipation was mounting as my husband and I drove to Atlanta last Friday night. I hadn’t felt this way since my days of attending concerts in small, crowded Chicago clubs.
I probably prepared too much to be “cool” about checking out what I can now say is the best haunted attraction I’ve experienced, Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse, located at 4215 Thurman Rd., Conley, Ga.
I researched, planned and talked to one of the creators. I was giddy.
AZA, created by Atlanta filmmaker Jonathan Rej and special effects/makeup artist Shane Morton, is in its second year. Rej said they make all their props and have over 100 actors.
“We’ve got big plans,” he said. “(It’ll) get crazier and crazier each year.”
When we spoke last week, Rej said AZA is not a haunted house, but “immersive theater” because its “like being in a zombie apocalypse movie.”
It’s an interactive experience and some guests even play a part in the story line -- it’s kind of like mystery dinner-theater, only the mystery you’re trying to solve is how not to be dinner for zombies.
By the end of the Apocalypse, I was slightly out of breath, had a light sweat on my brow and a permanent smile on my face.
Then we went to the Zombie Shoot, where you take up arms (paintball guns) in a shooting range and “aim for the head!”
The atmosphere was a bit like the concert vibe I anticipated -- there was heavy music, a merchandise booth and a photo shoot.
As Rej said, it’s not just a haunted house. But if you want to go, act fast -- this is the last weekend of operation until next year and it’s bound to be crowded. According to the AZA’s Facebook page, last Saturday boasted their highest numbers yet -- and with press from the New York Times and The Weather Channel
Some words of advice
Get there early: Tickets start selling around 7:45 p.m. and the first group goes through the Apocalypse around 8 p.m.
Wear sensible shoes: You’ll want to haul it through various parts of this attraction, so wear something you can run in. “You won’t survive the zombie apocalypse in flip flops,” said Rej. Or stilettos.
Immerse yourself: Interact with the actors, run away from the zombies, scream when it’s appropriate -- that’s what it’s all about. It makes it more fun for everyone involved -- you, your group and the actors.
Take a picture: Fork out the extra 10 bucks to pose with your weapon of choice in front of a zombie attack backdrop -- it’s a perfect souvenir and the photographer said they make great Christmas cards.
