READ. READ. READ Do not waste time or $ on this. Way too short, way too dark , and way not scary. We had a larger group with fast passes. Thank god we got there early and didn't have to wait in line very long (unlike some of the other unfortunate reviews) But the whole thing is over in under 15 min. Expecting two separate "houses"...no. One seems to merge into another without any distinction. Best part...the scary clowns entertaining people in line. That's about it. The other one star reviews here are accurate. Read those as well. read more

I got a pair of free tickets from work and went with a group of 5 (that paid for their tickets). I didn't know what to expect, but I was up for the experience. I haven't been to too many haunted houses, but I was surprised that this was in a mall. Pros: - It's cool there was free and easy parking, but hey, it's in a mall. - The actual haunted houses are decorated really well. - The scares are creative and unique. It's not just people jumping out at you. - You enter the haunted houses with just your own group which makes it better. None of the scares are ruined by seeing the last group's scares. Cons: - The wait times here are ridiculously long. We waited for more than 2 hours on a Sunday night. We arrived at 7:45 pm and we didn't get in until 10 pm. - The wait is in a hot, stuffy, unventilated room and there's nowhere to sit. - There were a lot of line jumpers. - If you did have a fast pass "jump the line" ticket (we didn't), it wasn't very clear where you went. - There were a lot of people entering the line and heading into the haunted houses from different places. This was confusing and kind of frustrating. - The haunted houses are really short. There's two and they last about 5 minutes each. Overall, the haunted houses were indeed fun and well executed, but the wait times are way too long. You get to go into the haunted houses with just your group which does make the experience much better (except when the next group runs through and ends up right behind your group -- annoying!). But the process seems badly organized. The tickets should be timed to minimize the waits. No haunted house is worth a 2 hour wait. read more

Fear Overload Scream Park - Haunted Houses Near Me - Newark, California

Not sure why the reviews here are so low.. am pretty surprised actually!! Thought this haunted house was great!! I was scared out of mind lol. From the moment i stepped into line, there were actors hovering nearby and approaching us and i even started regretting buying the tickets for my friends and I as actors looked soooo scary!! And then.. after basically no wait (i bought the fast pass) we entered this house of terror. I immediately closed my eyes (and honestly kept them closed half the time because that was how scared i was) and everytime i opened them i saw body bags and moving bodies lurching in the shadows and corners. My friend next to me kept her eyes open the entire time and was screaming every 10 sec. It was pretty horrifying! I almost cried. But all in all, if you're looking for some fun (the halloween kind) this place is great and the costumes and make up looked authentic and high quality and ooooo SO SO nightmarish! I don't know how they do it but all the actors were equally horrifying and i would never imagine them in my worst nightmares (there was also a zombie lady sitting in a wheelchair with an IV bag infusing... i'm a nurse and that creeped me out so much so that's saying something definitely best scare of a haunted house i've ever been to so far (and i've been to the ones at those bigger amusement parks!) read more

It was sooooo spooky definitely recommend it! The cast never loose character and the staff are very accommodating!

Maybe I'm not doing it right but it was pretty underwhelming. Other people were screaming and obviously had a great time, my group however wasn't scared at all. It was a 1.5 hour wait for general admission so we upgraded to fast pass which is worth it. Tbh the anticipation was scarier than the actual haunt. Pretty small, 10 minute experience maybe? I came on Nov 1 so maybe the A listers weren't there but we weren't really scared. They just kinda stand there and walk at you and scream. We went kind of slow so we let others go ahead of us since we wanted to make the most of it for the price. Idrk what to say it just wasn't scary ‍ read more

0 stars if I could!!!! It was so dark and they give you this dumb flashlight that barely works. They tell you not to touch the workers but security guards were touching my boyfriend for having his phone flashlight on. Definitely suing that security guard! He's a 5'7 scrawny mexican guy with glasses I believe. Don't come here ever!!!!!! It sucked read more

Seemed like it was only 1 haunted house and not the 2 advertised. Very short and not many actors. Not worth the money at all. And don't recommend buying fast passes since general admission gets in just as fast. read more

Came early by 6:45pm and there was already a line forming outside the door. Waited about additional 25 minutes outside after they announced we're open at 7pm just to get to the security checkpoint. Went into the separate general admission... maybe moved a couple feet forward after waiting an hour and a half. No actors or anything to keep you entertained while in line. Gave up after seeing reviews of people waiting for 3+ hours and didn't see the worth in it. We thought it was going to be quicker for Valentines Day, but it's still the same terrible lines as Halloween. read more

First time coming here with my son and to be honest it sucked and wasn't even scary . Paid almost 70 dollars for singing that only took less than 10min to finish the whole thing ‍. You guys ain't missing out trust me read more

Incredibly disappointed! The trailer is quite misleading and inaccurate! The lighting wasn't anything like in the trailer. There hardly were any actors and I think a lot of the "animatronics" were broken or not working properly. Be prepared to be let down if you are expecting for the mazes to look anything like in the trailer and commercials. Definitely not worth $25/ticket. I'm sad that this was my 15-year old son's very haunted attraction. read more

Really so much fun! Went with my family and we all had an amazing time. The actors were all so in character and it really made the night fun. Would definitely recommend. The pumpkin guy at the front was my favorite definitely. read more

If you buy tickets for 9-930 and at 11 pm you still are not in this is a big problem. You can only get in if you pay extra for FAST PASS. This place is very unorganized and will not be coming in the future or next year and will not recommend this place to anyone. I had to leave the line after 3 hours and did not get in and wasted $100. read more

Was absolutely incredible! We went earlier on in October and the crew were unbelievably good, so engaged, so disgustingly creepy, got so many screams out of me. Thank you!!! read more

Friggin amazing! Just went tonight - no line, was so so good! The sets, the actors, it was SO much fun, I screamed my way round as each new room got the better of me. So glad I went. Don't wait til peak - go now before it gets busy. It's phenomenal! read more

Really loved it. Didn't give it 5 stars because it needs to be longer if possible next year. Two houses at barely 30 minutes total. WE WANTED MORE SCARIES! We did the Terror Vault at the Mint the night before, so I preferred the 45 minute experience. But, I loved the Fear Overload environment much more. My adrenaline was pumping the entire time, I loved being scared and all of the ghouls/zombies coming out of no where (literally) and enjoyed being chased in the very dark maze. I love that it was a tight space, so there's no where to escape. The staff was awesome; each one definitely had a craft so kudos to each one of you, especially the girl who looks like a sitting mannequin on a dresser who eventually moves. I told her she was my favorite and at the end of the two houses, she still was. All of them were amazing. If you liked to be scared, come here. If you'd rather enjoy an immersive environment, go to the Terror Vault in SF. read more

Do not book tickets online! The website is horrible for booking tickets! When you go to purchase the tickets, it does not give you the option to review to make sure your time and date are correct. If you make a mistake, they makes you pay extra to be able to use your ticket as there are no refunds or exchanges! You can't get a hold of any customer service representatives. Just purchase your ticket at Costco as there are no time Slots and you get the fast pass for $27.99. Not $34+ online. DO NOT BOOK ONLINE! It's a scam! read more

Just not as good as past years... same exact set ups! Not to many actual people in the houses and people are crammed up right behind you! Just not what it used to be ! Plus no bag policy should be known before coming! Not when you get in line! Having to walk out to your car to put your bag inside is not a good feeling! read more

HORRIBLE HORROR EXPERIENCE Waited 3 hours in the line. The place has very disorganized system. They should limit selling tickets for every time slots to avoid over crowding. If you have no patience don't go here. read more

My first visit to Fear Overload was for their Valentine's Haunt in 2022. I love the idea, and had a lot of fun! I just wasn't crazy about the execution. The cool thing about it being located in Bayfair Mall is that parking is plentiful, I visited on a Saturday night and it was a non-issue. We paid ahead of time online for the 2nd tier tickets - not the full wait time, but not the instant entry, I believe it was supposed to be about a third of the normal wait. By the time we were done, I vowed if I returned for Halloween that I was springing for the instant access. It's worth the money, and will make your night a lot more fun. But since we didn't, we endured the line. We waited at least an hour, didn't get the candles we paid ahead for, and the security and crew all seemed, well, grumpy. It does no good to yell announcements in a big echo-filled mall full of people having fun and talking loud, and they don't care. We paid for candles, they don't care. BUT - characters from the haunt wandered through the lines to startle people and pose for pictures. So we take the good with the bad. Wear comfy shoes and believe the non-hype, the wait sucks. Finally when it was our turn to head in, the haunt was a lot of fun! I didn't get a very strong sense of a Valentine's theme; the only thing that stood out at all was a guy standing in a hall holding a severed bloody heart yelling about tearing his heart out for you - that should have been the vibe the whole way through! But it was fun and gross and spooky, and the actors definitely embraced their roles. It takes about 8 - 10 minutes total to walk through both themed houses. If you're wanting a non-traditional date night, this haunt at Halloween and Valentine's is a solid choice. In fact, in our long wait in line we brainstormed how you could do a haunt for every holiday! Maybe they'll continue to expand. A good spooky, if not totally perfect, time! read more

DO NOT purchase tickets for this event. SAVE YOUR TIME & MONEY. We purchased a ticket for 11pm start time on a Saturday. We arrived at the venue in Newark to a massive line, only to be told that a fire Marshall had been called and they were no longer letting people in. He said for the people currently in line it was a 2 hour wait. A complete waste of $31 a ticket - I couldn't imagine if we'd paid for more (immediate admission, etc.). They have no number on their website and the 3rd party company they sell their tickets through (Tixr) doesn't even list them as an event to submit with a complaint. Disgusting money grab group of people who are putting this "event" on. Shame on them. read more

I had high hopes since they moved to a different mall, but the only thing high was the people in the parking lot. Same haunt, different mall. Don't waste your money and time. I am really disappointed as what was being advertised is NOTHING like what we paid for. They should really update their image gallery and marketing material to reflect what the consumer is actually getting. We had maybe 7 scare actors in total. Most of them were running room to room. The lack of decor and actors was persistent throughout both haunts,. It really felt like one haunt. I feel the Candlelighters Ghost House just up the street in Fremont probably has more props and actors. Fear Overload, you are the last haunt the Bay Area really has. Please for Satan's sake get a new creative team together. Hire a casting director and make it good next year. Reach out to me if you want ideas. Look at The 17th Door Haunted Experience in LA and take some pointers from them. Immerse us in an experience and not some copy and paste haunt. read more

PLEASE GO EARLY! Like all the reviews, the LINE is NO JOKE! Or get a fast pass but even with that, the lines still LONG! We stood in line outside at 7:30pm ( in the rain as well) and didn't get to the front till 11pm ‍ My kids were ready to LEAVE but $30 a person W/ No refunds? Yea, I definitely wasn't gone waste my money plus we had nothing else to do, so yesss we waited. Also the place is legit ACROSS THE MALL from when you walk into the building so keep that in mind when you're waiting. we waited so long was because someone had a seizure. There was also a fight that broke out too so we literally didn't move for almost 2 hours. They advise for kids under 12 not to attend but if they love a good scare, take them as long as they're with an adult. Don't wasn't your time on the "flexible" (+$5) fee, it does nothing! The lines WAY too long anyways. I'd suggest getting a fast pass. My kids LOVED IT. The actors were so GOOD! And the props were Creepy but so good. Definitely a lot of dead body props. Lol OVERALL a 10/10 from my kids. thank you guys for a good scare! We enjoyed it! read more

Save your money and don't come here. Just know this is in a mall. An old sears and they use the first floor for this haunt. It's advertised as TWO houses to go through. It's just one long walkthrough and halfway you have someone telling you you're going to enter another door and start "part 2". We went through, only one small flashlight per group, which would have been fine but you get one jump scare every 5 minutes in a 12 minute long haunt. Paid 58$ for the fast pass which was not worth for only a 12 minute long walk through. If you don't have a fast pass just know you'll wait in a 2-3 hour long line. Also NO BATHROOM. Mall is closed, they will not let you enter or security kicks you out. You have to walk all the way across the street to a McDonald's. read more

As for as Haunts go in the Bay Area, the options are far and few. Now before I go further, you can usually put people who attend haunts into 3 general groups. 1. People who are legitimately scared of these types of entertainment and therefore find joy from going to them. That's Kyle H. 2. People who aren't easily scared, or are veteran Haunted House attendees or are just big thrill seeking, Halloween-loving, horror movie fanatic type of person. Yet, they do it for fun and may still get a good scare out of it. That's me. 3. People who think they're "tough" and "nothing scares me!" and "Haunted Houses are lame" and go to Yelp to write 1 star reviews because it wasn't "scary enough." That's half of y'all below me. When I go to a Haunted House, OF COURSE I want to be scared. However, different people have different thresholds for fear. So when I go to a Haunt, I look beyond "Did I get scared?" I think about the actors (did they completely transform into their character?). I think about the props and decor (Did you feel like you were entering a scene from a horror movie?) I think about the sounds, noises, and music (Did it tie into the theme or with the scene?) I think about the theme (Good take on a classic? Or bold attempt at a unique idea?) I think about the overall production. (Was there a pre-show? Did they instill anxiety and anticipation while you were waiting? Did they put thought into it?) Fear Overload hit every mark for me. I came on a Tuesday night so it was empty. This is the best time to go because the actors are energized and ready to scare! Plus, you don't run the risk of getting too close to another group in front of behind you and "missing" a scare. First, you enter the "line waiting" area. Creepy glow in the dark painted murals line the walls as you wait in line. They were very very detailed and very impressive art. Then, there are 2 haunts to choose from. Insanitarium-When the criminally insane take over. & The Grimm Fairytale Killer- When your childhood fairy tales go evil. I LOVED this one! Insanitarium was more standard haunt theme, though I give them props as you felt like you were actually walking through an abandoned Asylum. They give you nothing but a dim flashlight to navigate your way. As they said when we entered, "It's not really for you to see....but for them to see you." Grimm Fairytale was so cool! Every room was a different classic fairytale...but dead. From Humpty Dumpty, to Rapunzel, to Little Red Riding Hood, they did it all. What a fun concept. The soundtrack and the music was AWESOME! They had all the right suspenseful music, only to go completely silent during other rooms. Banging and yelling and evil cackling scattered throughout. As for the actors, you know that this is not their first ballgame. They were popping out of walls, coming out from underneath, climbing walls. You weren't safe from any angle. The Best-The attention detail they put into props and decor. These were sickening. Disgusting. Horrifying. Too much to look at in each room. You want to have a good look around to really appreciate all they did for each room, but this ain't a museum. Just know that every person in your group will probably notice different details. Level of Fear: For me, I was ok, though I did shriek every once in a while. They definitely heightened my sense of fear. As for Kyle H? Let's just say I was the one leading us through the haunt and my wrist nearly snapped from him grabbing it so hard and yanking it when someone jumped out at him. My only negative is that the actors did have to lead us into the right direction twice. Actors had to momentarily break character to yell at us to turn left. The other is that for some people who are traveling far, the price point may be high. I predict that if you come when it's super busy, it won't be as enjoyable. Park near the AMC theater, enter the mall next to Davita Dialysis. It'll be right there, 2nd story. I took BART here from SF. The Bay Fair stop is right across the parking lot! Happy Halloween! read more

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We, a party of 10 were very disappointed. It was nothing like what is being advertised. All it is is a maze that is pitch dark and you can't see anything. They give you a little flashlight to enhance the experience but it only takes away from the experience. You can see a damn thing. You can't the see what is advertised like the colorful sets and grotesque scenes that fire you up to visit the park. If I would have paid the lowest entry fee I wouldn't have complained but we paid $58 for the fast entry which definitely allowed you quick entry but it lacked experience. It only lasted 10 or so minutes. A suggestion: add black lights like you advertise you'd get way more people. read more

It was ok. I would say the advertisement was deceptive. Not the scariest in California. There was woman sitting in a chair rudely giving instructions before we walked to the next part. It really took us out of the experience. They already gave us instructions before we went in and did not need it repeated and it reminds you that it isn't real which is the opposite of being scary. We drove an hour and half for 10 mins! I am hoping to try somewhere different next time. read more

This was the worst experience ever, we arrived at around 8 pm and we were standing around for 4 hours. After this they said it would take another 2 hours when we were at the doors and we didn't end up going through the haunted house. Don't waste your money or your time it's not worth it! read more

Worst haunted house experience ever experienced. We waited three hours in line and didn't even get to go in. The security team sucks and a bunch of people where cutting. They where getting in the fast lane and just passing everybody through the line since they don't check your tickets till you get in. WORST HAUNTED HOUSE. read more

I honestly wouldn't even give it a star... I paid $200+ only to be not let in... was told to come tomorrow on Halloween day, when I can't I'm very disappointed with customer service. Not helpful at all, I have been trying to get a refund but apparently they don't respond to anyone. I believe this is bull. Sooo please think twice before thinking about attending. Ruined my date and wasted my time read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE!! I would absolutely be rating this lower if it was possible! This was the worst experience ever....after seeing and hearing all the hype of the one in SF we thought this was going to be cool but that was definitely not the case. Almost $40 a person...and then a 3+ hour wait in a long line and the only bathrooms were porta-potties at the back of the mile long line... then to walk into an overly dark maze with very few haunt workers and it took less than 15 minutes to walk through....should have gone to see the pirates in Pleasanton. This was completely a waste of time and money. It now makes sense why there were so many people leaving mad while we were in line. Take your money and your time to Pirates of Emerson where they actually give you a good experience and great scare (And access to bathrooms actually located in the venue). read more

If I could give a zero I would! This has been the 2nd incident at Fearoverload at Newark mall the first someone threatened a actor with a weapon the second and unfortunate accident happen to a actor. I paid 123 dollars only to wait in line for 2 hours before everyone was told they closed it down this happpen on the 30th of October. People were outraged the manager came out and said we will all receive a refund just go online and email them. As I email them I see there policy and it states absolutely no refunds no matter the incidents and there is no contact number to get a hold of anyone. I wouldn't bother coming for safety reasons I feel suckered out of my money and time and a hour of gas money. read more

Worst event of all time. Tickets purchased, waited in line for 3 hours with no end in sight so we decided to leave. Horribly managed event with no oversight into managing time slots and or guest comforts such as bathrooms and expected wait times. Complete scam. read more

Fast Pass Admission is $50. We waited in line at 6pm. We were 2nd in line for the fast pass admission. Waited in line for an hour. The walk through was 10 mins. Expect to be in line for much longer esp if you aren't there by 6 when they open. I imagine the people in the general line waited 2-3 hrs. Also the images on the website are not what we saw in person. read more

Don't even bother wasting your money or your time. We waited three hours in line for it to only last about seven minutes. Nothing is organized at all. They kept saying that there was a security check before entering the mall and there was two lines in order to get in. The general admission and the fast lane. Security was only allowing the people in the fast lane to enter. Mind you probably 90% of the people that were in the fast lane had generally admission and they just let them go right in and the staff didn't do anything in regards to it. Honestly just buy a ticket to Great America. You'll end up going into more haunted houses in the same amount of time and you'll get the same experience. read more

You will wait well over 2 hours to just see the Fear Overload sign. Doesn't matter if you pick a 30 minute time frame to arrive there when you buy your tickets, YOU WILL NOT ENTER. The lines were crazy, wrapped around the building, moved very slowly. Fear Overload sells too many tickets at a time for profit without considering getting guests in and out in a timely manner. Very disorganized. My partner and I got sick of waiting another minute in line and left. Be my guest if you wanna waste time in 2-3+ hour line. read more

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New location is quite disappointing. Do not waste your money or time going to fear overload in Newark. Long lines, not scary, and decor was mediocre. read more

Don't waste your money. False advertising. On their website it states there is 2 attractions in reality there was one with 7 actors who look like they came from spirt Halloween. I do not recommend waste of time and money. No cameras to cover up their terrible acts. read more

Zero connection to the advertisement online...too dark with a sliver of a flashlight light to light up any decorations....can't flashlight towards "actors" (and I use that term very loosely) the 2022 trailer on the website is NOT the Fremont location decorations or actors or makeup apparently. It's a $10 attraction AT BEST read more

Very good . Jack's Bar next door has great burgers . Definitely one of the best places in Bay Area -- they have one in Sacramento also.

we waited for 2 hours in line and they cancelled the event on us who paid for tickets No refund and no event! unbelievable! read more

Fear Overload Scream Park - Haunted Houses Near Me - Newark, California