The House of Torment, a large-scale haunted house attraction, has once again opened its doors to terrify the Austin area.

Boasting a wide array of monsters, zombies and other disturbing creatures, the House of Torment holds nothing back in its elaborate endeavors to scare each and every customer. It has been praised by The Travel Channel as “One of America’s Scariest Haunted Houses” since its inception in 2003.

The House of Torment is known for its complete dedication to the nightmarish worlds it creates each year, going beyond the usual fake blood and fog machines. Though the screams of customers might seem effortless, a lot of work is required to pull off such an ambitious horror fantasy.

Senior Jordyn Campbell works at the House of Torment and has firsthand experience putting in the effort to ensure that the haunted house lives up to its outstanding reputation. In fact, much of the preparation begins long before autumn rolls around.

“During the pre-season, my job entailed organizing costumes for each actor and distressing… them to match their character,” Campbell said.

This work involved painting, fraying and performing other treatments on the costumes to achieve the most authentic appearance possible.

Now that the House of Torment has begun its current season, Campbell makes sure the costumes are up to par for every mutant, murderer or scary clown.

“I’m in charge of getting actors in and out of costume each night and taking care of any costume repairs they may need,” Campbell said.

What sets the House of Torment apart from other haunted houses is more than the characters themselves, though. The House of Torment is actually two haunted houses in one. This adds more excitement and variety to the event each year, and gives patrons a choice as far as what kinds of creatures they would prefer chase after them.

“This year, the themes are The Reckoning—a sort of futuristic, post-apocalyptic city setting where the infected run loose; and Cursed— which involves cursed zombie pirates and possessed tribal natives in jungle caves,” Campbell said.

To provide its ever-increasing customer base with even more options, the House of Torment added a third attraction this season called The Containment. In this shooting gallery with an eerie twist, customers fire paintballs at zombies that leap over cars and other debris.

In all of the attractions at the House of Torment, realism is key. Even if the characters seem other-worldly, the House of Torment is committed to immersing customers in their own personal nightmare.

“What I love the most about my job is working with so many talented artists to create a complete world where these creatures could actually dwell,” Campbell said. “It’s rewarding to see customers’ reactions… they’re genuinely scared, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Tickets for the House of Torment are $19.99 plus tax. VIP Fast Passes are available for $29.99 plus tax. Group rates are also available for parties of 25 or more. The haunted house is open 7 p.m. to midnight Oct. 13 through Oct. 31 and is located in the northeast corner of the Highland Mall parking lot. Purchase tickets at www.thehouseoftorment.com or at the door.