By Elazar Abrahams
Deep in the bowels of Rockefeller Center (ok fine, just one floor down) lies a twisted maze of jump scares and frights brought to New Yorkers by an unlikely provider – The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon. The notoriously lighthearted late night host isn’t who comes to mind when one thinks of haunted house branding, but for the month of October, his ‘Tonightmares’ lair is open to the public.
TV and City had the opportunity to visit the experience at the start of the month, and it’s a surprisingly immaculately put together ride. The walkthrough, where groups are led by a spooky NBC page through ten rooms representing Jimmy’s deep seeded fears, is a lot of fun. The space is scariest when it leans into classic horror tropes, be it a killer scarecrow or eerie aliens, and funniest when it utilizes Fallon-specific bits, such as the host transforming into a werewolf during an episode of his show. It’s a good balance of the two, in a way only a wacky partnership like this could achieve.
For those who scare easily, Tonightmares will be proper frightening. It basically is all jump scares all the time, and scaredy cats will ease up as they progress through the corridors. True fans of this sort of thing won’t bat an eye, but will still find something to admire in the practical effects and immersive environments used in many of the segments. The pop-up was designed in partnership with the team behind Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios’ theme parks, and that ingenuity really shows.
However, with a runtime of only ten minutes, the biggest fear for some attendees might be the lack of “boo!” for their buck. Tickets begin at about $39, a high asking price, especially since the tour is guided and you can’t spend more time inside Tonightmares. If you’re dying to get in the Halloween spirit or a huge fan of The Tonight Show, you’ll likely still enjoy yourself, but casual tourists may want to think twice about this one.
Find tickets and more information HERE.
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