[Haunts] An In-depth Look at an All New Kind of Haunt Experience - Tampa's The Vault of Souls

It hasn't been too long since one of the newest haunts for 2015 was announced, but we didn't have much to go on with that. It was just a few clues and ideas kicking around in my own head of what it could be, some of them that I shared before. Now, however, I've gotten the chance to sit down and talk with Creative Director, Scott Swenson, and get to the bottom of just what is going on with Florida's newest haunted attraction, The Vault of Souls.

I know what you're probably thinking; "How different can it be?", "Aren't all haunts the same?", or even, "What makes this so special?". Well, if you know anything about me, I've always said that every show is different and every haunt offers something unique and interesting as no two experiences will ever be the same. Night to night, group to group, and even person to person, they all offer something new and unique. The unknown is a powerful tool and this is exactly the kind of mindset and methodology that fuels Central Florida's newest and most unique terrifying experience.


Only opening for Friday and Saturdays during the month of October, from 7pm-Midnight, this is going to be one insane and amazing ride from beginning to end. That said, tickets will be very limited due to the limited number of nights, the format, and the fact that the idea behind this first year is one of, "Quality over everything else". More on that in a bit though.

Already, as you can probably tell, I'm really excited about this one and can't wait to see it in person. I don't get this way often, but they've got me hooked big time on this and talking with Scott only solidified that all the more. See, I'm a sucker for story, details, and the unique and that's something that Scott has done running the show for Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa for years. So, it's no doubt that they've got all that going on in spades and as Swenson described the idea to me, "It's an elegant night out, just with a haunt in the middle". Curious, that.

Intrigued? Of course you are, and you've come to the right place to find out everything that they were willing to tell on this one. Interestingly enough, there's quite a bit of info, so get comfy.

So, just what is The Vault of Souls, and what are they on about with all this. Well, through the use of mystics, spiritualists and even the Creek Indians, the bootleggers, gangsters and others of questionable repute have secured themselves a safe haven for their souls to be kept for eternity. The project, started in 1919 was one that is closely guarded and the world created by the process is one like no other.

While that probably sounded like a good idea at the time, I'm sure you can see just how things can go wrong with this line of thinking. Now uncovered, you too can experience the terror that awaits in the catacombs under the former Exchange National Bank. Just what you will encounter? There's only one way to find out and they're more than happy to have you...if you're willing.

Billed as an "Upscale Haunt", and for those 18 years and older only, the experience that those brave enough will face is something that Scott and the team call an "elegant paranormal experience", and have stated that it will be very personalized for everyone that comes through. The event itself is meant to be a full night out and all of that combines into something that definitely isn't your average cattle drive to the gift shop haunt, not by a long shot. The amount of guests that will be able to get through in a night is anyone's guess right now. All that's known is that it will be limited, but you can be sure it's going to be one helluva experience for those that do get the opportunity.

Well then, enough of that, let's take a look at what's going on here and just how they're justifying the high cost of attending along with some of the things you can expect.

First thing to know, the event itself is divided up into three separate portions for your evening, each taking up it's own floor of the building. The Arrival, The Ritual and the after events taking place on the 3rd floor of the building.

I'd venture to guess that the fun starts a bit before that, and possibly even after you've left, this is a full night out and immersion is key after all. Yes, I know said there's only three portions of the night just a few lines ago, but I'll get into the other details a bit later. For now, let's just look at what you can expect after crossing the threshold of this strange and bizarre world that's been laid out before us.

The first section of the night, dubbed "The Arrival", is a lounge atmosphere featuring live music and the paranormal, you'll find yourself quickly immersed in the decadent world of the 1920's. A solo musician will serenade you and it's here were things start to fully play off the local history of the Exchange National Bank, Tampa itself, and the alternate world that Swenson and his team have woven into the fabric of it all. The line between what's real and what isn't is blurred so much that you'll likely never be sure of either from here on out. Don't just take my word on that though...

“This is the most immersive and personalized haunt experience I have ever developed.” says Scott Swenson, Creative Director. “We were able to take historic elements of the raucous roaring 20s and envelop them in wicked paranormal fiction to create a story that just might be true. I must admit that I’m no longer sure which elements actually happened and which were created for the event. It just all seems so real.”

As you wait, the paranormal and possibly even a few wandering spirits may surprise you, but mostly you'll get to relax and enjoy the space created until your number is called. Since groups entering the vault are limited to 6 people, everyone will get a Bolita Ball upon entry to the arrival lounge, it's a former popular form of "gambling" from Cuba's past that resembles a lottery ball. From then on you'll wait and get to enjoy the goings on until your number is called up.

Then the real fun begins...

It's from here that I've been told that you'll be given your instructions to enter the second part of the evening, "The Ritual", or as you've guessed, The Vault of Souls itself.

You'll be given a mask, to hide your true identity from the spirits, always a good thing, as you don't need that kind of thing hanging over your head. Then the kicker comes, you can't talk. Yep, that's right, you've gotta through this one in silence. Why? For your protection, of course. It seems that the spirits within The Vault are drawn to the sounds of the human voice...and you don't want that, do you?

How very Eyes Wide Shut of them, at least that's the some of the vibe I get from things, and I have to say that I love the concept behind this as it blurs the lines of audience member and participant even more so.

Once you're down amongst the spirits, you're at the mercy of the masterminds behind things completely. It's their world, you're left to just try and survive the night with your sanity and soul intact. And according to Swenson, that's going to be a challenge since, "We'll know exactly who is in the vault at any given time, scenes can change based on that."

It's definitely an interesting way of doing things and how exactly is that to be accomplished? Well, they're not telling everything, but it has been said that you'll come face to face with real life phobias, have to interact with the spirits encountered, and the environment as you try to figure your way out of the labyrinth that is the catacombs and tunnels. All of it in hopes that you can reach the elevator and return to the land of the living once again.

However, your journey won't even be that easy as there's another layer to the weird. There's no set path and getting lost is a very real possibility. How each group makes it's way through is anyone's guess due to that and you'll never know what is around the next corner. As Scott put it, "It's like a nightmare, they don't always make sense". Nope, they don't, have to agree with him there. Kind of like some twisted paranormal fever dream, I think I can get behind that concept of things.

The level of detail that they're going through to pull this off, I've really never heard of it being done before. I don't think many have gone to the lengths that they're planning to either. While I know some of the things they have planned from talking with Scott, I'm not going to spoil this one for anyone. You're just going to have to find out on your own, or after our visit during Haunt Tour 2015.

Anyway, if you've made it out and to relative safety, you'll be greeted by the third phase of your evening. This area is far different than the rest and features a speakeasy to relax, decompress and laugh about what you've just experienced in. Or you could curl up in a ball over in the corner...that's acceptable too. It's here that you'll find more live musicians, entertainers, and TV screens so that you can watch the other hapless fools trying to make their way through the madness that you just encountered.

Oh, how deliciously voyeuristic of you Scott.

That's not all though, there's even more to this after party-esque experience that you'll be able to take advantage of. In addition to the speakeasy area, there will be another more relaxing area too. Known as "The Readers Query" and will feature tarot card readers and fortune tellers for those "wanting to know more about what the future holds for them", as it was so put. All in all, not a bad way to round out the night by any stretch and really just adds to the whole "full night out" feeling of the event from start to finish.

So, as you can see, this is much more than just an escape room experience like myself and many others thought this would be when it was first announced. This thing is sounding like something far more monstrous and fully encompassing than any of us out there could've imagined. I don't even know what to call it, maybe an elegant escape haunt, is that even a thing? Well if it isn't, I think it is now. No matter what you call it, classifying this one is gonna be very hard when that times comes, but I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Now, I mentioned the high cost of attending earlier and I wasn't kidding. This one isn't cheap at all folks, tickets for The Vault of Souls will start at $100 a person when they go on sale in June. Yes, you read that right, $100.

Bear with me on this one though, I also said that the fun could possibly start before you even get there too. Not only will those who reserve their timed entry in advance, and I highly recommend doing so, be likely to receive something in the mail before you even leave your house, but when you do pull up, you'll be treated to valet parking, also included in the price.

How many haunts can say that? None that I know of, at least not as a standard feature anyway. Again, this is meant to immerse you fully in the world of the privileged and decadent, just like those who built The Vault of Souls all those years ago. The mailed package, valet, everything is meant to evoke the spirit of the whole story from start to end and it's the experience that is paramount, all of it leading up to something that will be one memorable night out for sure. See, you're not just an observer, but an active participant and they're doing everything they can to make sure that happens on every level they can think of.

Now, you're probably asking, "You said start at $100, are there other ticket levels?". Of course there is, there's always a higher level, and in this case two others for a grand total of three. While those are still being worked out, the top level VIP experience has been detailed out a bit to me. Some of this could change, so don't quote me fully on this, but from what I know right now, its got a ton of cool stuff involved.

Not only will it grant reentry into The Vault as many times as one would like during the evening but also the following; a concierge service, a private lounge that overlooks The Arrival lounge, some special gifts (some of which could be in surprising places), and also the chance to talk with Scott and other members of the crew about the methodology, technology and other behind the scenes topics. No clue what that will cost, but I'm betting it won't be cheap as space for that is likely to be even more limited than the normal tickets are.

As I've said, this isn't your typical $20-$30 haunt that you fly through in 20 minutes as part of some massive conga line and then are chased out by a chainsaw to the gift shop. This is meant to be an entire evening of entertainment and fear that's personalized to you on several levels throughout your journey. While it's not known just how long it will take a group to get through the entire evening, there's far too many factors to try and wrangle to do that right now, I'm getting the feeling that this could easily last a few hours for those that make the most of it.

I've gotta say, even knowing all this and some more that I'm not divulging, I'm still extremely curious to see what this is all about and how they pull it off. Scott and I talked about a great many things and it all adds up to one thing in the end...

The Vault of Souls is promising to truly be a one of a kind experience, a true game changer, and something that no one out there is offering. The upscale nature of the event, along with the level of story, and how they're going to immerse people into things, just makes things that much more intriguing and unique. I have to agree with Scott, when he said that "We feel we're ahead of the curve", this is some next level shit right here.

So, there ya have it. Everything that I know about The Vault of Souls (mostly), direct from the maniacal mind behind the event, Scott Swenson. You can be sure this isn't the last that I'll be talking about this one as more information, secrets from The Vault, and other details will no doubt be announced in the months leading up to the event.

For more info, keep an eye on the official Vault of Souls website and of course right here, or you can follow along with us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and even Facebook for all the latest!