THE FULL RUNDOWN OF NEW ALTON TOWERS SCAREMAZE ‘THE FINAL EXHIBIT’-GUEST STORY BY TOWERS TALK

‘Alton Towers has introduced a brand-new scare maze for this year’s Scarefest, Final Exhibit, and after experiencing it for myself, I can honestly say there is a lot to take in.

The experience begins before you even enter the maze itself. Guests enter an old container with “Alton Archivists” written across the outside, before heading through the reception door.

Inside, you’re introduced to the story by a receptionist in the pre-show area. The room is already packed with little details, with shelves containing things such as Alton Archivists tote bags and mugs, along with various signs and paperwork around the walls featuring phrases such as “Restore” and “Resurrect.” The items aren’t actually for sale, but they help make the whole place feel like a genuine archive and exhibition space.

The receptionist begins explaining the story before the curator appears on the televisions around the room.

He begins addressing the group, commenting on how symmetrical everyone looks before explaining that you would be perfect for his new piece. The lights begin to flicker, and the receptionist appears to fall under his influence.

Then comes the instruction:

“Bring them to me.”

The lights flicker once again before the receptionist turns to the group and announces that the exhibition is now closed, directing everyone through into the next area.

And this is where Final Exhibit really begins.

Rather than simply taking you through an exhibition, the maze takes you behind the scenes into the archive and restoration areas, showing you how these exhibits are supposedly created.

You first make your way down a dark corridor covered in paperwork and documents. There are sheets covering the walls with information about the curator, staff instructions, expectations and different aspects of the restoration process. It’s a relatively simple idea, but there’s an enormous amount of detail covering the walls.

You then enter a storage area filled with boxes, metal containers and filing cabinets. In the middle of the room is a woman sitting at a desk, repeatedly stamping and labelling the boxes in an almost mechanical fashion.

As you make your way past them, however, the boxes begin to rattle and shake.

It gives the impression that there is something inside them trying to get out, and some of the boxes become surprisingly loud as you pass them.

From here, the maze continues through a huge variety of different rooms and scenes, and this is where I think Final Exhibit really stands out.

There is a disposal room featuring multiple chutes coming down through the walls, while another section takes you into a waxing room containing a huge vat of wax, with an actor emerging to scare you.

There’s also a sewing room where an actor armed with sewing scissors interacts with guests, alongside plenty of other restoration and archive areas.

One of the things I particularly liked is how the actors and scenery work together. There are sections covered in drapes and curtains where actors can reach through as you make your way past them, meaning you’re never quite sure where somebody is going to appear.

And there are a lot of actors throughout Final Exhibit.

That’s probably one of the biggest strengths of the maze for me. There never seemed to be a point where the experience suddenly became empty. Even when you’re moving between the bigger scenes, there’s usually something happening around you.

There are also plenty of sensor-based effects and environmental scares mixed in with the live actors, which keeps things unpredictable.

Another particularly good section features a collection of Alton Towers mascots displayed along the walls. You walk past them wondering whether one of them is actually going to move, before one suddenly comes to life and jumps out at you.

It’s a simple idea, but it works incredibly well.

Elsewhere, you’re taken through a series of display cabinets containing people, who suddenly come to life as you pass them. There are also Alton Towers posters covering the walls, with some of them suddenly dropping away to reveal actors behind them.

There’s then a room dedicated to developing photographs, filled with Alton Towers imagery, including pictures of Nemesis and other rides.

For an Alton Towers fan, this is one of the best parts of the maze because there are so many familiar references and pieces of imagery to look out for.

And honestly, there is a lot to look at.

Final Exhibit is one of those mazes where I don’t think you can properly appreciate all of the theming in one run. There are so many pieces of paperwork, props, photographs, displays and small details throughout the experience that I could easily see people going through several times and noticing something different each time.

There are also sections where you have to duck underneath sheets while air cannons fire around you, as well as areas filled with curtains that you have to push through.

Even though you’re going through the maze with other people, the way the scenes are laid out makes it feel surprisingly isolated. You’re constantly looking around and wondering what’s going to move, who’s going to appear and where the next scare is coming from.

Eventually, you reach the curator’s office, which is the location featured in the promotional material for Final Exhibit.

The room is filled with televisions, and the curator appears once again, bringing the story back around to the idea that you are going to become his final exhibit.

The lighting turns red and, above you, is a life size figure of the curator looking down over the group.

Then the finale begins.

Air cannons fire around you as an actor chases and ushers you towards the exit, creating a much more frantic ending as you make your way out of the maze.

For me, what makes Final Exhibit work so well isn’t just one particular scare or one particular room. It’s the consistency throughout the entire experience.

The theming is incredibly detailed, the actors are present throughout and there are very few moments where the maze feels empty. There’s always something to look at or something happening around you.’

Make sure to go follow Towers Talk on tiktok for the best content and updates!

Thank you for reading.