"Wait... was that it?" Not sure how we missed the gigantic dragon out front, but we totally passed Azra Chamber of Horrors as we drove through Madison Heights, MI. Once we entered though, it was "Welcome to Club Azra!"
No… Azra isn’t a club, but this haunted attraction definitely brought a party vibe! The energy in their covered and heated queue line was infectious as the DJ and his “sidekick” played, not creepy tunes or death metal but, a bunch of hip-hop and pop hits. Streams of sparks shot up into the night sky, and the fire dancers had us mesmerized! Azra’s queue line was more lit than some clubs we’ve been to!
Azra started differently than most haunts who add escape rooms after a few years in business; they STARTED with escape rooms! We got a sneak peek at one of their rooms and holy shit, we felt like we had just stepped onto a set for the latest movie in the Mummy series! But when Escape Room Zone (Azra's sister company) found themselves with an empty laser tag arena, Azra Chamber of Horrors Haunted House was born! Escape Room Zone also offers Axe Throwing and Rage Rooms! They have several locations throughout the metro-Detroit area. We wish we had more time in Michigan to check it all out!
The 2022 season was surprisingly only their 5th year! This definitely did not feel like a haunt only 5 years young. In continuing with what seemed to be the Michigan norm, Azra’s sets were gorgeous! They were elaborately dressed, super detailed, and immersive. Their swamp scene didn’t just look like a swamp, it felt like one as we were sprayed with water, and we could feel “spider webs” hitting our face as we walked through a spider-infested area. The topography left by the laser tag arena created a haunted attraction that featured lots of changes in elevation as we ventured through Azra’s “chambers”.
There’s no continuous story line or theme at Azra, just one incredibly creepy room after another. They had some really unique themes and definitely tried to hit on every phobia and fear. Azra Chamber of Horrors featured scenes with everything from bee hives, clowns, deranged doctors, and even the devil. They had a beautifully eerie jack-o-lantern room that we really enjoyed as well!
Even with having a multitude of themes, Azra managed to ensure each actor had the appropriate costuming for their room. There was never any bleed over between scenes or random characters. We loved how often they utilized quality masks versus makeup too!
The actors at Azra were AMAZING and did an incredible job portraying their characters! These guys were scaling walls, hanging from ceilings, contorting, and just sacrificing their bodies overall! They were SUPER interactive too! Almost everyone had original dialogue instead of the unoriginal “get out” or just screaming their heads off. Actors played off one another so well, and we thoroughly appreciated the banter! We could tell they were having just as much fun as we were!
Azra has a huge entertainment factor, and the additional offerings at Escape Room Zone only sweeten the deal! We got to chat with one of the owners (the other was busy living his best life as the DJ’s hype man) and heard some of their upcoming plans. Azra is going to continue pushing the limits on the club vibe. We're accustomed to haunts deciding to go the more family-friendly route so catering to the adult (21+) crowd is a new concept to us, and we LOVE it! We can’t wait to see their plans come to fruition and how they’re received by Michigan haunt-goers. This is definitely a haunt that is only going to get better with time; we are HERE FOR IT and you should be too! Sidenote… Azra has the DOPEST t-shirt designs! It was hard for us to choose just one! So be prepared when you visit them, because you are definitely going to want to cop some wearable Azra merch!
