Preston Castle

This review is for the Preston Castle HAUNT (not the castle itself). Apparently the Castle offers tours which are pretty cool, but I've never personally been. The haunt sells out so you have to be on top of getting tickets. Personally I felt like prices are too high for the length/size of the haunt as the full walk through is only about 30-40 minutes. The haunt has mostly live actors in various scenes throughout the case that pop up to scare you, no one touches you or chases you but they do antagonize you some. They do a good job with the sets and costumes so it's easy to "get into it"; however, I wish there was some more variety or that it was longer. It gets fairly repetitive as you walk as there's really no other types of scares or experiences, only jump scares and vaguely creepy setting. It's dark and difficulty to see at times. It zig-zags you throughout several floors of the castle and outside briefly, so you need to be ready to do multiple flights up/down stairs and walk on uneven ground in poor lighting. You also have to hike up a small hill to get to the castle, they they did offer a ride on a golf-cart if you needed it. Because of the stairs and uneven paths inside the castle, I don't recommend for those with mobility issues. My dad had walking sticks and was really struggling. It's well organized and they force you to queue/line up at several check-points. First is security screening and then again to enter the castle. Overall we probably spent an hour or so in line and we had VIP and arrived like 45 minutes early. Without VIP I'd expect much longer waits.They have food trucks and a small gift-shop infront of the castle outside. Porta-potties only, no real bathrooms/toilets. Overall, it was fun but I won't come back. It's out in Ione away from all major cities so it's a trek to get to. It's also really pricey. I feel like you're better off with just a local haunted house if you want some Halloween fun, though maybe because this is in a historic site good for a one time visit.

LOVE this Paranormal Investigation site! Small groups and an incredible property. Just getting started at 7:30pm, and looking forward to posting some great night time pics. Hubs and I were here 6 years ago and had more than a few interesting experiences. Very excited to be back with a smaller group - 3 sets of groups, 5-6 adults per guided group. Docents are experienced in leading investigative teams. This investigation was for adults, but I believe they do offer family friendly projects. Building is absolutely stunning with very unique architectural features.

This place did what it was supposed to do! Lots of scares and laughter at getting scared! They are very well organized, lots of work went into the different scenes and line flows quite quickly. We were fortunate to be selected to "win" VIP passes and learned the history of the castle. Not for kids! Very dark and jump scares, inappropriate scenes for young children. I would not recommend anyone under 18. I would love to come back and learn more about this historical place.

The Haunt was so fun! We arrived 30 minutes before gates open and had no issue parking in the upper lot. Porta potty's were available in the parking lot before security AND inside the Haunt. Security line went fast and they didn't check very hard. We were able to bring in sealed water bottles but that may not be the same for everyone. When they began letting people in the castle we only waited about 25-30 minutes. The line was really dependent on how many VIP people showed up. At 7:30pm the line had tripled and was VERY long, so get there early or do VIP. They had a good amount of merch, including some great stuff for history lovers. Food inside of security included a taco truck, potstickers, fish and chips, fudge, kettle corn, shaved ice, and a few other small things. The actual haunted house was cool. You got to see historical artifacts before beginning the scares. It took us about 20 mins to walk through the entire thing. Lots of stairs, but they were well-lit with hand rails. There was also a small portion outside. Not the scariest one I've ever been to, but I did scream a few times! At the end they gave us each a cookie!!

Wow! 6 stars!! I'm glad I chance upon this information while reading up reviews on a scream park. This was way more worth it and my kid and I we had FUN!! We bought the general admission tickets online - $31 plus tax and fees, $111++ for 3 people. We parked, a shuttle drove us to the castle. I suggest coming half hour before your schedule ticket time. There was a long line, no biggie, the crowd we were with in shuttle and line was fabulous, fun, happy and can't wait to be spooked!We screamed our head off, the place reminds me of those horror movies in boarding school, castle old buildings... authentic feel of spookiness!Go here, no age limit, there are food stall for drink, tacos, tamales and kettle corns. Several Pot-a-potty, users must have been educated in keeping it clean. If you love scream park, you'll love this! :) friendly staffs and the sugar cookie was yum (they hand it out to you at the end). So not bring babies, some areas in the castle is super dark.

Did "The Haunt" tour tonight and had so much fun!! Lots of spooky, creepy, and startling characters. Get there early, as the line to go into the house is long (yes, even with advance tix) but it's totally worth the wait. Lots of up and down stairs but stairwells were well lit. They did a great job!

This castle is absolutely beautiful from the outside, built in the late 1800's with bricks made by Folsom and San Quentin inmates. It is still in the long process of being restored, but hardly noticeable. Inside is a totally different story. I didn't come during a special event, just for the self-guided tour, where you can roam the castle at your own pace. I was attracted to the haunted stories behind this former rehabilitation institution for young male delinquents. But I learned a lot more about its interesting history when I visited, rather than the hauntings which resulted from the numerous deaths that occurred over decades at Preston School of Industry. For the self-guided tour, guests can explore freely, with several docents available throughout to answer questions or share noteworthy details about some of the rooms. Know that this is a restoration project in progress. Though most rooms can be viewed from the doorway (roped off), some are full of rubble and just have signs describing what the room was used for in the past. Others are in updated condition with props and furnishings, set up like something you would find at the Winchester Mystery House and you can actually walk inside the rooms and look at everything up close, like the Company B dorm room that housed 60-70 boys, the staff dining room, apartments, infirmary, day rooms, and patio (a giant courtyard similar to that of a prison). In the museum, we got to view original photos and artifacts, and discovered famous names associated with the reform school -- actors, musicians, athletes, and authors who were formerly wards at Preston (ie. Rory Calhoun and Merle Haggard). There was even a section dedicated to the various TV and film productions that depicted stories of or were filmed at this castle, including Ghost Adventures and The Unexplained Files (on Discovery). We had a great experience exploring the museum and castle this past weekend, and all of the docents we interacted with were friendly and knowledgeable. For less than $20 per person, the regular self-guided tour is definitely worth checking out. But they also hold various private events here (ie. weddings), as well as other cool events like the halloween haunt during October, and a beer and wine tasting event, even an upcoming Oddities and Curiosities Show this Saturday, which are all great opportunities to pay a visit if you're curious.

This review is for Halloween Haunt season 2022---What a disappointment!My wife and I LOVE haunted attractions and history!Historic castle, with haunted theme? Who wouldn't want to attend. . .Here's the thing. If these haunted attractions want to attract huge crowds, you need LINE management, alert staff that are willing to communicate with guests, be gentle but stern, and make it something special for each and every group. This was like a teaser, with full costs. They started out by asking how many per group, spacing people out..... there was potential. About 10 minutes in.... crowds just started filling up. People stopped or dramatically slowed down in front. Crowds behind hurried up like there was a prize for how quick you maneuver through. All the while, I'm thinking, IF you can have this many cameras in our faces..... how about you have that many employees walking among the guests keeping an even pace AND slowing down others so we all don't see the scares from a hallway distance???It's actually disrespectful to paying guests to literally ruin their enjoyment of the actors, props, and the experience when I'm basically wedged between people at the front getting a scare..... and people behind me practically holding my hand for being so close. Terrible management of linesMismanaged parking lot structureRunning crowds thru like we're cattle in a castleFinally, losing returning guests, integrity, and future referrals. Haunt wise, this is a hard pass

I went to this haunted house last year, and it was a major letdown. The online reviews had me expecting a thrilling experience, but it was far from scary. The place wasn't dark at all, and there were very few people dressed up. Essentially, you're just walking through a dimly lit house with minimal effort put into creating any real fear. If you have tiny kids, maybe they'll find it enjoyable, but for anyone looking for a genuine haunted house experience, I'd skip this one. Save your time and money.

So much fun!! Went to the last night of the haunt and it was everything we had hoped it would be. This place is amazing and all the staff and security were very helpful and the actors are incredible. Would absolutely recommend and definitely worth the extra bit of cash for VIP.