WHAT: Salvation-Z
WHERE: Gloucester Prison (Barrack Square, Gloucester GL1 2JN)
WHEN: Watch out for their upcoming 2024 dates
PRICE: £30-35
OUR RATING: Do It!
Storefront City concluded this Halloween season with a thrilling finale – Salvation-Z. This exceptional multi-experience horror maze, orchestrated by Cracking Day Ltd., was set within a genuine former prison in Gloucester, England. Never before had we experienced such a unique attraction, with not one but two separate and completely different horrific situations guaranteed to give you one hell of a bloody good night! Cracking Day has been running themed events for twenty years in several locations, Airsoft Combat games but also paranormal tours and of course, their amazing scare attraction at Gloucester Prison.
Opened in 1792, Gloucester Prison was a men’s prison on the site of Gloucester Castle that housed inmates until it closed in 2013. Built to house 300 prisoners, this haunted Georgian prison was the site of 128 executions by hanging, and is split over 4 entire acres. Salvation-Z takes over the entirety of this site, which still contains cells, landings, visiting rooms, exercise yards and more, with access to all the buildings.
When we attended Salvation-Z we thought it was one scare experience within the prison walls, which in and of itself was an exciting premise. Upon attending the site we realised that our ticket offered even more. We embarked on a gripping twenty-minute journey exploring the depths of the prison. Afterward, we found ourselves in a bustling food and bar area, anticipating the next phase: the twenty-five-minute Mad Maze. This segment offered a wholly unique perspective on horror, presenting a different concept altogether. The spine-tingling adventure culminated in a gripping five-minute encounter known as The Smile Sanctum. Over 45 minutes later we emerged from all these experiences, traumatised, and grinning from ear to ear!
The most exhilarating part of the night revolved around the prison segment of the attraction. Navigating the entire prison under the eerie glow of red lights added an intense dimension, all while evading hordes of lurking zombies around every corner. Yes, that’s right – an outbreak has ravaged the country, and the infected have inhabited the very prison you are trying to escape. This was a terrifying and unique experience not only due to the impressive site, but also because this wasn’t the usual decorated-flats and claustrophobic-corridors type of attraction. The prison was enormous, so you never knew when something was following you or watching you until it was too late.
We traipsed through police vans, outside in exercise yards, and were grabbed many times by the zombies we were trying to escape. The makeup and costume artistry of the characters within this maze was exceptional. These actors engaged, getting up close and personal, immersing visitors into the heart-pounding action. The threats weren’t limited to zombies; groups of survivors had established fortified camps within the prison. Encountering them meant facing intense interrogations and even being targeted with gunfire. With so many different attacks from all sides, this was an incredible and unique experience we can’t wait to revisit next Halloween season!
The Mad Maze, our second adventure of the night, diverged from the sprawling prison experience. Instead, it featured smaller, successive sets more typical of scare attractions. Each compact vignette within these walls delivered a heightened level of intensity beyond anything we’ve encountered this year. One encounter involved a dental surgeon who compelled a member of our group into a dentist’s chair, then proceeded to sit atop them, inspecting their mouth and teeth with a latex-gloved hand. Another scenario featured a doctor smearing lubricant across our faces. And then, there was the chilling encounter with the grim reaper, foretelling the age at which each of us would meet our end. This experience then led to the final scene within The Smile Sanctum, where two victims are kidnapped, and we as the audience are forced to watch them tortured in the clutches of an evil madman.
Despite the information available on their website about The Smile Sanctum, we were completely unaware of its existence as a second maze. Stepping into this mysterious realm, we ventured forth with no inkling of what awaited us within its confines. This encounter pushed our limits, particularly because we’ve recently begun exploring attractions that involve physical contact. We consider ourselves lucky that we weren’t the victims of the hands on dental surgeon! The maze seemed devoid of a cohesive narrative; instead, it presented a sequence of disparate yet horrifying vignettes. It felt like navigating through a series of chilling scenes, where one could only hope that someone else from the group would confront the malevolent entities lurking within. More attention could be directed toward crafting a compelling narrative and addressing the issues with timing or grouping within this maze. It offered a distinct, petrifying, and interactive encounter, delivering a wholly different kind of fright compared to the prison experience.
Final Thoughts: We would love to revisit Salvation-Z. We’re not sure we have the stomach for their second scare maze, but we had an exciting adventure through the prison and the level of acting, costume, and makeup design was impressive. This was a unique experience for Halloween, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to explore such a different take on a scare experience. We can’t wait to see what other events Cracking Day have up their sleeve!
P.S.: If you’re in the area, this 18th November the prison is home to the Gloucester Prison Alternative Market. With free entry, this market will be home to 80+ alternative vendors selling anything from handmade oddities to vintage/goth clothing, crystals, unusual crafts and more. There will be food vendors, coffee and live music, with separate cells with 18+ content too.
