Spooky season has arrived in downtown Manassas, and the ARTfactory is ready. In a new episode of the Potomac Local News Podcast, Uriah Kiser sat down with Lissa and Jimmy from the ARTfactory to talk about Factory of Fear: Outbreak, the annual haunted-house fundraiser that takes over the historic four-story building at 9419 Battle Street.
This year’s theme is a full zombie outbreak. AF Labs has been working on cures; something has gone wrong, and the infection has spread. Guests move through a cohesive story that takes them from city streets into laboratories and quarantined spaces. The team has roughly doubled the number of scare actors to about 40, with roughly 60 volunteers total helping transform the building. The experience is designed more like a video-game walkthrough than a pure run-through: there are moments where groups pause, open doors, and figure out the next step. It is not a traditional escape room, but it is not a simple walk-through either.
The attraction is a major fundraiser for the nonprofit creative arts center, which runs classes, theater, galleries, and community programs year-round. The building itself has a long history (it was once a candy factory and a hotel) and reports of paranormal activity that the team says add to the atmosphere.
Key dates and details
- Thursday, Oct. 15 and Thursday, Oct. 22: 7 to 9 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 16; Saturday, Oct. 17; Friday, Oct. 23; and Saturday, Oct. 24: 7 to 10:30 p.m.
- Tickets: $25. Use code THURSDAYSCARIES for $3 off on the Thursday nights. Groups of 10 or more can get 10% off.
- Location: ARTfactory, 9419 Battle Street, Manassas.
- Timed entry slots. Arrive about 15 minutes early for check-in.
- Stairs only (not wheelchair accessible). No strollers. Not recommended for children under 14; guests under 16 must be with an adult. Sensory warnings include strobe lights, loud sounds, darkness, and compressed air. No-touch policy.
- Related: Patient Zero, a juried art exhibition tied to the Outbreak theme, is on view in the gallery and becomes part of the attraction during the haunt run.
Tickets and full details are on the Factory of Fear page at the ARTfactory site.
Listen to the full episode above for the team’s take on the lore, the video-game influences, the volunteer effort, and what makes this year’s version different. The conversation covers how the arts center converts its entire building for two weeks and why a downtown haunt feels distinct from the farm-based attractions farther out.
For more local conversations like this one, subscribe to the Potomac Local News Podcast wherever you listen.
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