Salvation Z: Hell comes to Gloucester Prison

Salvation Z turns the historic HM Prison Gloucester into the UK’s most immersive and terrifying Halloween scare attraction. P M Buchan tells about us all about it!

Salvation Z is an extreme annual scare attraction taking place inside HM Prison Gloucester, taking advantage of an awe-inspiring setting with a history that goes back hundreds of years.

Unlike many scare mazes and horror attractions in the UK, Salvation Z utilises an original location that was already rumoured to be haunted, allowing the halls, cells and memories of the site to set the scene for a collection of interactive Halloween experiences that prioritise visitor experience over footfall.

Gloucester Prison first opened in 1792 on the site of what was once Gloucester Castle. The jail was expanded and rebuilt at numerous points throughout its history, before being names one of the UK’s most overcrowded jails in 2003. Formally closing in March 2013 and laying empty for a number of years before reopening to members of the public, records indicate that there are still many executed prisoners buried in the grounds of HM Prison Gloucester.

Run by event organisers Cracking Day Ltd, Salvation Z began as a real-time zombie experience in 2019. With each iteration, the team has honed the formula for scaring visitors, culminating in an event in 2024 that has to be experienced to be believed.

Two main ticket types are available for Salvation Z, ‘Just A Bit Bonkers’ and the VIP ‘Total Bedlam’. Whatever ticket you buy, wearing a white t-shirt gives the scare actors permission to single you out for “a more probing experience”, and VIPs are given a hospital gown. The gown serves to protect your clothes (which you’ll definitely need) and to help the actors identify you more easily.

It would be a crime to give away too many details about what to expect at Salvation Z, but there are four key differences between this and the vast majority of other Halloween events in the UK. First, you’ll have to sign a waiver before entering, which tends to be the case in scare mazes that take advantage of existing buildings and settings, but always shows that the organisers aren’t pulling their punches.

Second, you’ll be warned before entering that the actors might touch you, and if you’re wearing a hospital gown, they almost certainly will touch you. The actors will separate you from friends, will issue instructions, and in some areas you’re likely to be covered in fake blood and other bodily fluids. This aspect is mostly optional, and can be avoided by not wearing white, but adds an immersive physicality to the event that just isn’t possible when you know the actors won’t touch you.

The staff throughout Salvation Z are supportive, encouraging and there to reassure you while simultaneously giving you the space to be frightened. They’re very clear that you’ll never be chased on any of the stairs. The third vital difference from a lot of other scare attractions is that the staff are patient. They won’t let you into the maze until your route is clear. They believe that it’s more important to let people queue longer for a better experience than to bump into other visitors and let groups bunch together within the attraction.

Finally, the organisers know that what scares one person might not scare another. There are hidden actors in some of the most horrific masks and costumes that I’ve ever encountered, but Salvation Z also prioritises exploration. You’re let loose inside massive, abandoned buildings, in almost complete darkness, and left to discover the route without excessive signposting. In our case, we wandered through abandoned prison cells and hospital wards, alone in the dark, and absolutely terrified ourselves.

I’ve loved horror for as long as I can remember, immersing myself in novels, comic-books, films, games, music and events, surrounding myself by skulls, masks and everything ghoulish that I could bring home. Spending the night at Salvation Z was without question the most harrowing and terrifying experience of my life. I’ve spent years visiting events like this, chasing the thrill of genuine fear, and walking the abandoned corridors of Salvation Z was the first time in years that I felt too scared to turn the next corner alone.

Although Salvation Z has been running in one form or another since 2019, circumstances behind the scenes might prevent the event from going ahead in the same way in future years, so I’d advise visiting in 2024 if at all possible. The team putting on Salvation Z have lovingly crafted what I believe to be the scariest Halloween activity in the UK for 2024 and it deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Salvation Z is not for the faint of heart. If you love horror, this is the event for you. Be warned, however, that Salvation Z might spoil you for future scare mazes, because I’m not sure how anything could beat the thrill of your first time exploring the halls of Gloucester Prison after dark.

Have you experienced this famous Halloween event? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

P M BUCHAN is a writer whose stories have featured in Rue Morgue, Kerrang!, and Starburst. He writes about horror, dark art and the occult here. You can follow him on Twitter and Linkedin and visit his website.