Almost four years after closing down a trio of tourist attractions across the street from the Alamo, Phillips Entertainment Inc. is returning to the historic area with a brand-new concept, a little more than 500 feet away in Alamo Plaza.
Scream Experiment, billed as an immersive haunted experience, had its grand opening on May 4. It’s located at 123 Alamo Plaza, steps from The Alamo which is currently undergoing an extensive $700 million redevelopment.
Yvonne Pedigo, the representative for Scream Experiment, said she wants to bring tourists and locals to the attraction.
Pedigo has worked with Phillips Entertainment for 15 years. The company has long operated entertainment attractions in San Antonio, including the nearby Buckhorn Saloon and Museum.
In 2022, company head Davis Phillips agreed to shut down Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, Guinness World Records Museum and Tomb Rider 3D Adventure Ride and Arcade in the historic Woolworth and Palace buildings to make way for a state of the art visitor center.
Those attractions aren’t coming back. Instead, Scream Experiment is opening nearby.
Pedigo said the haunted hotel experience will operate all year. Tickets will be $29.99 and the attraction will open at 10 a.m. daily and closing at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Scream Experiment closes at 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
“I feel like Haunted House is an understatement. It’s a series of experiences,” Pedigo said. “It’s fun for all ages, but screams will be involved.”
Pedigo praised the updates to the Alamo Plaza. The Texas Cavaliers Education Center opened this week. The Alamo Promenade was finished last year. The new visitor center and museum is scheduled for completion in 2027.
“What has been done is beautiful. It’s a great gathering place,” Pedigo said. “We feel like we’re a perfect compliment to what the gathering place has been.”
The future of downtown
Centro San Antonio hosts events and helps manage public spaces downtown. President and CEO Trish DeBerry sees a place for attractions like Scream Experiment.
“Entertainment options are going to be important because we’re a family-friendly market,” DeBerry said. “Davis [Phillips] is steeped in entertainment.”
But DeBerry also wants to see more support for small businesses downtown, particularly as large investments like Project Marvel, the new baseball stadium and the University of Texas at San Antonio’s downtown campus land over the next several years.
“I think we should be careful about what we curate,” she said. “Why can’t we find more restaurants that are unique on the Riverwalk?”
DeBerry said there should be a mix between businesses catering to tourists and the hospitality industry, a longtime lynchpin of the San Antonio economy, and locals who are interested in a day or an evening downtown.
She hopes that will push more people to live downtown and, eventually, attract bigger employers to San Antonio.
Having something like Scream Experiment can play a role in that, mixing entertainment with other dining and retail opportunities in the area, she said.
