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Kersey Valley Spookywoods 2023
Archdale, North Carolina
The last stop of our 2023 NC Haunt Tour was another North Carolina OG attraction, Kersey Valley Spookywoods in Archdale, NC. They have an incredible 39 years in the business of scares! Spookywoods is a multi-haunt attraction beginning with their newest haunted trail, Icons; then their cornfield, Harvest of Fear; then their mainstay trail with 11 separately themed houses - Sanitarium, Vampire Crypt, Town of Kersey Valley, Depths of Despair, Agony’s Embrace, Bloodmoon Ridge, Whispering Pines Funeral Services, Decimation District, Inferno, and Photons of Fear. Plus, they have the Midway of Mayhem, Endora’s Witch House, and their Dark Ride Fright Trams that transport you between all the different attractions. Their midway featured tons of food, adult beverages, and a live DJ spinning a variety of tunes to keep the vibes going all night long. We loved how they even themed out their concessions by incorporating their mainstay characters… everyone has to try one of Endora’s Brews! Instead of your typical hayride, Spookywoods has custom-built trams similar to those that you might catch in a theme park parking lot to transport you through the vast darkness between the attractions. Their Fright Trams are necessary since Kersey Valley is a sprawling 92-acre farm, and they have widely spread their scares throughout the woods. You board the tram glowing in the iconic Spookywoods green, but as you enter the woods it all… goes… dark… Monsters are lurking and sometimes they jumped on and off our tram as we traveled. Icons was the first stop and their newest attraction. It was easy to tell we had arrived, the letters I-C-O-N stood at least 20 feet tall and glowed bright red in the darkness of the woods. We walked through the gigantic O and began our journey into iconic horror cinema. Not only were these sets themed after each of their respective movies, but the characters also acted out a scene from the movie. We’ve seen lots of Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th themes and even more random Freddies and Jasons, but never have we ever seen Freddy vs Jason. There was also Megan’s fave Scream, Halloween, and others. This haunt is R-rated because they play actual snippets of dialogue from the movies and some contain expletive language. We loved recognizing those bits of script as we approached the next house and guessing what we were walking into! After Icon, we boarded a Fright Tram and were transported to Spookywood’s cornfield, Harvest of Fear. Harvest of Fear is one of the most original cornfields we’ve ever been through. How do you make a cornfield different?, you ask. Spookywoods utilized a lot of lighting effects at Harvest of Fear including lightning and the laser light and fog swamp effect throughout their cornfield, creating a murky layer of lighted fog from our waist down. This allowed actors to hide right underneath our noses. The cornfield let us out right in front of the first haunt on the next trail, Sanitarium. It was lit with a very cool vine lighting effect. Again, this second trail features 11 separately themed houses, but to describe each in any detail would make for a very long review. Overall, Spookywoods are masters of light and sound. They use both of these elements to really bring their sets to life. The lake they constructed complete with docks and cabins over the water for Freddie vs Jason was also super impressive! The actors are also a huge part of what Kersey Valley Spookywoods does. They provide a really great mix of jump scares and interaction. Costuming and makeup ranged between the multiple sets. Nothing was over the top but always appropriate for their environment. Masks were heavily utilized especially (and understandably) in the Icons section. Spookywoods definitely has some… spooky woods, and they’re really great at using them to further immerse you in the experience. Walking through those dark woods sometimes felt like a break, allowing just enough time for our sense of security to set back in before we hit another house, but conversely also sometimes felt super ominous and foreboding. We occasionally encountered a victim running towards us on the trail asking us for help, and just like a horror movie… we just continued to head towards the danger. Spookywoods has so much to offer, so grab the fam and go spend a full night of fall fun at Kersey Valley Spookywoods in Archdale, NC!
Nightmare Factory 2023
Havelock, North Carolina
Nightmare Factory in Havelock, NC features a quartet of interconnected haunts within the main attraction - Dead Zone, Clowns in 3D, Haunted Factory, and Psych Ward. Nightmare Factory opens its doors at 7pm on most nights, but the real thrills begin at 9pm when they offer their R-rated show. Our expectations were blown away from the moment we pulled up! We’ve been to haunts located in strip malls and storefronts before, but this was definitely different! Nightmare Factory had taken over several buildings/storefronts in their strip mall location plus they had a large, well-developed outdoor midway complete with eerie lighting, creepy vignettes, yummy concessions, a gorgeous gift shop, and even a stage! There are extreme sideshow acts and other performances that take place on that stage nightly adding that extra layer of spooky fun! There was an ever-multiplying number of monsters lurking around the midway too. Some were in the relentless search of new victims while others were just plain entertaining… shout out to the zombie stumbling incoherently around in the tiny cemetery! As we anxiously awaited our turn, the story of Albert Knight's Factory played on a large projection screen, recounting the horrifying history of this place. The factory truly manufactured “nightmares” in the form of an assortment of torture devices in the early 1900s. We learned that these nightmarish products were tested on the very workers who were making them, and it was rumored that those who died were fed to the others in the cafeteria. They eventually rose up against Albert Knight and his factory, setting it ablaze in an act of fiery revenge. This was a really well done video production, it legit felt like we were watching a documentary on the History Channel. The journey began outside in the factory’s zombie infested loading dock, Dead Zone. There was evidence of the horrendous past with items like electric chairs and boxes labeled with the names of other torture devices strewn about. From the loading area, we entered Nightmare Factory’s 3D blacklight experience, Clowns in 3D which was filled with… you guessed it… crazy clowns. After escaping the madness and honking clown horns we entered the Haunted Factory where we encountered a bloody butcher scene and wondered if he was the one cooking up and serving the factory’s dead workers… Last up was the Psych Ward filled with the victims who weren’t lucky enough to be killed by their experimentation. In addition to the four haunts in their main attraction, Nightmare Factory has yet another haunted attraction! The Narrows Dark Maze was new for the 2023 season. This standalone haunt was, without a doubt, our favorite experience at Nightmare Factory! We were welcomed by one of our newest favorite characters “Brains”. We’re not sure if that’s his name or not but we could see his so that’s what we’re calling him. Pitch black, super narrow, and very twisty and turny, we were forced to keep our hands in front of us to feel our way along The Narrows. As we navigated through the darkness, we were confronted with loud banging, different textures along the walls, and just the right amount of physical contact was the cherry on top. At the Nightmare Factory, there are no animatronics to be found, but that doesn’t mean they are low tech. Movie quality sound, detailed sets, flash-crackers, loud alarms, and even louder actors bring the scares at this haunt! Because this haunt is so driven by their actors, they’ve got to look good, right? Nightmare Factory uses incredibly thorough makeup techniques on all their characters! Not only are they fully covered but most actors even wear contacts that further enhance their looks. Even after a long night of haunting, that makeup hadn’t budged and it wasn’t going anywhere. We must confess… we touched some faces to verify. Costuming was all perfectly on point as well. We’ve been to many R-rated, full contact haunts, and although what we experienced wasn't quite the R-rating we are accustomed to, it was still an incredible show and great time! With its 4 interconnected haunts, additional attractions, eerie atmosphere, and passionate actors, this attraction delivers an all-around amazing experience! Nightmare Factory also has a year-round rage room called Unleash, so check out all the haunts and then go take out your frustration and break some shit!
Extreme Fear ScareGrounds 2023
Kinston, North Carolina
We finally did it! We found another black haunt owner!!! It makes our spooky hearts so happy and made The Extreme Fear Scaregrounds in Kinston, NC a must-see on our 2023 North Carolina haunt tour! Shout out to the honorary mom manning the ticket booth for the words of wisdom and encouragement too! Extreme Fear Scaregrounds is located on the Lenoir County Fairgrounds, and they’ve been doing their thing for 3 years now. Despite being a newer haunt and having the challenge of taking down and putting their sets back up year after year, they have done an incredible job! These temporary sets were extremely detailed and immersive. There are 3 themed attractions that flow continuously one into the other - Nixon Asylum, Insanity, and Mayhem 3D. Their midway called Midway Madness features concessions, carnival games, a gift shop, photo-ops, and roaming midway monsters. This is also where you can find The Basement, a 5 minute escape room. The attraction begins with Nixon Asylum. Upon entering the asylum’s check-in area, we watched an immersive video of Dr. Nixon documenting the results of some of his experiments that had gone wrong. Despite these failed tests and the deranged patients we knew were inside, we went on. Aside from the typical padded patient rooms you’d expect to see in an asylum, there were some really original sets like administrative offices, therapy rooms, and when we got to an examination room we actually ran into the same Dr. Nixon from the intro video himself. This just further enforced the cohesive storyline of Nixon Asylum. We guess the asylum made us a little crazy, because once we escaped, we entered Insanity, the second haunt. This fog-filled, chainlink fence maze is full of twists, turns, and dead-ends. The actors were climbing all over the fences, leading us in the wrong directions, and kept us completely distracted and unfocused, making it that much more difficult to navigate the maze and escape the insanity. And what scaregrounds would be complete without clowns? The final attraction, Mayhem 3D, is a clown-filled 3D blacklight experience. We donned our 3D glasses and entered the big top. The walls of Mayhem were filled with trippy, drippy evil clown art and other eye-popping designs and misdirections are everywhere as the actors do their best to blend in seamlessly with the props and sets. There is an underlying tone of madness from beginning to end and the actors do an excellent job of selling it! The actors in all three attractions were SUPER interactive and fun! We were forced to sing in the Music Therapy Room in Nixon Asylum, the actors in Insanity kept us confused with constant creepy chatter, and the rebellious clowns in Mayhem 3D engaged us in some sinister banter. They also have some young haunters in the mix, and we absolutely love to see kids getting involved! Kids are freaking creepy! Extreme Fear Scaregrounds utilized both masks and simple makeup in their costuming. The only monsters here are people so no real elaborate transformations, but everyone and everything fit in with their theming. Nothing seemed out of place or broke the immersion. This 15-minute walkthrough brought terrific sets and great acting and is totally worth a visit whether you’re taking in the Lenoir County Fair or not! There is a great vision here, and we look forward to this haunt continuing to grow and refine their show! Go a little crazy at The Extreme Fear Scaregrounds!
Marr Branch Haunted House 2023
Mt Olive, North Carolina
Marr Branch was the wildest Redneck Revival we’ve ever been to! These guys are loud, crazy, inappropriate, and kunnnnntryyy… and we LOVE IT! They are located on a real working farm in the absolute middle of nowhere… also known as Mt Olive, North Carolina. Similar to our McCloud Manor, Marr Branch Redneck Revival is a family-run attraction where every member of the family plays a vital role, from taking tickets to actively participating in the scares. It started as a single house 14 years ago and has continued to grow every year since. Marr Branch is “not your local pumpkin patch”, folks – it's an extreme, high-energy, and sensory-overloading adventure! When we arrived on the Marr Branch farm grounds, after driving along the long, dark country roads that lead there, we immediately noticed how packed their queue line was despite the remote location. Spend the extra money and get the fast pass, it’s totally worth it! Because they do not have a traditional midway area with games, we headed directly to the line. They do have merchandise for sale and yummy food, but we recommend you wait until the end for both. You’ll lose anything you buy and work up an appetite running from rednecks all night! We didn’t see any characters roaming the grounds except for one, but he was all that was needed! “Jimmy Dean” gave a rousing performance that seriously pumped up the waiting masses! When it was our turn, we entered through the front door of the old country house and were met by grandpa, Reverend Jericho and his pet. He provided an intro and some backstory to a guitar solo. In fact, the whole haunt has a very interesting soundtrack - a little country, a little rock, and some metal mixed in. But from this intro, we were fully immersed and knew we were in for a show at this attraction! Marr Branch is a blended indoor and outdoor experience with three distinct houses and a cornfield. The sets were exactly what you’d expect with a theme like Redneck Revival. There was a real grungy, organic, old-school feel but with a few strategically placed animatronics and other effects clearly designed to keep you on edge. We journeyed through the rooms of that first old country house into the trash-strewn yard and into another house. There was a brief moment of reprieve before we went through the corn maze and then we encountered a blacklight-lit trailer that evoked the atmosphere of a disturbing meth lab, complete with the unsettling sensation of a contact high. The walls of all the houses were filled with graffiti that we couldn’t help but to read as we traversed from room to room adding an extra layer of chaos. All of their actors wore typical redneck attire to blend in perfectly with the sets and theming. We saw lots of jeans, overalls, plaid shirts, plain white tees and tank tops that had been both dirtied and bloodied. Most characters were hiding their true identities behind grotesque masks. There were pig masks, Purge-type masks, and masks reminiscent of Leatherface. Changes in elevation and footing kept us off balance and on guard, and we nearly died almost falling into the fire-blasting pit! If you are a veteran or have any kind of PTSD, Marr Branch is probably not the haunt for you. With simulated gunfire galore, we found ourselves constantly ducking and dodging non-existent bullets and yelling out “THEY SHOOTIN’!!!!!!!!!” And of course, no hillbilly adventure is complete without chainsaws! While they are not a full contact haunt… (pssttt… you guys should totally offer that as an option)… there was a lot of our personal space invaded and some slight touching, like ankle grabbing that made the overall scare experience that much more intimate. Marr Branch Redneck Revival also does a great job of pacing. This was the only haunt we visited where we didn’t end up running into the group in front of us nor did the group behind us ever catch up to us. This really ensures the highest level of actor interaction and scares. The theatrical intro and immersive sets were amazing, but what truly makes Marr Branch an incredible experience are the actors. Many with backgrounds in theater and performing arts, they brought boundless energy to their roles. These guys had us running for our lives as they chased us, pounded on walls, and shouted threats of bodily harm. Their immersive and dynamic approach created super fun, unforgettable encounters. Marr Branch Redneck Revival will have you feeling like the livestock as they push your boundaries and immerse you in their world! Prepare to be scared, thrilled, and thoroughly entertained!
Hollerin Haunts Hayride 2023
Clinton, North Carolina
It was the second night of our 2023 North Carolina haunt tour, and the night was crisp and clear. The first haunt on our list for the night was Hollerin Haunts Hayride in Clinton, NC, and the vibe out there was DOPE!!! First, we entered into their midway area which had a very young and fresh feel to it, almost like an outdoor lounge. A cool mix of pop, country, and dance music was being pumped through the speakers and a variety of actors were roaming the open grounds - tall creatures, all kinds of clowns, and none other than Freddy Krueger himself. But this Freddy wasn’t anything like the Freddy of our nightmares, this Freddy was the most dancin-est Freddy we’ve ever seen … out there getting it! Go Freddy, go Freddy… sooo much fun! Hollerin Haunts Hayride features 3 separate attractions - The Darkness, NC Zombie Hunt paintball, and their main attraction and namesake, the Hayride. In addition to the 3 main attractions, their midway features tons of games and activities to keep you vibing all night long! There’s a stage for live performances, putting green and basketball shootaway games, concessions with all your fall carnival faves, plus a couple side activities including the newly added Last Ride which is a simulated coffin ride in the back of a hearse and two 5-minute escape rooms. We decided to do the hayride first, but you can experience the attractions in any order you choose. From the moment we got on, we realized this was a hayride unlike any we’ve ever been on! We were seated on the actual bales of hay, which we LOVE!… you’d be surprised how many “hay”rides don’t actually utilize hay… but here’s what made it so different - there were no protective guard rails on the cart, and we were seated facing OUTWARD! Instead of the usual two rows of people facing inward towards a center aisle or everyone just piled in with no aisle, the two rows sat back-to-back! And since there were no guard rails, there was absolutely nothing separating us from the environments or the characters! We felt so exposed and vulnerable, and the actors definitely take advantage of this! The tractor took us through multiple sets covering a range of themes - slaughterhouse, vampire castle, asylum, clowns, spiders, haunted house, Camp Crystal Lake, toxic dump. No cohesive theme connects the sets, but Hollering Haunts Hayride most certainly has all your creepy, traditional Halloween subjects covered! These facades and building interiors were incredibly detailed! The castle was probably our favorite! But despite the incredible set eye-candy, the focus on this ride is definitely the actors! The number of actors ranged per set but they would divide and conquer as each worked their way around the wagon, giving every rider some personal attention. Sometimes the number of actors wasn’t enough to keep us entertained, so the stops felt a little too long. The costuming always matched the theme, and there was a mix of masks and makeup but nothing over-the-top. The trail between buildings was lined with corn stalks so tall and so close that they brushed against our knees as we bumped along, and they filled these in-between spaces with some gigantic-scale prop scares and interesting lighting along the way. Sometimes the actors would follow us down the trail away from their scene too! We exited the hayride and were directed to another new addition, an optional haunted trail. With original characters like Carnie Carnivore and recognizable ones too, this trail was a chainsaw filled mix of indoor and outdoor spaces. It was a great way to travel back to the midway area for more scares! We’re looking forward to them continuing to build out this trail to maybe be its own separate attraction and level up the scares on it! Next up, was The Darkness, and it delivers exactly what you’d expect from the name. The Darkness is a pitch black maze that forces you to feel your way along super tight passageways, while ducking, squeezing, and shimmying through. Flashcrackers and loud speakers were strategically placed to really throw you off guard! Of course, because we are about that haunt hopping life, we didn’t hang out to do the paintball, but you definitely should! We noticed that, just like the hayride, Hollerin Haunts took a familiar concept and kicked it up a notch! The zombie-hunting paintball vehicle is a double decker! Talk about having the high ground advantage! The vehicle is equipped with a whopping 36 paintball guns and lit with black lights, so it glows in the night. Hollerin Haunts Hayride was the only hayride we did on our 2023 North Carolina haunt tour and what a great experience it was! Hollerin Haunts Hayride is a much newer attraction than the others in NC, but there is great vision out there, so we cannot wait to see this haunt continue to grow! Hollerin Haunts Hayride will definitely have you hollerin’, so bring the whole family and make it a full night of Halloween fun by experiencing everything HHHR has to offer! It may even take you two trips to do it!
The Haunted Pyramids 2023
Lawndale, North Carolina
The Haunted Pyramids in Lawndale, NC was not in our original haunt tour plans but because of their proximity to our previous haunt and later operating hours we decided to add them to the list! They have a whopping 6 attractions - the Monster Mill; their namesake, The Haunted Pyramids, The Abandoned; the Carnival of Terror; the newly added Dr. Venom’s Snake Pit which is not a haunt but a walkthrough reptile exhibit including lots of very big snakes, turtles, a cute caiman, and other creepy crawlies; and their Munster’s themed escape room, 1313 Mockingbird Lane. The escape room is not included with your general admission ticket but is only an extra $5. Since it was so late we didn’t get to do this one, but we do love escape rooms! When we arrived at the Haunted Pyramids, after walking past an awesome Ectomobile from the movie Ghostbusters, we checked out their midway area. They had a concession shack called the Coroner’s Cafe with the most spooktacularly named foods - frankenburgers, halloweenies, blood nuggets, and chili sneeze fries are just a few of our favorites - and there were picnic tables set up for you to enjoy your spooky snacks. Unlike many North Carolina haunts, The Haunted Pyramids is all indoors making it a great option on rainy October nights when a lot of other attractions have to close. We were also super excited to find out that this haunt offers a full contact option! So put on your glow-in-the-dark necklace and be prepared for their actors to kick things up a few notches! Super random, but we ran into one of our haunt industry friends, the famous… or infamous… set design guru, Bryce Alexander! If you don’t know this guy, look him up! He’s freaking phenomenal! More on this encounter to come… The sets in all the Haunted Pyramid attractions were low tech with lots of tight spaces, smells that we couldn’t tell if they were manufactured or organic, and planked flooring that felt like it could cave in at any moment. The names of the haunts did not provide any clue into what types of scenes we’d expect to see, which is probably because this crew spends the off-season switching things up to bring fresh sets and scares each year. They had some really original uses of every day items like arcade machines and port-a-potties being incorporated into scenes. There were also some very interesting choices of music that were unexpectedly unnerving and creepy. The Haunted Pyramids had a mix of original characters. recognizable horror icons and some unique twists on usually not-so-scary individuals… have you ever been attacked by a deranged, chainsaw-wielding Ronald McDonald? He was awesome, and we had a blast with the clowns with dreadlocks too! This was an enthusiastic and dedicated group of actors bringing an in-your-face experience! Again, it was past closing time and these guys were still on level 100 after a long night of haunting! All of The Haunted Pyramids’ attractions are designed in a way to allow for a single actor to be able to move around unseen to scare in multiple places. Some actors provided a well-timed jump scare while others interacted with us. They were fun sports too, allowing Bryce and his cowboy hat crew to join in on the fun! We were behind their group going through the haunt and each time we caught up with them, these guys had inserted themselves into a set and were either planning a group photo or partying with the monsters… haha! The Haunted Pyramids hosts all kinds of special guests and even bands throughout the haunt season. In fact, there was a whole metal fest going on that Friday the 13th weekend with over 10 bands performing!!! Can’t believe we missed out! Make sure to check out their gift shop too! Instead of being filled with only haunted attraction merch, theirs had all kinds of useful Halloween supplies like masks, costumes, and tons of spider web. With their multiple attractions, special events, special guests, yummy concessions, and Halloween supply gift shop, The Haunted Pyramids offers a ton of spooky season fun! And to top it off, they stay open til midnight most evenings so that is clutch for haunt-hopping Haunt Junkies like us! If you’re craving a late night, old school haunt in the backwoods of North Carolina, “get your fix” at The Haunted Pyramids!
Lake Hickory Haunts 2023
Hickory, North Carolina
Lake Hickory Haunts was another haunt we visited on the first night of our 2023 haunt tour which was Friday the 13th, and their busiest night of the season so far! Before we get into reviewing this attraction… we’d like to mention that Lake Hickory Haunts was, by far, the best bathroom experience Megan has ever had at a haunted attraction! This was not your typical port-a-potties, folks. They had super clean, fresh-smelling public restrooms! After the quick bathroom break, we walked down the hill and into the Midway of Mayhem. It’s really not even fair to call what Lake Hickory Haunts has a “midway”, it is far too expansive for that. In fact, Lake Hickory Haunts is so big that when you arrive, they give you a map! Literally, a tri-fold map like you get at Six Flags or Universal… which makes sense, since they do call themselves a haunted theme park! The Midway of Mayhem has everything you’d expect at a theme park and more! Axe throwing, an escape room, and a 4D experience are just a few of the activities you can enjoy while waiting for your turn to enter the haunts. If you go with the VIP experience like we did, you also get access to a pretty swanky outdoor lounge. And yes we said.. er wrote… haunts! How many you ask? 12!!! 12 freaking attractions in one place for your haunting pleasure! And it’s technically 14 since the Big Top Circus is actually three in one! Lake Hickory Haunts is located on a piece of property with some very interesting topography, and they have used every bit of it to their advantage. And it’s not just a cool name, Lake Hickory Haunts is located on an actual lake, and they have brilliantly incorporated the lake into their haunt stories and builds. In fact, there are three attractions centered around the lake: Voodoo Bayou, Shipwrecked 2.0, and Aquaphobia which takes you on docks over the lake. We even saw a family of ducks enjoying the haunt with us. In addition to the lake, Lake Hickory Haunts also has the good fortune of having their very own cave, and their attraction Descent is located in this underground cave, because… of course. The experience kicked off with their first haunt Nightmare Factory. A nurse told us we would meet Dr. Death after being administered their newest truth serum, and that we might not make it to the end. Needless to say she was wrong and we continued our the journey through the remaining 11 haunts Lake Hickory has to offer. Although each haunt is its own separate experience, there is an underlying cohesive story linking them all together. It was really impressive to see a story executed on this scale. The spaces between the haunts were like mini intermissions but could provide a great way to further communicate the connection. Our favorite was the Big Top Circus! It had been totally redesigned for the 2023 season and the story, theming, and set design were all SUPER original! Cotton candy covered walls, sweet smells, a plethora of unique antique clown memorabilia, and a laboratory under the big top all tickled our coulrophobia in ways we’d never imagined. The lake, cave, and original Big Top Circus were all just parts of the AMAZING sets at Lake Hickory Haunts! They had a great combination of fully enclosed, partially enclosed, and outdoor spaces. The fact that many of the spaces were so open affected the scares a little, but we’ve never scene such level of detail in open air sets! We also loved seeing the juxtaposition of materials. Spirit Halloween props, cleverly used household items, and pool noodles coexisted harmoniously with Hollywood-level props and effects… almost a nod to simpler beginnings. What we didn’t like were the visible step pads, but we understand the limitations being in open, outdoor environments creates. Lake Hickory had a ton of actors roaming the grounds of their enormous midway and lurking in every corner of each attraction! Varying degrees of makeup, prosthetics, and masks transformed the Lake Hickory actors into pirates, zombies, cave-dwelling monsters, clowns… lots of clowns… and more! Aquaphobia had some incredibly unique alien sea creatures bent on world domination. No costuming faux pas here. Despite being in natural environments, all costuming including footwear blended very well with each set. Being from Georgia, we compare Lake Hickory Haunts to “Netherworld on water”. What an amazing value for a full night of Halloween fun! Lake Hickory Haunts definitely had the sprawling feel of a theme park with an awesome mix of entertainment… plus fantastic restrooms… haha! This is absolutely a must see attraction and for those of you lucky enough to live in North Carolina, you should incorporate Lake Hickory into your yearly Halloween routine!
The Haunted Farm 2023
Hendersonville, North Carolina
A haunted attraction with a name like The Haunted Farm conjures images of a low tech haunt, full of pallets, tarp, and barns… but that could not be further from the truth for The Haunted Farm in Hendersonville, NC. The Haunted Farm was the first stop on our 2023 North Carolina haunt tour that, so appropriately, began on Friday the 13th! Plus, it was their 13th year in business! Celebrate 13 years of scares on Friday the 13th? Yes please! The drive up to The Haunted Farm was exactly what you’d expect in rural North Carolina, a gravel road with long forgotten, dilapidated country homesteads that each could have been a haunted house in their own right. When we arrived at this real, working cattle farm, the vibe was super chill. Their new midway area was situated in front of one of the farm’s large barns which was framed beautifully against the night sky with string lights, cozy fire pit, and photo ops galore… but what really caught our eye was just to the left of that barn… their newly built Texas Chainsaw Massacre house facade! Despite getting there right at opening, the general admission line was already packed, so paying extra for their fast pass option was totally worth it! Although, you do have front row seats to live entertainment from the general admission queue line. A large platform was built elevated in the trees, where a band was playing popular songs to keep everyone entertained while they waited. The queue lines are constructed of towering log walls, which makes sense considering that this haunt’s neighbor is basically a logging farm. The haunt begins as a lantern-lit trail through their forest with trees so tall and dense they almost blocked out the clear night sky. Once we passed through the gaping mouth of a giant, wooden skeleton head, we began entering fully built structures along the trail. The Haunted Farm did an amazing job of strategically placing spooky lighted vignettes and camouflaged actors along the trail to remind us that this wasn’t some leisurely stroll through the woods. Sets became more and more detailed and varied as we progressed. Some of our favorites were the voodoo shack, hillbilly house, mine, asylum, homicidal dentist, and a sewer complete with running water just to name a few. Chances are, if you think it’s scary, more than likely The Haunted Farm has it. Touching everything (the way we do) we were surprised to constantly be feeling real building materials like solid brick walls instead of faux panels, and real rebar protruding from cement. The sets were super interactive, forcing us to climb up steep inclines, crouch through low ceilinged spaces, feel our way through narrow pitch black spaces, and blindly push through doors into the next room. The set lighting was so well done too, both on the trail and in the structures, they knew exactly what to highlight and when. The Haunted Farm has a full cast of original characters filling their spaces, although we did see Mr. Vorhees himself, probably to commemorate Friday the 13th. The actors were a perfect blend of jump scares, interactive, and just plain creepy. The clicking contortionist in the bedroom really stands out at being incredibly unnerving without directly interacting with us. There were tons of spaces for actors to hide in until the perfect moment. Megan was the victim of more than a few well-timed scares! The seamlessly applied masks, super detailed makeup with prosthetics, and costuming that was on point from head-to-toe made these characters become true extensions of their environments and that much more believable. We read the story of the blood feud between the Lively and Tate families on their website, but it didn’t really play out through the haunt. There were definitely a few references to the story like a long hallway of missing posters, and the asylum for the bride-to-be who went crazy when her groom’s body was discovered. But these sets and actors were so incredible that we became fully immersed in every scene we stepped into. With the variety of themes and effects we experienced it truly felt like an adventure! The Haunted Farm squeezes a lot of action-packed haunted fun into their 30+ minute walkthrough! They used every tool you’d find in a haunter’s toolbox without it feeling disjointed, too busy, or overdone. We feel honored to have been able to experience this haunt on their 13th anniversary on Friday the 13th but would highly recommend them any time! This is the type of haunt where you can feel the love in every detail! You definitely do not want to miss The Haunted Farm!
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