Booger Jims Hollow Review (2019)

During our visit in late September, the temperature was unseasonably hot. While this might be attributed to the hell that ol Booger Jim found himself in, the actors at BJH endured the humid heat with a lot of passion. We feel certain that though the temperatures may drop, the actors at BJH will keep up the intensity and thrill.

Remember that this is essentially an attraction where some of the actors will touch you. To us, it seemed that most of the contact came from the older, more experienced actors (perhaps with more training as well). This is not a haunt for the unsure or the faint of heart ‘ we found ourselves locked in closets (with a lot of other guests), playing hide-and-seek to find a missing member of our team, navigating treacherous mountain paths, and running (well, quickly walking) from chainsaw-wielding pursuers. The cast was great about delivering scares while also watching where we were as visitors to ensure our safety.

There are a variety of different characters among the 30+ actors at BJH. The trail through the Hollow has perhaps the least variety since its occupants seemed to be deranged spirits ‘ either followers of Booger Jim or perhaps his past victims. Each of the Houses had a variety of characters in them, though we got more interaction and dialogue from the Haunted House at the bottom of the hill than the Doll House at the top. The Clown who was ‘running’ the Haunted House was very interactive and able to switch up his repartee depending on what we were feeding back to him.

Again, we have to say that on the night we visited BJH, it was 90F and humid. The makeup that was used was good, but the actors were having difficulty keeping it sharp with the heat, humidity, and sweat. Some of the actors were in masks; those brave souls were likely suffering a different sort of pain.

The Doll House at the top of the hill contained the most detailed costumes and makeup (there was a tiny air conditioner struggling to keep that House a little bit cooler than the outside air). But, we got to spend more time close up with the creeps and spirits of the Haunted House at the bottom. Their costumes were complete pieces as well.

Tucked away in the mountainous region around Blacksburg, be sure that you’ve got a handle on your GPS and are comfortable driving on winding roads in the dark. The parking lot at BJH is lit and looks out across the old town of Cherokee Falls. BJH has an online presence where guests can get information ‘ like the legend of Booger Jim ‘ just be sure to visit that before you set off as cell reception can be spotty at times.

Though BJH is a full contact haunt, the staff ‘ even those in costumes ‘ are responsive and alert. The Hollow has steep slopes, and though there are some stairs in the woods and a few handrails towards the end of the trail, there will be scares along that dangerous route. Dry or damp, those mountain paths can be scary on their own. Costumed actors know the trail very well, however, and can transition from menacing with weapons to guiding you safely on your way as we found out during our trip.

There are quite a few signs around the attraction warning visitors about the steep slopes, the chances of contact with the spooks, the dangers of the trails. These are not to be taken lightly. We were sure to heed their warnings and still have a great time.

Too, we got to witness some of the customer care first-hand. During our trip through the Haunted House, one of the other guests that was with our larger group apparently tore his shirt or something in the house. By the time we exited the house, the haunt’s owner was outside waiting to see if the man was ok, apologizing, and offering solutions. The customer didn’t even have time to look for an employee and was barely to the safety of the street before this occurred. That is a great level of professionalism that we have to applaud.

The dark town and old buildings clinging to the side of the mountain make for a great backdrop for BJH. The houses are all old mill houses and there are still some folks who live nearby. A hayride can carry visitors from the parking lot and through the old town to any of the entrances to the attractions at BJH. Again, we’d recommend starting from the bottom of the hill at the Haunted House and working your way up to the Hollow, saving the Doll House for last. We were able to take a moment to stand on the porch at the Doll House and look out into the dark mountain night over the old town. It’s a sight that we found quite spectacular. Unfortunately, it was soon to be chased from our minds by what waited for us inside.

We found a few costumed spooks wandering outside the Haunted House and another figure or two near the Hollow. The porch of the Doll House is decorated and the guide at the door can tell you stories about the House you’re about to enter. We found that all of this was a great prelude to what was in store.

Booger Jim’s Hollow is an old school, low-tech haunt. There aren’t many fancy animatronics or cutting-edge props. Instead, the actors do a lot to produce many of the sounds, the sets are minimalist and let your imagination fill in the gaps. We did find that the Doll House had some amazing d������������������cor and did a great job with producing some recognizable scenes and sets from horror movies.

There are small bits that are somewhat infamous if you’ve already been to BJH that are still big figures in their places. The Barrel and the Box are likely staples that won’t ever go away ‘ and for good reason: their simple effectiveness at delivering confusion and startled screams.

Each of the attractions at BJH has its own internal theme. The Haunted House is a traditional, old-school haunt with a variety of psychopaths and creepy figures. The Hollow leans heavily into the legend of Booger Jim and the madness that afflicted him. The Doll House hits a variety of familiar horror movie scenes ‘ but focuses on the female characters that made them creepy.

Each of the areas does a good job with the theme they’re carrying. We wish that each of them would lean more heavily into the Legend of Booger Jim to tie the whole haunt together a little better, but we can’t really fault them for using what works.

We enjoyed our climb up and down the mountain at BJH. The physical and up-close nature of the scares really help. Though we ventured through the Hollow and the Doll House in a small group, when we went through the Haunted House we were matched up with two other small groups. No matter the group size, actors targeted all of us, either as a whole group or one at a time. We certainly recommend heading to BJH with a small group.

As mentioned above, this is a touch haunt. We feel that the Witch house really brought the unease and building of tension and it offered a great finale.

Since there are three attractions now at BJH, it should be said that each of them has a slightly different feel and focus. We find that a great ending really leaves us talking about a haunt for a while. We felt that the ending for the Doll House was the strongest of the three haunts which is why we recommend visiting that one last.

Our time in all of the haunts at BJH added up at 23 minutes. Tickets are $20 for all three attractions, and the hayride through the mill town is an additional dollar. The hayride is optional as it is easy to walk up the steep streets to any of the attraction entrances, but the hayride itself is a great chance to soak in some of the atmosphere if the weather is right.

Music playing outside the Haunted House drifts into the entrance of the Hollow and even echoes up to the crimson porch of the Doll House. We didn’t have to wait long to enter any of the attractions, but we also visited very early in the season. If you’ve got a chance to visit Booger Jim’s Hollow, we recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds that will be flocking to visit this great haunt.

BJH also offers discounts for signing up for their phone notifications/emails. These discounts can lower the price by $5 for those looking to get the most bang for their buck.