Buffalo Bills Haunted Trail (BBHT) is an outdoor haunted experience tucked away on a family run pumpkin farm in Franklin, Wisconsin. Set across 65 acres of eerie fields and dense woods, this haunt uses its natural surroundings to deliver seriously creepy vibes. It’s recommended for ages 16 and up, but younger thrill seekers can still enter if accompanied by a parent. If you’re into outdoor trail haunts and love the idea of walking straight into a real-life horror scene, this one’s worth checking out.
BBHT did a good job when it came to staffing their haunt with a solid number of actors. One thing we often notice with outdoor attractions is that it can be difficult to maintain consistent actor coverage throughout the entire trail; certain sections can feel empty or underwhelming. However, that wasn’t the case at BBHT. The cast was well distributed along the path, creating a steady pace of scares and interactions that kept visitors engaged from start to finish. Each section felt well planned, with actors placed to complement the natural flow and design of the trail. This even spacing really enhanced the overall experience, preventing any slow or “quiet” moments along the way.
As we made our way through the trail at BBHT, we were greeted by a range of characters, each contributing something unique to the experience. Every actor we encountered felt suited to their environment, enhancing the immersion and overall flow of the haunt. The attention to detail in both character placement and performance was clear, and each scene had its own personality. Some actors stood out with engaging dialogue that helped built the atmosphere, while others relied on grunts, growls to create tension. The level of interaction from the cast varried, whether they were appearing from above, creeping from below, following closely behind, or emerging from the darkness at just the right moment. Each performer had a distinct way of connecting with our group. This variety in performance style kept the pacing consistent and the energy high throughout the trail.
Aside from the cast, costuming plays an important part in keeping the experience believable. The costumes throughout the haunt fit well with each scene and character, showing a good level of attention to detail without feeling over or underdone. Every outfit looked complete and appropriate for its setting, helping each performer stay in character. Nothing felt out of place or unfinished, and the makeup and accessories tied everything together nicely.
This haunt utilized the use of makeup for most of its actors, adding a realistic and creative touch to each character. The makeup work was detailed and fit well with the haunt’s atmosphere. The few masks we did see were also well designed, matching the sets and enhancing the overall look of each scene. Together, the makeup and mask work showed clear effort and attention to detail, making the experience more immersive and believable.
While waiting in line, we were greeted by a single but very energetic queue actor dressed as a clown jester. This performer stood out with their personality and constant interaction with guests, helping to keep the crowd entertained and engaged. Their costume was detailed and well put together, showing clear effort in both design and presentation. Although the jester character didn’t seem to directly fit the overall theme of the haunt, their presence added a fun and memorable touch to the waiting experience. It’s clear that attention to detail and dedication went into both the performance and the costume, making the queue time more enjoyable before entering the main attraction.
BBHT is fairly easy to locate, we had no issues using our phone GPS. When arriving, the haunt could benefit from adding a few more visible lights leading up to the entrance. On the grounds, there is a long gravel drive that you must follow, where you will see signs with a few lights on some, letting you know you are going in the right direction. In the main parking area, there are staff in neon vests with directional lights that will guide you into parking spots. The lot was well lit, along with being flat overall, considering it was gravel. When on the grounds, there is a large entrance sign that you can clearly see to walk over in the right direction, along with the main ticket shack with staff.
As for safety on the grounds, the haunt did well. During our time spent at the attraction, we did not clearly see any police or security personnel. This is always something nice to see, but we did see a good amount of staff walking around the grounds and never felt in any sense of danger. While navigating the haunt, we were pleased with how well the trails were maintained and did not experience anything concerning. There is an area of stairs towards the back end of the haunt, but it is clearly well lit and told prior to entering that there will be no actors to scare you at this point to ensure your safety.
Any and all staff we encountered were friendly. Most of the team seemed to be happy and enjoying the environment around them. No one seemed to go the extra mile, but there is nothing bad to be said. We even asked a staff member if we could pet the horse that was in the main hub area, and they allowed us to do so.
If you want to check out some information before attending, be sure to check out the official website. On the website, it is NOT clearly laid out with the more typical information we find from other haunted attractions. When on the website, you can find a ticket link, hours and pricing, hiring information, and a contact us tab. This area of the score could be much more improved by adding a wide variety of information, such as a media page, parking, gallery, FAQ page, storyline, and just cleaning up the look to make it more appealing to guests.
When first arriving at the location, the atmosphere seemed to be a little down based on the number of guests. We arrived early around opening, so there were not many people ahead of us in line. As we waited in line, there was a good mix of music being played off a speaker, but other than that, there was not much more entertainment prior to entering the attraction. The big help to reduce the waiting in line was the clown jester queue actor, as the actor was very high energy and continually interacted with all groups and made multiple rounds. This actor even scared each of our group members atleast once at some point before we entered the haunt.
At times, haunts will incorporate a storyline for their attraction. At BBHT, we did not find or hear of any story behind the haunt, so we did not score this section. There is a lot of extra potential for taking the time to create a story to enhance the experience for guests, and it would be a good addition to have if BBHT were to include this down the road.
Inside the haunt, we felt immersed overall. A handful of sections of the haunt stood out more compared to others and appeared to lean in the direction of “good” and “could use improvement”. At times, we came across themed areas, from walking through the tall corn field, the clown section, and even a witch area. Each of these did good from having included props or animatronics that helped tie it all together. In other areas, it was very plain and boring, such as using caution tape, little to no detail, or just black tarps and fences.
After finishing the haunt, it spits you back into the main central hub area. In this area, there is not much of anything to do and far from any midway. This is a section that we would encourage BBHT to improve upon to keep the night alive for guests when completing the haunt. There could be a simple bonfire for groups that can then discuss and chat about what they just endured. Other additions of having mini escape rooms, axe throwing, paintball galleries, mini games, merchandise booths, along with other activities. This can help guests stick around even longer and bring the atmosphere alive with also bringing in more revenue. We will say if you are hungry, be sure to eat prior to attending, as there is food, but only a snack shack to grab just a little bite to eat if necessary.
The number and type of effects we came across varied during our duration of the haunt. In parts of the haunt, we experienced little to noting, while some areas had a few unique elements. There was a large strobe scene we came across, which was quite disorienting but in a good way. We unfortunately did not come across any larger effects such as a vortex tunnel, laser swamp, inflatable tunnel, squishy floors, and more to say the least. We believe that if BBHT adds a few more effects in the haunt, it will improve this area and the attraction as a whole. Even in some areas with the fog seemed to lack and some areas could have used that to help keep the ambiance alive on the trail.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 6.08
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8.78
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 7
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 7.81
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 6.48
If you are looking for a haunt that is on the family-friendly side, we would recommend this attraction. This haunt overall is on the less intense side, but still delivers good entertainment and can be a good stepping stone for more intense haunts.
A great thing BBHT did well was the spacing of groups. The time between groups was around 3 minutes from our experience, and not once did we see a group in front of us or behind us. Due to the spacing, it felt as if the attraction was ours own for the night and is something hard to come by at other haunts as they typically create large groups or can not create large spacing. Due to the spacing, this created smaller groups and helped ensure our whole group was involved in the action, and it did not matter if you were in the back or front. Cast members would even trail the group at times and continue to follow, adding to the spooky experience.
The scares at times we came across were predictable, while some moments were not. Most of the team did well from hiding behind props, in the corn, or blending in with trees that made it harder to spot. There were times as well were the cast was able to be seen from afar, diminishing the effect of the scare. One of the first scares that took us off guard was an actor hiding above us inside a tree. Being in the woods, this helped create a special element of surprise that most indoor haunts cannot always create. There were also multiple actors that came at us from below by our feet or swiftly moved across the trail, and always had to keep us on edge for what was coming next.
A huge make or break in any attraction is the grand finale. This area lacked overall and was disappointing to end on a low note. The finale was a typical chainsaw scene, and it appeared it took a few more tries than anticipated for the actor to start up the chainsaw itself. We have seen many chainsaw finales, and they are overdone, but in this case, there was no extra pizzazz. If BBHT were to add more lights, fog, sound effects, a facade, and have the actor be more high energy, even with a chainsaw finale, this score would be much higher if not thinking of a more creative way to complete the guests’ experience and leave a huge final impression.
Our time spent at BBHT was 1 hour and 45 minutes. The time to complete the haunt was only 19 minutes, while the rest of the time was spent waiting in line. During our visit, the crowd level seemed low, but because of the long spacing for groups and the fast pass ticket guests, the time started to really add up waiting. With the ticket price of $30 before tax and a walkthrough time of 19 minutes, this gives BBHT a 0.63-minute-per-dollar rating. Unfortunately, this is on the much lower side than we have come across (we see an average of one minute per dollar the most).
When talking about other entertainment BBHT offers, there is not much of any. There is little to no seating area after the attraction, along with no extra paid activities. The biggest extra entertainment is the queue actors
roaming around. A very unique queue member we saw was a real horse with a cast member in a headless horseman costume. This was a very unique element we have not seen anywhere else, and truly brought the character to its full potential by incorporating a real horse into the gig.
Something to keep in mind before attending is to purchase your tickets through the website prior to attending. If you purchase tickets on the grounds, there is an extra $10 fee. Tickets for general admission online are $30 before tax and fees. If you want to reduce the wait time, which we always encourage, the ticket online is $40 before tax and fees. BBHT has time slots you have to pick prior to arrival, but if they are sold out for the time you are interested in visiting, there will still be tickets available at the door.
Even with having a low minute per dollar rating, the quality inside parts of the haunt stood out to us and excited us to see what this attraction can grow into over the next few years. There is a large amount of untapped
potential this haunt is sitting on that can truly transform into a constant haunted attraction topic of discussion in the area. We are looking forward to the future for BBHT and encourage you to check the haunt out if you have
not been prior!
9612 W Oakwood Road, Franklin, Wisconsin 53132
