Are you ready for a crazy adventure?! Every step you take will bring you to a different spooky scene and closer to darkness. Come on out to Carter’s Valley Haunted Hollow and experience the thrills for yourself!
Carter’s Valley Haunted Hollow is an all-outdoor attraction located in Mount Carmel, TN, near the Kentucky border. The volunteer Fire Department has been running this attraction for the past 12 years. They are completely volunteer-run and have been working on getting better and better every year. This was our first time visiting and we had a great time!
Actors were everywhere within this haunt! Immediately upon entering, we encountered two actors and every scene after that had at least two actors. There were very few areas that could have benefitted from more actors because they did so well at having as many as they did.
Overall, the actors did well playing their parts. They all seemed to stay in character, but they could have used more creative dialogue. They would say things like “Get Out” and “Fresh Meat.” These are sayings heard often at haunts, and we like to see unique takes in the dialogue. Not all actors would do this, though. We especially liked the mad scientist and the clown with the bright light horn.
Only about half of the actors were interactive. Many of them would either jump out and “rawr” or just stand and watch us walk by. We would have liked to see more verbal and physical interaction. The character that stuck out the most is the mad scientist. He was absolutely crazy, knocking things around, and laughing and screaming.
The behavior of each actor was about the same as the next. Many actors would lurk behind us; some would simply jump out and scream, but others used creative dialogue or got in our faces.
How complete, unique, detailed were the costumes, accessories? – (35% of score)
Were the masks, makeup creative, detailed, realistic? – (30% of score)
How appropriate were the costumes for the respective scenes, themes? – (20% of score)
How believable-, detailed-looking were the queue actors? (See Note if N/A) – (15% of score)
Many of the costumes were basic clothing and shoes. We didn’t see a lot of creativity, but we did see a few unique costumes. For example, the old man costume with the saw blade was very cool!
Masks and makeup were decent within the haunt. Some didn’t quite fit the actor well. The mask appeared to be too big for Pennywise and one of the other clowns. Makeup was used effectively with detail at certain times. The clown girl with the bright light horn had amazing makeup!
Some of the scenes had random actors in them. For example, we went through a spider’s lair and encountered a pigman, or the swamp had a gorilla. There were occasional areas with actors that made sense. The circus had multiple clowns, and the cemetery had a grieving ghost.
This attraction did not have any queue actors, and we believe the haunt would benefit by adding them in the future, if possible.
How easy was it to locate, park at, navigate the premises? – (25% of score)
Safety (Only dock points for TRULY DANGEROUS hazards!) – (30% of score)
How professional, helpful, friendly were the staff members? – (25% of score)
How easy was it to find pertinent information before arrival? – (20% of score)
Carter’s Valley Haunted Hollow was fairly easy to locate, but the sign at the entrance is not very well-lit. We found it using our GPS with no problems, though. Unfortunately, once you turn in, it is hard to know where to park.
The attraction is located on a hill and they did not have any parking attendants, nor any lighting in the parking lot. We would be worried if a lot of people show up and guests get locked in by another guest’s car. Everything else was clearly marked though: the ticket booth and the entrance to the attraction.
This attraction seems very safe. We know for sure there were radios inside the attraction, there was plenty of lighting, and they had multiple trained firefighters on site every night.
The employees of this haunted attraction were very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed speaking with them and noticed they had the same demeanor toward other guests. Genuinely happy to be there!
This attraction has a Facebook page with certain basic information on it. They have the dates/times, location, and ticket price. Please note before going, that they only accept cash. We would have liked to see a little more information on their page, such as touching policies, rainout information, the type of attraction, and ADA accessibility.
How well did the pre-haunt areas ("vibe") prepare you for the attraction/s? – (25% of score)
How obvious, creative, believable was the storyline? (See Note if N/A) – (20% of score)
Were you completely, consistently immersed inside the attraction/s? – (40% of score)
How well did the "vibe" flow after, between the attraction/s? – (15% of score)
The pre-haunt area was not very active. We didn’t quite feel the excitement that we normally get from haunted houses. They did have spooky decorations, music, and a bonfire. They were also showing the Tennessee football game on the big screen, but we would have liked to see a spooky movie, instead, to further intensify the scary vibes.
Overall, we felt like we were completely immersed in the attraction. The actors, scenes, and spooky sounds made us feel like we were inside a real haunted place. There were a few things we noticed that took us back to the real world, though. Such as: a water bottle and radio were sitting out, and some transitions did not work well like between the circus and the zombie area. We went through a doorway when suddenly we saw Pennywise, another clown, and Michael Myers in an area that appeared to have zombie props. Mostly, though, they did well in creating the illusion that we were in a spooky place.
After we exited, we were near the parking area which did not keep the spooky atmosphere going very well. We would have liked to have gone through a gift shop or be near some games. The atmosphere at the exit made us feel like we had to leave immediately. Everyone is extremely nice and inviting so we know this isn’t true, but the exit is not placed in a good area.
How effective were the sound effects? – (20% of score)
How realistic were the scene designs, details? – (30% of score)
How effective, realistic were the props, animatronics? – (30% of score)
How well did they use creative, special, sensory effects? – (20% of score)
The sound effects inside Carter’s Valley Haunted Hollow worked well. Many of the scenes had sounds, and each effectively created a creepy vibe. They had carnival music inside the circus, cave sounds in a spider’s lair, and swampy sounds inside the swamp.
The scenes themselves were done well too. Some areas were bare, but overall, the majority of scenes had details that contributed in a big way to the haunt. The spider’s lair had cobwebs and spiders all over, the circus was covered with black light paint, and the butcher shop had blood and body parts everywhere!
The props and animatronics were okay in some areas, but lacked in others. For example, in the cemetery, there is a demon that jumps up and starts speaking. We could tell it was just an animatronic. With that said, we also came across realistic-looking animatronics and props, such as the burning man and zombie prop.
Sensory effects were used a lot throughout this attraction and overall, they served the haunt well. They used many different lighting options, such as purple, green, orange, and red lights. They also used different strobing effects: fast, and slow, with different colors and variations. We also encountered a swamp with fog and lasers to simulate water.
How scary was it? – (35% of score)
How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? – (15% of score)
How predictable were the scares? – (25% of score)
How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? – (10% of score)
How strong was the ending / finale? – (15% of score)
We felt like Carter’s Valley Haunted Hollow was decently scary. There were a few times we felt like they did not do well with scaring us. These areas were with the actors who would not do much except stand and stare. And because the costumes weren’t very realistic, that took away from the scare factor as well. However, there were still times we were very scared. The mad scientist in the laboratory was very creepy. We also enjoyed the circus scene, with all the clowns that kept coming out and following us.
This attraction did well in providing scares to everyone in the group. We were only a group of two, but we felt like if there were more of us, they would have been able to scare everyone in the group.
Overall, the scares were unpredictable. Actors and animatronics were in locations that we did not see coming until they were suddenly there. We especially liked the first clown in the circus, who kept asking us to stay and play with her.
There was a decent variety of scares within this haunt. They used jump scares multiple times, camouflage, using a dark-clothed actor in the dark, and phobias, such as spiders, clowns, and the darkness itself. Some blood and gore were used too.
The finale lacked excitement. We were inside a swamp with a couple of actors, and they didn’t do much but stalk us. We had trouble finding the doorway, but once we found it, that was it. We would have liked to see more excitement to make us want to run away screaming.
How satisfied with the entertainment provided by the MAIN attraction/s? – (50% of score)
How satisfied with OTHER entertainment INCLUDED with the ticket price? – (25% of score)
How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s? – (25% of score)
We had fun at Carter’s Valley Haunted Hollow. It felt a little short in length, but overall, it was a lot of fun, and we are glad we made the trip out there. The energy from the actors and the details in the scenes kept us entertained. We had a spooky good time!
The extra entertainment that’s available, excluding the main attraction, was not very much. They had the Tennessee game on the big screen, which is acceptable since we are in East TN. However, we would have liked to see more spooky options, such as games, queue actors, a horror movie, etc. They did have a bonfire, which was nice on a chilly evening.
The ticket price is only $10.00 per person. This cost is very reasonable for the entertainment you get! Overall, this attraction is worth your time and money and we would be happy to come visit them again.
5740 Carters Valley Road, Mount Carmel, Tennessee 37645