Desolate Acres Review (2025)

Even though Desolate Acres is a newcomer to the haunt scene this year, it was nice to see how well organized and fully staffed it was. A solid number of actors were strategically placed throughout the attraction, creating a consistent sense and anticipation around every corner.

The characters were not only visually appealing with detailed costumes and makeup that matched their settings, but also highly interactive. Their dialogue felt natural and immersive, enhancing the overall storytelling. As we made our way through the haunt, it became clear that each actor had a distinct personality and purpose, with unique behaviors that contributed to the unfolding narrative, making the experience feel more dynamic and engaging.

As we made our way through DA, it became clear that a lot of thought and effort went into the costuming and character design. Each scene featured actors dressed in detailed, head to toe costumes that matched their environment, giving each character an unique personality. The majority of the actors wore makeup rather than masks, adding a more realistic edge that really brought their characters to life.

This attention to detail helped create a spook & immersive atmosphere where every character felt like a natural part of their scene. The seamless transitions between rooms and well detailed characters gave the haunt a cohesive flow. When we arrived, we did see a queue actor interacting with guests. At the same time, we didn’t get a chance to interact with this actor due to entering the haunt immediately. We did notice this actor in costume scaring guests while they wait.

Desolate Acres is easy to find if you are familiar with the Waukesha County Fairgrounds or if you have been to a previous haunt in this location in the past. Using Apple Maps, we had no issues getting to the fairgrounds. However, when searching the haunt name on the maps app, we couldn’t find it and would suggest adding it in the future. Once on the grounds, we saw signs directing us which way to go to find parking or signs pointing towards the direction of the ticket booth area. The red lights around the barn also helped grab our attention and drew us to the area to begin with. Parking is by far one of the best, as it is extremely well paved with great lighting and plenty of space.

In the duration of our visit, we did not find anything alarming for safety. Everything seemed well put together, and no hazards. DA also did well in having a police member on the grounds, which is always nice to see at any large public event.

The staff we encountered were all friendly and helpful. Everyone we interacted with was in character and helpful in answering any questions. When at DA, you can truly feel and see the passion being put into the location and can tell everyone is proud of what they are building.

Before visiting the haunt, make sure to check out the official website. DA did a great job compared to some haunts we visit each season. On the website, you can easily find the location, tickets, contact info, and even a story behind the attraction. A few additional tabs that could be beneficial to include on the website such as a gallery tab, a dedicated FAQ page, or some other information that guests can find useful. DA also has a Facebook page that gets posted on, which is worth checking out for potential weather operations.

Once arriving at the property, you can hear music from the speakers in the distance. The music playing is loud and fits the typical haunt atmosphere. There is no midway of any kind at this location, instead, DA only offers music and a singular roaming actor to ease the wait lines, which falls below even a few projector screens or any additional entertainment to help pass the wait.

If you take the time to look at DA’s website, you can find a storyline located on the “about us” tab. Adding a narrative of some nature is a good touch and not done by every haunted attraction. This is a nice addition that DA offers, along with the first main actress in the attraction telling parts of the story when you first start to venture deeper into the haunt. When inside the attraction itself, some areas tended to somehow relate to the story we read and heard, while a few areas seemed questionable in how they connected with the storyline.

Inside the haunt, we felt immersed overall as certain areas exceeded our expectations and excelled, and other transition areas felt untouched. At no time did our team feel that anything was out of place or jarring from set designs or cast members, which we can not always say at other locations. Certain rooms had extremely well detailed scenes from the cobwebs above the dinner table, crazy kitchen scene, and other details done by the team here. The effort put into the main rooms was well done and on par with more established haunts. In the haunt, we did find areas that, after a few, tended to be overkill and did not help the immersion. More often than not, there were dead space hallways that were to dark to see anything, and not well spruced up with decor. These “transition” areas seemed to happen after each main room and started to get overdone, and could benefit from adding more well done details such as other rooms we have seen.

After the attraction finished, we were spit back into the main hub area where the only option was to head to the parking lot. This area could use a much needed revamp of life to keep the environment alive. Even if no major activities are available, a small merch area, snacks, and even a few bonfires would create a more night out experience than to feel immediately rushed to leave.

Sound Effects: Being the first year of operation, we noticed more sound effects than we expected. In certain sections of the haunt, we heard more than others, but did hear some overall. We also noticed that the volume can be turned up for the majority of them to help amplify the environment and use more in areas that lack. Adding more audio in the transition hallways or certain set rooms would improve this area.

Scene Design: The scene design in the haunt was well done overall. Each main set room was well detailed and took us by surprise. There were still a few rooms that could add more detail, but most of the rooms were impressive and we would mainly recommend DA to include more details in the black hallways found throughout to enhance the liveliness inside the halls of terror.

Props & Animatronics: The amount of props & mainly animatronics was severely limited. There was at no point where we saw any form of animatronics. This was a let down as incorporating these can help alleviate certain cast scenes and creates a more diverse experience. Adding a few small animatronics would go a long way toward the overall picture. The most props we saw were from the items held by the cast members. Certain members had items that matched their role and fit in well, especially with our favorite being the plunger held by Frank.

Sensory Effects: This section sadly had little to no extra special effects. We didn’t find any laser swamps, inflatable tunnels or vortex tunnels or other effective effects. We strongly recommend that DA start to add certain effects that will boost the guests’ experience, from creating illusions, air blasts, horn blasts, drop-down panels, and different floor textures. The lighting found throughout appeared to be too dark to fully take in the detailed sets but did a decent job. The two fog machines helped fill the haunt as well to add a good amount of extra ambience found throughout.

DA is a much more traditional style of haunt as they prioritize the actors in delivering the scares and staying more “old school”. With our group going through many haunts each season for review or not, we tend to get numb to certain scares that others may encounter. During our time inside the haunt, we only got more startled than scared, or the sense of being unfamiliar with the decor inside, in a good entertaining way. While the level of scares here lacked for us, they would be a good starting haunt for the younger crowd of those who prefer less intense attractions.

When inside the haunt, the cast did well in hitting all of our group members. Each of our members was involved in the action, which is something you do not always receive from other haunts. The scares inside were predictable for our team, as most of the time we entered a room, the cast member was in the middle of the room or well visible, and did not provide many jump scares. The cast tended to rely more on dialogue and interactions to create terror environments for the poor souls who embraced through the journey. If DA added more drop down walls, double door pop outs, or even more jump scare opportunities, this score would increase. Additionally, if the cast could come at groups from below or above the victims to create a more well-rounded attack plan.

When talking about the ending at DA, we believe this area can be improved. Our team believes there are more creative efforts that can be done compared to a classic “chainsaw-type” scene. A few suggestions could be a large puppet, laser swamp, paired with an effect, to name a couple. Even if the chainsaw scene stays, adding more surrounding detail from sounds, strobes, lights, or other effects would amplify this part to help it stand out from other haunts that tend to do the same thing.

On our visit day, we spent an hour on the grounds total, including the haunt. The main attraction took us 13 minutes to pass through. The time going through may always vary depending on how large your group is or if you tend to walk fast or slow. With general admission prices being $25 before tax/fees, this gives DA a 0.52 minute per dollar rating. This rating is on the lower side than we have ever encountered, but there is quality inside the haunt, and tickets at $25 are not bad compared to other attractions in the area.

When on the grounds, there was unfortunately no type of midway to enjoy or additional entertainment included with the price, which majorly impacted this score. Due to the size of the property, we hope to see a midway of some kind brought to life. The addition of mini games or other paid experiences would create more revenue for the location and extend guests’ stays. There is much more that can be done here besides extra paid experiences from a few photo spots set up prior to the sign next to the ticket booth, snacks/food truck, merchandise, or even just a few picnic tables with a fire, compared to getting dumped into the parking lot once completing the main attraction.

DA offers three ticket options for the haunt. There is general admission, which was stated at $25 before tax/fees, but they also offer a fast pass option at $40 before tax/fees. If the crowds are long, we encourage you to get a fast pass to help create a more enjoyable experience, as there is not much to do during the wait besides one queue, actors, and music. If you are someone who enjoys a good bargain, consider doing the early bird ticket options, which are $20 before tax/fee, but you must be at the ticket booth before 8 pm.

Overall, DA has an extreme amount of potential on its grounds. There are much needed improvements for some categories, but DA does well in others. If knowing that DA is an old-school type of attraction, this may be more up your alley, or for those newer to the haunt scene. Being this is the first year of operation, we want to tip our hats for the hard work and dedication the team has shown! We are excited to see this haunt transform over the next few years, as it is sitting on a huge potential “gold mine”.