Freddys Haunts Review (2021)

Freddy’s Haunts is an old-school attraction and relies heavily on its vibrant cast of characters but it was noticeable this evening that they were not at their strongest. The characters seemed bored, with some, just hanging out or sitting around. We also noticed several points with noticeable dead space but in another area, there would be a group of characters that felt overkill. It seemed the cast was more into hanging out with their friends than scaring visitors.

Another instance occurred when we heard people talking and thought we had caught up to the group ahead of us but it turned out to be a couple of workers just above an area that just said ‘Hi’ as we walked underneath. We heard a few ‘Hi’ greetings, an unenthusiastic ‘Boo,’ and a ‘Good morning’ followed by a conversation between castmates as to why the character said good morning. Not all interactions were like this, although it was about a 50/50. We did see a lot of clowns that were acting similarly.

They did have some good yellers, bullies, and stalkers. The majority of the scares were jump scares produced by loud noises and shrieks. The dialogue was your typical banter of telling us to ‘leave,’ ‘watch out,’ and ‘get out.’ The best acting was delivered by the horned creature who followed us around for over a minute releasing a horrific banshee-like noise.

As mentioned, clowns made up the bulk of the characters. They were wearing clown masks and clown makeup. Some had full costumes and some had street clothes. The second most predominant costumes were black and white makeup or bloody faces with dark clothing.

The costume that stood out the most was the horned creature. It was donning a mask with antlers and looked like a skinned deer, from what we could tell. The costumes didn’t necessarily fit the scenes they were in such as clowns in a cemetery or clowns in a castle, well I guess they could have been jesters?

Freddy’s Haunts was fairly easy to find with GPS. GPS lead us straight to the haunt using the darkest and windiest roads available not to mention the narrow dirt road right before reaching the haunt that is always encased in a dust cloud. Parking attendants help customers park or direct them on where to drop people off. Once you have your tickets you can hang out and wait for your group to be called.

The staff we spoke with were all helpful and courteous. Freddy’s Haunts keeps an updated website, with the complete legend of the caves, and is active on social media.

The ticket booth is now to the right of the parking area heading to the haunt. Although Freddy’s is all indoors it is still utilizing the outdoor trail. So, the ground is just clay/dirt. Also, the ground is very uneven and I could see the potential of a fall. There are also all dark areas in the haunt, it seemed darker than last year in spots. Although it was nothing too out of the norm for most haunts. If you take your time you should be fine.
Regarding Covid, Freddy’s is following local guidelines.

Freddy’s has some intricate sets; the cave system feels like dirt and has a claustrophobic feel, the cemetery gives a great outdoor feel while inside, the cabin looks like a real cabin inside and out, the catacombs look like sandstone, the industrial area has large pipes with asbestos hanging off, the new ghost town glowed like an old funhouse attraction, and the saloon looked like a classic saloon from the silver screen. Some areas seemed a little darker this year but the lighting was spot on for the areas it was used, especially the cool pink and purple shimmery effect in the tunnel area.

The sound was used in some areas but not all, a haunting score was used to accent some areas and scary sound effects bounced off walls in other rooms. Some spots seemed like the sound was off track or static-y; maybe there was an issue with the sound system but this was minor and not everyone in the group noticed.

Several old-school props popped up, literally, through the haunt. Banging coffins, skeletons, and more were scattered around the grounds.
The impressive scenes mixed with adequate sound and realistic lighting helped transport trespassers to another world.

Freddy’s does a good job with immersion but its core scares are generally delivered by the cast members. Scares started strong with high-intensity scares popping out of corners, coffins, and the shadows, including but not limited to: screams, yells, threats, chainsaws, and some metal weapons scraping off of the ground and walls.

Towards the middle though, the scares fell a little short as this is where we ran into the characters that just didn’t seem into it as mentioned above. The actors who were into it did a great job and focused on trying to scare the whole group. The saloon finale was a welcomed addition.

Freddy’s Haunts is open Friday and Saturday nights in October from 7:30-10:30 and Sundays from 7:30-10:00. Tickets are $18 for general admission and new for this season is a $35 VIP pass to skip most of the wait in line.

It took us about 20 minutes to go through this season bringing the minutes per dollar to 1.11 which is a little below average (based on last year’s average). Also new is the season pass for $50. If you were there last year it is a needed addition. This includes the haunt and outdoor entertainment and public bonfire. There is also a concession stand with treats to help those late-night hunger pains.

Although it seemed to be an off night it’s easy to see why Freddy’s Haunts has brought the fear for 28 years. It’s an all-indoor haunt, spanning over half a mile. It provides decent scares, realistic sets, and local fun with an old-school charm!