Features:
✓-Free Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Food/Concessions✓-“Old-School” (Low Tech)✓-Original Characters✓-Uncovered Outdoor Waiting Line✓-All-Outdoor Attraction
This attraction was reviewed on October 2, 2021 by Team Houdini.
How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 7.21
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 6.24
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 6.29
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.33
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 7
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 7.82
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 7.17
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 7.33
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Summary:
Perched on top of Skull Mountain, as the locals call it, in Aliquippa, PA, there is a cursed land. Legend has it the McCune family thought they found the perfect land to build and raise their family in the late 1800’s but it turned out to be a nightmare. Members of the family disappeared inside the caves and those who survived eventually went mad. The same happened to the Reinhold family nearly a century after. It is believed the caves bring out your worst nightmares and for these two families, it was true. The caves have been closed off for decades but now they have been reopened for all to explore. Are you brave enough to enter?
Cast: 6.24
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 6.67Explanation:
We counted 25 and about half either did not try to scare or said hi boo just started talking with us instead of acting.
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 7Explanation:
The ones who tried to scare did a good job but as I said that was half.
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 5.67Explanation:
Interactive but not in the best way with characters just talking with us.
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 5Explanation:
As stated they used very cliche lines. The hi and boo were not even done jokingly or in a meta way.
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 6.17Explanation:A lot of clowns doing similar things.
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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.
Costuming: 6.29
How Did We Get This Score?
Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 6.5
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 6.33
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 6.17
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 6.67
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 6
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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?
Customer Service: 8.33
How Did We Get This Score?
Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 7.33
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 7
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 10
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.5
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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.
Atmosphere: 7
How Did We Get This Score?
Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 7
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 7
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Freddy’s sticks with the party atmosphere. This year the huge bonfire returns, a live band played on the stage in the midway, and a snack bar was serving some late-night snacks. If that did not hold your interest you could watch the midway actors terrorize teens and pre-teens, with chainsaws and mallets, which helped get people into the scary mood.
Special Effects: 7.82
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 6.83
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 7
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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.
Theme: N/A
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?:
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?:
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?:
This score is left “N/A” when we believe the haunt is trying to target a random variety of themes or phobias, rather than a single overarching “Theme” or “storyline.”
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Freddy’s is a mixed bag and does not follow a set theme. It consists of an amalgamation of random horror, which is good for those with haunt ADHD.
Scare Factor: 7.17
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 7
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 7.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7.33
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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.
Entertainment & Value: 7.33
How Did We Get This Score?
Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 7.33
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 8.17
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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!
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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