Hanna Haunted Acres Review (2021)

The majority of Hanna’s conniving cast specialize in quick, to-the-point scares. These short interactions are albeit necessary, given the large numbers of people that the haunts are able to pump through in a given night, but they also do leave some things to be desired with character development and customer interaction in mind.

Too, our encounters with the creeps on the Hayride and in the corn maze were especially limited. For example, one actor on the hayride walked up to the wagon and walked away without any vocals or interaction at all (granted, all of the other hayride actors were more energetic than this), and we only encountered 1 quick jump scare and 1 chainsaw chaser in the corn maze.

Common phrases like, ‘get out,’ ‘rawr,’ ‘fresh meat,’ and ‘where are you going’ were abundant. However, other sayings such as, ‘Enjoying the show!? Not for long!!’ were sprinkled in and a bit more relevant to the shows we heard them in (Freakshow, in this case). One of the cannibals’ victims pleaded for rescue because her captors were trying to take her skin, the librarian in the Manor did well in his finale scene, and Descension featured a cultist that welcomed us to Hell and another that successfully slid in a scare’ literally, sliding across the floor!

That said, there were a few key stand-outs in some of the attractions that caught our attention and wouldn’t let go! Mort was fun to interact with while in the midway, although being the proprietor of death, we wouldn’t recommend testing him very much. A masked cultist in Descension was unanimously dubbed the most interactive and believable character in the complex, calling us his ‘children’ and dastardly declaring how he was able to smell us coming.

Costuming was very similar in variety to the characters that donned them. A select few showed far greater detailing and layering with their overall appearances, with a couple of these being Mort and the ‘master’ cultist in Descension.

The latter’s full-head demon-style mask made him far more sinister and evil-looking than his black-cloaked counterparts, but their skull makeup did well at displaying continuity between them. This type of congruent clothing was also noticed in the Freakshow, with most being colorfully clad in clown jumpsuits and bold and vibrant makeup applications. The same can be said for the assailants within Cannibal Chaos, with plaid shirts, bloody butcher aprons, flesh wounds (including a victim’s entire face!), and overall grunginess giving us their intended vicious vibes.

While we did still notice the occasional plain black cloak in Acres Manor as well, most were clad in vintage-looking clothing with some including as much as nice suit jackets and top hats. The hayride featured more diversity than the rest, with one of the stand-outs being the devil lady that welcomed us to her infernal realm with all-red skin and horns coming out of her head. Of the few actors that we saw going in and out of the corn maze, we recall them sharing similar qualities as those in Cannibal Chaos.

Our GPS navigation app took us right to HHA. They had a large sign near the entrance and another very large banner towering above the entrance. They had a large, grassy lot with free parking and helpful parking attendants that were easy to see.

Navigating the midway area was rather simple. All of the attractions had illuminated entrances and the lines were clearly marked. There was one section of portable restrooms near Descension that didn’t have any sort of light on them that made them both hard to find and use.

All of the staff members that we encountered were direct but friendly. At the entrance to each attraction, a staff member was stationed inside an enclosed booth that scanned our tickets and let us know when it was our time to enter. HHA is a very busy attraction so they have an effective and timely system for letting their patrons into the haunt. For the indoor haunts, there were wooden boards that would press up against the wall acting as a gate to keep groups from going in. When it was our turn, the attendants would slide the boards into their booth to open the path, ring a bell to signify a new group was starting, and then let us in.

Navigating the attractions themselves was also rather easy. Two of the attractions are outdoors, so do keep this in mind. The cornfield tends to get very muddy, so wear appropriate footwear. The midway area is a grassy field that is also a bit uneven in places, so watch where you’re going.

The waiting lines are marked depending on which type of ticket you have. If you have fast pass tickets follow the blue rope lights and white for general admission.

The midway area to this attraction is rather large and most haunts would love to have this much space. However, they didn’t really utilize it much, not even for vendors. There was a popcorn vendor and a few others to choose from. HHA also has their own concession house – not a stand; it looks like a haunted house! They serve a variety of food, snacks, and drinks including funnel cakes!

Upon entry to Hanna Haunted Acres, our group was immediately surrounded by several large and highly decorated facades all strewn in a circle. Between the individual attractions, you can find picnic tables, concession stands, and several large banners showing you just what horrors lie within this theme park. There were a few roaming actors including Mort who introduced himself as the ‘Proprietor of Death’ and offered to ‘hang’ around a little longer with us.

The grounds themselves were a bit quiet, but, closer to the buildings, some of your favorite top hits could be heard playing through some speakers to liven up the mood while you’re waiting in line. No matter where you were while on the property, you could hear the unmistakable sound of screams while victims were exiting each attraction, the telltale noise of a chainsaw running, and, of course, the unforgettable cowbell that signaled it was your turn.

Our first stop was Cannibal Chaos, which is a large, very realistic wood barn adorned with what one could only hope were animal bones and skulls. Acres Manor was a large purple mansion that looked like something right out of an old horror film. The walls were decorated with beautiful vintage wallpaper that would make anyone’s departed ancestors jealous. We walked through a large signature clown tent to enter Freakshow and were greeted by posters of various ‘freaks’ we encountered during the attraction. Descension had textured cement walls that made you feel like you were wandering a dark tunnel, surely entering into the depths of Hell. Hanna’s Haunted Hayride, their signature attraction made you walk through a wooden monster’s mouth that’s sure to catch your eye the moment you step onto the grounds. Our group was actually drawn to this attraction first because of its looks, but we decided to wait until it was a bit darker outside to see what lurked in the woods. Finally, we entered the Horror Fields which were frighteningly dark aside from the massive banner by its ticket booth. You can’t be quite sure what awaits you in the corn.

We noticed a lot of changes in the SPFX category this year. First of all, Cannibal Chaos and Acres Manor are brand new haunts, and both of these pack quite a punch in this category!

Talk about a lot of bodies. Whether we were looking at animal trophies on the wall or blood and guts, this haunt sure was set on killin’ thangs. A repetitive sound filled the air while many of the props were accompanied by their own, realistic sounds. It seemed like this attraction was rather animatronic heavy, but there were a lot of details and authentic scenes to endure in the small amount of time we were inside. In several areas, we noticed some LED string lights that seemed to pulsate to their own beat and these helped add a unique layer to these areas. Folks can also expect to see commonly used items of a barn and it smelled like one. Wiggling bodies and zombies, a loud horn, barrels, crates, tools, cobwebs, multi-colored lights, and plenty of other items lined the walls and ceilings.

In Acres Manor, the first thing we noticed was the wallpaper that reminded us of something from Disney’s Haunted Mansion. This attraction had tall ceilings in areas and some very large rooms. An ominous soundtrack played quietly in the distance while CGI photos lined the walls. In one room, there was a projector cast on the wall, but, unfortunately, it had gone to the computer’s home screen – we’re very curious as to what it was supposed to be showing! If someone knows, please tell us!

One of the most stand-out and effective occurrences was a double ceiling surprise. We’re not going to ruin this for you, but we’ve never seen anything like it! A very large room with a second story was also quite impressive with many moving objects. It seemed as if some things in this Manor were possessed, as upside-down candlesticks were appearingly floating in mid-air, and furniture was aggressively shaking and moving about. At one point we noted a giant monster/prop near a sewing machine, but it didn’t do anything, so we’re not really sure what that was all about.

In the Freakshow, the sounds were more ominous in spots than all of the other attractions, but there was a little bit of circus music blended in as well. We felt as if we were walking through portions of a funhouse and big top. Some wacky mirrors (although we couldn’t see in them), a whack-a-skull game, oddities on display, a room of protruding clown heads, a tall big top with an equally tall giant, bright paint, and axe targets, and other effects were mainly what was keeping this circus alive during our visit.

In Descension, it was fairly dark in most areas, but it wasn’t enough to hide the many dead bodies and skull-lined pathways. The effects in this attraction alluded more to death and decay, casting more of an overall deathly vibe. The more we looked at, the more clear it was that we needed to find our way out.

At one point, a giant, at least 4 (or 6?) -legged creature emerged from a pit. This monster was something else now! We also noticed a moving walkway, realistic paths, some well-placed lighting, poppers, and a static creature that resembled a Demogorgon.

On the Hayride, there were many sights to behold. For the most part, the only sounds that were heard came from either the cast members or the actual props. We didn’t notice any ambient sound which really would have added some realism to this ride. We also noted a sound that got increasingly louder the further we got away from the source of it’

Although the hayride had a ton of props, some of them are in need of repair, which seemed to pull away from their effectiveness. Aside from that, some pyro, falling billboards, ghastly coffin bearers, a flying dragon (with a ripped-off hand), and a large Oujia board on the side of a shack were some great encounters. The effect that seemed to mesmerize the hayride audience the most was the spider that crawled its way down nearly right onto the wagon! This giant 8-legged creature was downright creepy! Another compelling effect was the giant sweeping blade that we could feel the air off of as it closely swept across the wagon.

In the corn, we saw one fog machine that did let out a thick burst of fog as we crept past it. Other than that, it was pretty dead out there. One actor had a chainsaw, but that was right as we found the exit. Aside from the cornrows that do provide a ‘Fall/Autumn’ feeling and that of being secluded (minus the other groups that we found and the lights from the midway), there were no lights to illuminate the path (although we thought we may have seen some fixtures next to the path), no structures or props of any kind, and there were no ambient sounds; it was just us and the corn maze. We will say though, that the maze is actually a maze and not just a path with a few dead ends. We regularly passed other groups going the opposite way of us as they tried to make their way through.

Almost every single attraction at HHA has a unique and individual theme they follow throughout the attraction. This provides for a variety of shows and different experiences. It appeared as though the Hanna Haunted Hayride had a variety of themed scenes, and it didn’t follow a single concept. Although the Horror Fields has a backstory online, no definitive theme was noticeable to us here while on-site either.

Each individual theme/backstory is listed on Hanna Haunted Acres’ website and we highly recommend reading through each one prior to your visit to the theme park so you can understand exactly what is expected in each attraction since the guides didn’t disclose what was waiting for you once you enter. However, with the great signage outside of each attraction and with the immaculate decoration of the facades, you can get a pretty good understanding of each attraction just while waiting in line. The themes and backstory only add an extra layer to what you’re experiencing and why!

A mixture of sudden loud noises, giant creatures, and unexpected surprises was encountered within the 6 attractions.

In Cannibal Chaos, the darker areas and some good hiding spots proved to be the most effective frights. Overall, there was so much to look at that the environment felt demanding. There were a few random noises and screams. This haunt had some gore to it, so, if you get queasy easily, this one’s for you! This haunt seemed to target everyone rather evenly. The finale did increase slightly in intensity from the rest of the attraction.

Acres Manor came in as the second scariest of the night. We’re pretty sure this is due in credit to the amazing detailing spread throughout the house. There was so much to look at that while we were occupied gawking at it, other things would catch us off-guard. Everything in this house was moving! Don’t trust anything. A ceiling surprise got all four members of our group and one cast member had such perfect timing, it made for an effective ending to the haunt.

If you’re afraid of clowns, be sure to visit the Freakshow first. Inside, an interesting use of plexiglass made for a great surprise, we were nearly squashed by some barrels, and clown heads were springing up all over the place. During our visit, this haunt delivered the least amount of scares. It did seem on the emptier side, so we’re sure this didn’t help. The ending was a disorienting vortex tunnel back to reality.

By far, Descension was the scariest attraction at HHA during our visit. The haunt had a dark presence making the attackers harder to see and predict. They also targeted us from below; none of the other haunts at HHA came at us from this direction. It was also where the most actors tried to linger near the back of the group or target others several times. The shadow figures kept us on our toes while sudden noises resulted in jumps. Although they did seem to hit the very front and back the most, we were all startled multiple times.

We noticed that separate tickets can be purchased for just the hayride at Hanna. If you want to take a younger crowd or those that are easily scared to an attraction that’s likely not to absolutely terrify them, the hayride would be a good one. They do offer some common fears, large creatures that get mighty close to the wagon and a chainsaw encounter among other things. The finale of this one is definitely the most intense experience on the whole ride.

In the corn, there wasn’t much going on. We saw a character or two that attempted to scare, but we’re going to say that 90% of the time we were in there, if not more, we were just walking through corn. Now to some, this may be scary. However, it wasn’t very dark, it was quiet, and the other groups we kept running into just weren’t scary-looking enough to get us. Other than the finale run-in with a chainsaw-wielding crazy man, the scariest thing in the corn was the feeling of possibly being lost.

At Hanna Haunted Acres, ticket prices vary by date. We went on what would typically be a busier night, a Saturday in early October, so a single GA combo ticket cost us $46 on-site. You could also upgrade to an unlimited combo, where you can go through each attraction as many times as you want for an additional $6, meaning your fees would be $52 a person. There were also some other upgrades you could make such as a fast pass to bypass most of the lines, or you could pay for the namesake attraction, Hanna Haunted Hayride, separately for just $25. You could also save a few dollars by purchasing tickets online at least an hour before the haunt attractions open for your desired night.

Within each attraction, Cannibal Chaos took us 3.5 minutes to escape the chaos, Acres Manor took us 3.5 minutes to flee the mansion, Freakshow took us 3.5 to dodge the grasps of the clowns, Descension took 4 minutes to escape the depths of Hell, the Hayride took 14 minutes (from the moment the wagon started moving to when it stopped), and Horror Fields took us 6 minutes to find our way out of the corn. Likely, tour times will vary group to group, especially the amount of time you’re lost in the corn maze. However, our time puts us at 34.5 minutes total.

The $46 GA rate for the night of our visit puts their MPD rate (minutes of entertainment received per dollar) at 0.82. Although this is a little lower than the benchmark of 1.0 that we typically look for, their unlimited pass does give an exciting opportunity to raise this rate by visiting some attractions more than once a night!

Inside of the Midway, we were greeted by a couple of roaming actors. One was a nurse with a large needle who was eager to point the tip at your neck for a photo opportunity. Another was a character named Mort who showed us some sinister witchcraft that seemed skewed in their favor. For a haunt of this size, one might expect to see a few more roamers, but since the midway was so large, it’s possible that we just missed them.

If you’re looking to spend most of an evening at a haunted attraction in the Indy area, definitely consider Hanna Haunted Acres. The attractions vary in intensity and effects, but the opportunity to go through all of them as many times as you want (with the appropriate ticket option) means there’s nearly unlimited entertainment potential to be had! They offer such a variety that we’re sure there’s something for everyone!