Final Scores – By Category:

Cast (20% of Final Score): 7.93

Costuming (10% of Final Score): 7.09

Customer Service (10% of Final Score): 10

Immersion (10% of Final Score): 7.67

Special Effects (15% of Final Score): 7.05

Scare Factor (20% of Final Score): 7.5

Entertainment & Value (15% of Final Score): 8.5

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Final Scores – By Attraction:

Attraction 1: 5.92

Every October, there’s a legend of a cornfield that rises and aims to take victims in its inescapable maze. As the crisp autumn breeze rustles through the towering rows of corn, and the moon casts eerie shadows upon the fields stalks of corn as tall as giants, their rustling whispers punctuating the stillness of the night. The moonlight dances on the leaves, conjuring an otherworldly atmosphere that sends a shiver down your spine. But wait, what’s that? It’s not just the wind playing tricks on your imagination; it’s the menacing cackle of creatures lurking in the labyrinthine passages ahead.

In this haunted corn maze, a terror lurks behind every corn-er, and you’ll be immersed in a world where the line between reality and the supernatural blurs into a tantalizing tapestry of fear. With over 15 acres of corn, you’re sure to find some of your deepest fears here.

As we ventured through the sprawling labyrinth of cornstalks, the moon’s ethereal glow, when it occasionally peaked through the dark clouds, turned each leaf into a shimmering blade. But it wasn’t just the moonlight that caught our attention; it was the motley crew of characters lurking amidst the corn rows.

These children of the corn held a cornucopia of personas. Within this spooky soiree was a bewildered bride, her pristine white gown marred with “bloody” splatters that would put a tomato food fight to shame. With a devilish glint in her eye, she beckoned us closer, her desire for fright oozing like syrup from a maple tree. Nearby, a grizzled grave digger swung his shovel with a fervor that rivaled the ruckus of a rowdy rooster at sunrise, stopping mere inches from one of our faces, and causing one of our bravest to flinch.

Venturing further into the maze was like delving into a cryptic carnival of terror. Creeping corpses groaned and shuffled towards us, their movements resembling corn stalks swaying in a fierce autumn breeze. Grim reapers brandishing scythes glimmering menacingly in the eerie ambiance danced with death while ghoulish clowns let out wicked chuckles that echoed like corncob rolls tumbling down a hill.

Shadowy figures lurking amidst the rows were ready to spring like a popcorn kernel bursting in hot oil. While others provided eerie sounds and cries. Even Bigfoot made an appearance, trapped within a cage, his furry arm extended as if he yearned for liberation, blurring the line between legend and corn-ventional horror.

But it wasn’t just their appearances; the actors transported us into their twisted world. Some embodied eerie children, swaying on rocking horses, and another character donned a paper mask so convincing that he blended seamlessly with the surroundings.

The clowns, those corny characters, unleashed sinister laughter and unnerving grins, making our hearts dance like cornstalks in a hurricane. A faux usher at a makeshift theater even demanded our “tickets” upon entry to the theater, a corny twist that elevated the spook factor.

To ratchet up the suspense, the grave digger and his compatriots brandished their props with menace. The zombies, their mournful moans and limping stride chased us down the corn rows like a whirlwind in a wheat field. Another character dragged a corpse, leaving us feeling like we’d been dropped into a macabre melodrama.

This gang of young thespians was jump-scare masters, leaping out and producing their deadpan gazes locking onto us, or providing deafening screams. Mysterious creatures darted past, their movements swift and unpredictable. While their verbal exchanges weren’t the cream of the crop, the actors compensated with their physicality, immersing us in a world where the line between reality and corn-tastrophe blurred. They spread out like a scattering of corn kernels, ensuring each twist and turn brimmed with its dose of dread.

As we wandered through the maze of maize, it was clear that not all scare-seekers had dressed to impress. Many donned standard pants and hoodies, blending into the fields like cornstalks in a corn-vention. Most individuals probably would not even notice, as the darkness of the field and the thick corn covered most of their bodies anyhow. For there were those whose costumes truly popped like kernels in a popcorn machine!

Some spirited souls embraced the essence of the eerie, wearing costumes that were a-maize-ingly complete. Among them, we stumbled upon an old-fashioned tethered pink dress, swaying in the breeze like a forgotten cobweb. A blood bride, her gown stained, and of course, Bigfoot, caged in the corn. His furry outfit felt realistic as my hand touched his giant hand while we shared a high-five.

But that wasn’t all; a clown, who occupied a room in the haunt, leaped out with glee. Cloaked in black and white, which matched his room’s color scheme, creating a kaleidoscope of chills when illuminated by strobe light, creating a masterpiece of contrast.

Jason Voorhees stood tall, his jumpsuit matching the color of the night, his signature mask striking fear like lightning in a thunderstorm, although the chainsaw was slightly out of place. The zombie, a gruesome sight to behold, sported a ripped-up shirt and jeans, punctuated by faux punctures that made us wonder if he’d had a tussle with a corn harvester, a character on stilts, draped in a cut-up trench coat, seemed as colossal as a corn stalk reaching for the heavens, making us feel like mere kernels in a world of giants.

Costumes aside, makeup cast an eerie spell upon the actors, rendering them ghostly and ghastly. Gray facial paint, as pale as moonlight on a haunted night, enveloped their visages, while black circles around the eyes were like portals to the abyss. Blood-smeared makeup gave characters a gruesome appearance, and one unlucky soul bore what seemed to be claw or scratch marks as if a cornstalk monster had attacked.

Masks played their part too. Some were glowing in the dark, there were veils to obscure the lower half of the face, a cowboy mask, and a futuristic digital mask.

In the grand scheme of scenes, costumes felt right at home, especially in the haunted house portion where they blended seamlessly with the eerie ambiance. The cornfield still managed to weave a tapestry where grave diggers, skeletons, and spirits seemed at home.

We only noticed one queue actor, a dapper fellow in a clown, skull mask with a big teethy grin. While his costume was complete, he wielded no props, and yet his presence was as noticeable as a cornstalk in a barren field, adding a dash of eerie elegance to the frightful festivities.

As we embarked on our ghostly pilgrimage to The Beacon Hotel, guided by the all-knowing GPS, our journey was as smooth as butter melting on hot cornbread. And upon our arrival, the eerie allure of this haunted haven revealed itself in all its spine-tingling glory.

Our senses were immediately captivated by the sight of flickering fires blazing on the side of the road. There, are plenty of parking attendants and a traffic director guiding our every move.
But the true haunt of The Beacon Hotel was its unparalleled customer service. At every twist and turn, we encountered a parade of friendly souls – ticket booth attendants, gatekeepers, hayride station assistants, vigilant security, and the ethereal management team. Their hospitality was as warm and comforting as a bowl of corn chowder on a crisp autumn evening.

The corn maze, the centerpiece of this chilling spectacle, offered a dark trail with some uneven terrain but nothing out of the ordinary for a haunted attraction.

For those curious souls seeking more information, The Beacon Hotel extends its spectral hand through a website that serves as a portal to its restaurant, with a link leading to the haunt page, where up-to-date information resides. They also dwell in the digital realm of Facebook, where their otherworldly exploits can be followed with the click of a button.

Before you step foot into the haunt, your ears are serenaded with spine-chilling symphonies, where tunes like “Thriller” echo through to fill the air. But that’s not all – a laser light show painted the night sky with an eerie spectacle, on a movie screen-like back drop. The surroundings, had new decorations aplenty, with one that truly takes the cake – a spectral band haunting the stage as if they were playing melodies for the spirits of the corn. There was also an updated Wild West facade, a skeletal horse with a buggy, and a giant werewolf looming above the entrance to the haunted house portion of the attraction, guarding the secrets hidden within the haunted halls.

The Beacon Haunted House and Corn Maze seemed to have left behind any semblance of storyline or thematic unity this year relying on a cornfield of creativity. In the corn maze, immersion was as easy to grasp as a cob of corn hanging from the stalks. The idea of wandering through a labyrinth lost amidst the rustling cornstalks felt as real as the rustling of leaves in the breeze. It was an experience that kept us on our toes, where surprises could sprout from the shadows at any moment. The wind rustled the stalks playing tricks on our ears.

However, as we crossed the threshold into the haunted house, the immersive spell began to unravel. Hidden beneath the bar, we found ourselves distracted by the live band’s boisterous melodies, a discordant contrast to the haunting soundscape we had expected. This auditory intrusion felt as conspicuous as a scarecrow in a field of sunflowers, momentarily breaking the illusion.

Transitioning between attractions was as straightforward with no spine-tingling surprises or intricate transformations, although we did appreciate the aforementioned Wild West theme before hitting the haunted house.

The Beacon Hotel’s immersive journey had its peaks and valleys. The pre-haunt ambiance was delightful, and the corn maze succeeded in whisking us away into the realm of uncertainty. Yet, it lost some of its immersive magic within the haunted house.

In the cornfield, eerie echoes emerged organically, like whispers woven into the wind. No speakers clamored to share screams, moans, or oohs and aahs. Instead, it was an auditory adventure through the authentic sounds of nature, where rustling cornstalks served as the chorus along with our own thoughts. But within the haunted house, the symphonic serenades were stifled by the sonic storm above, rendering most of the spine-tingling sounds a mere murmur in the maelstrom.

The scene settings harkened back to yesteryears, a vintage vision of horror. The cornfield, unsurprisingly, was dominated by endless rows of cornstalks. Yet, hidden amidst the maze of maize were eerie embellishments – skulls peeking from the shadows, and mannequin clowns lurking like lost jesters in the labyrinth. A minuscule cemetery, nestled amidst the stalks, was a ghostly gravestone garden, where the past found its eternal resting place. Strobe lights shone strongly in our faces, removing the night vision we were starting to adjust to. A scary shack and a spider den spectacle with its black light glow stood out from the corn.

Inside the haunted house, each room unfurled its unsettling enigma. One chamber transformed into a child’s room of chills, with toys strewn about like a chaotic carnival of nightmares. In the theater, we became prisoners on the silver screen, the distraction of seeing ourselves on the screen distracted us from the upcoming scare as we realized that a person on the screen was not one of us as he loomed behind. Lifeless bodies gazed with an eerie emptiness. An area overrun by unruly weeds and vines, descending from above like spectral serpents, ensnared our senses. In one chamber, candles dangled from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows and a bone-chilling ambiance.

As for the props and animatronics, they ran the gamut from smaller props to more grandiose, but most appeared to be those that are accessible from your big box stores. Standard-sized dolls and skulls were scattered throughout. But amidst the cornstalks, projector screens breathed life into various monstrous manifestations, some seemingly reaching out to grasp you. Within the haunted house, an animatronic girl, suspended upside down on a swing, whispered unsettling invitations to play. Elsewhere, a screaming coal miner animatronic greeted us with ghastly glee. Fog and strobe lights danced through the air, adding a spectral allure. Electricity crackled, lights flickered, and sirens wailed as if the haunt itself had succumbed to a chilling contagion.

The amalgamation of these eerie elements conjured unique scenes that enveloped us in a spectral embrace. The props and animatronics, though varying in complexity, breathed life into the diorama of dread. While sound and sensory elements played supporting roles, we hope to see more next time.

Within the labyrinth of corn, The Beacon thrived on heart-pounding startle scares, exploiting the natural blackness of the night and the dense embrace of the cornstalks to launch its sinister surprises. From the very depths of darkness, actors emerged like mischievous cornstalk sprites, their sudden appearances providing unpredictability that kept us on our toes. With each rustle of corn leaves, our senses danced on a knife’s edge.

Remarkably, even the younger members of the cast displayed a knack for striking terror into the hearts of all who ventured through. No longer content with singling out the first hapless soul, they weaved a tapestry of dread that ensnared everyone in its sinister web. Some shadowy figures trailed behind us, their presence concealed until the opportune moment, when they pounced like corn cobs falling from a stalk. These monsters wielded their frightful weaponry with menacing movement, their diabolical dialogue weaving an unsettling tapestry of terror. The vacant, soulless stares and mannequin-like poses added an uncanny layer of horror to their repertoire. However, a bit more scripted banter and ad-libbing would have added an extra layer of immersion and variety to the experience.

We uncovered a treasure trove of phobias, adding an extra layer of spine-tingling spice. Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, reared its painted face, while mazeophobia, the dread of mazes, gnawed at our souls. Claustrophobia, the terror of confined spaces, joined the ghoulish gathering, alongside nyctophobia, the fear of darkness. And then, for the aficionados of rare frights, Kalampokiphobia (Google it), the fear of corn.

As we reached the finale of our corny quest, we yearned for a grander finale to usher us out of the maze’s clutches. Within the haunt, a smaller finale greeted us, featuring a larger-than-life animatronic scene that delivered an ominous warning, leaving us with a taste of dread.

Beyond the haunt’s chilling confines, a symphony of entertainment awaited, serenading our senses. The air was filled with the melodies of music, the warmth of crackling fire pits, and the enchantment of a mesmerizing laser show. Concessions and a restaurant, where a live band took the stage (albeit at an extra cost), added a delightful layer to the event. It was like a grand country Halloween hangout, where the cornfields seemed endless, and the spirit of the season was as high as the corn.

Now, let’s talk dollars and cents. The ticket price, a fair $25, hovered around the average for this ghostly gala. It took us roughly 40 minutes to navigate the corn maze, though individual experiences may vary. Inside the haunted house, terror ticked by in just 10 minutes. Crunching the numbers, we received a generous 50 minutes of entertainment for our $25, translating to a hauntingly good rate of 2 minutes per dollar, soaring high above the average of 1.2MPD.

The Beacon Haunted House and Corn Maze is a spectacular time that will leave you corn-fused, brimming with family-friendly festivities and an old-school charm. Here, where the corn grows tall, the terror stands taller, and the memories linger longer than the aftertaste of sweet corn on the cob, you’ll find an unforgettable Halloween haunt that’ll leave you corn-pletely captivated.