Guest Review by The Hauntfinder General
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Visited: 09/09/2016 | Recommended: ✅ Yes
What They Liked Most:
While I was originally planning on starting the season with a huge bang next week in Michigan, last minute circumstances led me to Pittsburgh yet agai... n. Still, kicking the season off with what I always claim to be the 'best house in PA' is not too shabby.Always a great area for haunted attractions, but the drive is kind of long and shitty. And the PA tolls are just terrible. And the rain. Can't forget the rain...It poured so bad right up to a couple minutes before we got there. And then it just stopped entirely. Weather is so bizarre. Nevertheless, I was just happy that we wouldn't have to get drenched from the car to the ticket booth.We didn't arrive til late-like 9:30ish. Two full hours after they opened. I wasn't concerned by this seeing how it's so ridiculously early in the season. I only had one other place I was planning on hitting last night, and they were open til midnight, and 20-some odd minutes from there. So there was plenty of time. Or so I thought...Upon arriving, they had lot attendants directing traffic, which I was surprised they'd need so early in the month. But as we approached the illuminated labyrinth that is Hundred Acres Manor, I could see the line was bigger than anticipated.Still, I figured general admission would suffice. So we paid our $20 (a modest price for such a good attraction) and proceeded through the archway to the line, which I could now see was clearly even longer than I had thought.The place from the outside looks pretty amazing. Spotlights shining in the sky, metal music blasting over the PA, cool stained glass windows glowing in the castle-like exterior of the enormous structure. Truly an intimidating haunted attraction if there ever was one.It began to rain again. Then stop. Then start again.And what luck, their line there is uncovered for no apparent reason. It looks like they constructed their line area and just forgot to put on a roof of some sort. No idea why there's nothing there.20 minutes pass and I realize that for $10 more, VIP would've totally been the right way to go, as we've only moved 1/4 of the way to the entrance.There appeared to be a total of 4 line-actors patrolling the perimeter of the line. A deformed nurse, chainsaw zombie guy, alien guy (that smelled funny), and a stringy-haired screaming girl. They're mildly entertaining for the first half hour, then boredom and annoyance quickly set in.75 minutes pass overall before we get to the door. That's an hour and 15 minutes of listening to clusters of high school kids inane conversations and stupid selfies being snapped from every angle all while being rained upon. I definitely admit I f*cked up not going VIP. But it won't happen again.By now it's 10:45, and we're just entering the place.They're sending in small groups of people, hence the slow line. But I can't complain. After all, group separation is key to an ideal experience in these places.What luck, the VIP couple in front of us are slow-moving, so it takes literally no time at all to catch up to them. Sometimes it's just a no-win situation.I just reviewed this place last year, so I'm recognizing a lot in the first half of the place. Most of which is virtually unchanged. The attraction starts with a traditional haunted house kind of vibe, with lots of long hallways, flickering lights, cobwebs and such.The first memorable prop/animatronic is the sawed-in-half corpse that rises into the air and lets out a spray of flatulence out of it's hanging intestines as we pass by. The Torture Tank section is a trip also. I think it's the same, but it's a little more memorable this time for some reason.Featuring scenes involving a corpse with a birthday cake and party hat with the back of it's head blown out, a crazed magician with a chainsaw, and very realistic mutilated dummies in various gruesome scenarios.I'm looking forward to the 2 new additions allegedly installed in this place for 2016. But I'm assuming they're probably towards the end, which the were.Things remain kind of humdrum for me (since I just saw all this stuff a year ago) til we get to the voodoo section, which if I'm not mistaken, was the standout for me last season.We pass through an outdoor courtyard complete with a small graveyard and flickering candles before entering through some sort of mausoleum into a very realistic cave section. Employing the use of flowing water, dripping stalactites and whispering voices, and a charging giant skull headed creature, this section is virtually unchanged from last year, but still equally as effective.The bayou area with the wooden bridge and waterfall is also an amazing part. Another of my favorites from last year.Lots of jungle-like atmosphere. Snakes, giant plants (even a guy dressed as a plant), and a giant crocodile head that emerged from the darkness comprised the rest of this part.Finally we make it to the first of the new sections. This one has some kind of alien/sci-fi theme to it.We pass through a bunch of science-laboratory rooms and hallways featuring actors in bio suits and alien carcasses before coming upon the coolest room in this area.Designed to replicate the interior of a space craft, a lop-sided room (at almost a 45 degree angle !), complete with a giant dead alien thing sitting at a console of some sort. This one was a challenge to make it through because of the extreme floor angle. Very cool though!This area concluded with a pair of dazzling neon blue laser light tunnels that were mesmerizing to pass through, along with a slow-moving black-lit tunnel where I ran headlong into some actor guy that looked just like Dick Van Dyke. I laughed about this for the rest of the way through the place.Then came the second new section. This one based around traditional Halloween themes, traditions, and classic monsters.This one wound up being my new favorite.We began by entering through what looked the facade of an old house all decorated with traditional Halloween decorations.We passed through furnished rooms like you'd find in a house from 50 years ago or more, complete with creepy, silent characters watching as we pass by.Eventually winding up in some sort of attic lined with costumes and old decorations. The next portion revolved around traditional horror movie monsters, such as witches, mummies, vampires, and werewolves, to name but a few.I recall passing through curtains that looked like bloody guts at one point. Haven't seen those before!The attraction convened in a big room with a giant, multi-eyed alien animatronic creature that roared as we passed through the exit door.By now it was 11:30, and there was no way we'd make it to Demon House, which I wasn't too broken up about. They didn't impress me much the last two years anyway. So I called it a night, and began the long trek home.At about 40 minutes, this place is a staggeringly large house. So much to see and experience within, there's really something for everyone here.Love the new attractions, especially the last one. So glad to see that they got rid of their annoying maze at the end. Instead replacing it with legitimately good attractions. I hope more places follow suit!Really the only bad things I have to say about this place is their need for a cover over their line area, and the actors could play maybe a slightly bigger role in this place. Not many of them are overly memorable, mostly opting for a quick pop out scare and disappearing. All things considered though, this place remains THE house in PA as far as I'm concerned, and has consistently updated and improved their attraction every year that I've been there for the last 6 years or so. Keep up the great work guys! Their 13th year open has definitely started with a bang. Great way to start the season!Hauntfinder Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 4)Read More
