Haunted Town Hall Review (2020)

Haunted Town Hall has a surprisingly-wicked group of cast members. On the night we attended, there were twenty-five slated characters to be in Mayor Joseph’s Hell (I mean Town Hall.) The cast members know the ins and outs of their scenes, giving them the ability to move quickly and discretely… all the while knowing the best hiding places. With these abilities, there are very few dead zones making the twenty-five cast members feel like there are many more in the haunt. The twenty-five kept the flow of the patrons in the haunt and the scares coming with ease.

The cast does well in their respective scenes by helping enhance the visuals and storytelling of the Town Hall. No character was out of place from what their scenes were. So, you will not come across any demented nurses in a circus or anything weird like that. Some characters are large and in charge and you cannot miss them while others are secretly tucked onto the floor. They were all in character; even when we were around the corner, they were ready to induce fear into the next group.

The cast was very interactive and could ad-lib quickly. This skill brings me to one guy who I see every year, and every year he impresses me: Nate. He continues to remember me every year and can banter with me while staying in character and making it about the scene each time. This year we talked about moonshine. Another that can interact with the patrons and do it well is the tormented dentist who has no idea what the hell he ripped out of his patient.

Tori/Tory (I forgot to even ask correct spelling’ had a moment) is a cast member that you will encounter with no costuming on. She is the front of the house: goes over the basics with you and then tells you the story of the haunt so that you are aware of what the hell you just walked into. She is a great storyteller and really sets the scenes and does it with speed and accuracy.

The cast at Haunted Town Hall does their job with accurate and terrifying delight.

Haunted Town Hall has two make-up artists who complete many of the looks each night the haunt is open. If needed, Ned can jump in to help as he has skills in this area also. You will not see a dollar store make up kit used at this haunt, but what you will see is skillfully applied makeup that helps the character tell the story. The majority of the makeup is used to make the character match the scene. One makeup that stood out to me was the joker toward the end. If you can find him, his makeup is intricate and well done.

Some characters use masks in this haunt, and they do it efficiently. Two of my favorite characters at this haunt involve masks (shocking, I know). Razor is an amazing character that lurks in the dark. When he moves stealthily into your space, he will get up close and then you can see all the details of his character. The mask fits very well, and I appreciate the makeup behind the mask so there is no skin showing. Another favorite is what I call the dragon. Oh, buddy; he stays tucked away until it’s too late, then he lurches out at you to marvel at his costume (or run like hell).

The characters are complete and fit in with their respective scenes. Their costumes fit well with the person wearing them, which makes each more realistic. For characters that are up close and in your safe space, there are a few that I would love to see enhanced since they are so close to you and you get to see all the details.

One thing I found unique with this haunt during the year of hell (2020), they utilized a spit shield, which covers their mouthparts but leaves the face open so you can see the details. They were also incorporated in unique ways that you could hardly tell they were there. Kudos for taking a challenge and finding a solution.

Ned and the team do a great job at keeping the Haunted Town Hall running in an efficient and safe manner. Before heading out to the Haunted Town Hall, you can visit them at their website: http://hauntedtownhall.com/, or on their Facebook page. Either one will give you all the information you need, especially the address. For your visit to Haunted Town Hall, it is recommended to go to the website and buy your tickets online due to the implementation of virtual queueing this year.

Our GPS had no issues getting us right to the attraction. Once you get close enough, you know you are there; the lights and people will gain your attention. Once you arrive, you can check yourself in from your ticket. Once you have checked in, make sure you have received a text that you are in the virtual queue line.

If you do not see where to check in, or if you did not receive your text that says you are in the queue, there are plenty of staff members roaming around to assist you in this matter. All of them are knowledgeable and friendly. If you do not see them out and about, you can go to the ticket booth, which is a white trailer on the side of the haunt, and they can assist you there.

If you buy tickets onsite, the staff check you in with one name and a phone number from your group. You will receive a text once you have checked in to let you know you have entered the virtual queue line. You will then wait in your vehicle until you receive a text informing you that your group may proceed to the entrance.

What we witnessed were groups not following the wait in car suggestion, which we felt could be dangerous on busy nights. The traffic on haunt nights are busy around the haunt due to normal traffic, haunt traffic, and people looking for places to park. So, while you are being safe from COVID, let’s be safe and not get hit by a car.

On top of the COVID contingency plan to be able to open, the Haunted Town Hall has gotten the green light from the state fire marshal, inspectors, and many others on their safety plans. I would say this haunt is not handicap accessible and includes stairs and tight passageways. On the night we attended, there were sheriffs in place to help with people in the streets, but in case there would be an emergency they are ready.

Due to COVID, the contamination escape room is not running, but that gives the team time to revamp it for next year’s 10th anniversary of the Haunted Town Hall. They have lots of great merchandise to purchase when you exit the haunt, so look over there and you will be surprised at what you find.

On the night we attended, it could not have been a better October night. Clouds in the sky with the crescent moon shining bright, giving the sky an eerie feeling. We passed a cemetery on the right and kept driving straight until we could see the glow of lights ahead. Then we saw the people and, in all honesty, we would have thought it was a shooting for a zombie movie.

As we passed the two-story brick building that was built in 1899, goosebumps raised on our arms. As we searched for a spot to park, we saw the old statute and flag post at the end of the street validating the originality of the building. Once we found our spot and got the text to come up, we walked towards the haunt and heard the crunching of leaves with each step we took. We heard the screams of those who were trying to make it out alive. All of this in the mixing pot created a whole haunted house vibe. The line had queue actors and more to keep us on our toes. When we got to the front door, the storyteller tried to prepare us, but can one ever be prepared to die?

The boiler room was an extra addition this year that had good special effects. The sounds of fire and what a boiler room should sound like are used to create the atmosphere. Lighting to make things appear as if they were on fire and a great set design makes you feel like you are in an actual boiler room.

Another room that uses special effects to its advantage is the Bayou. We tagged along with a couple we did not know. When we rounded the corner and the gentleman with us said, ‘Oh crap, I hear banjos,’ I quietly laughed to myself… but thought, “Oh, crap; That is banjos!” The scene displayed correct lighting, sounds, and smells that made you forget you were in a two-story haunted building.

When sound is used in this haunt, it is used to enhance the scene, and they have done well in this area. Each scene is well thought out and detailed to help the flow of the story. Since each scene is well done, you know instantly where you are, and your imagination can start to wonder what is going to happen. Due to COVID, there were no squeeze walls this year, but that did not stop them from deploying all of the other special effects.

Lighting, or lack thereof, helps in this haunt. Shock pads may be existent in this haunt as well as moving books and headstones. If you are not hunkered over trying to forget all the things around you (like the young lady that was with us that night), stop and try to take all the effects in and take a moment to look up because you never know what may be lurking above you.

Haunted Town Hall utilizes a theme, which helps make it a cohesive haunt. Without researching anything, the name of the haunt and the building are huge clues as to what you might expect at this haunt.

When you step into the haunt, the storyteller tells you a little about the backstory so that things make sense as you walk through the haunt. As you journey through the haunt, you will see most scenes match the story. For the few scenes that do not match perfectly… if you use a little imagination, you can create the connection. If you want to know the whole story while you are making your journey there or beforehand, go to http://hauntedtownhall.com/index.php/the-story/ and it will give you the complete story.

The basis is, Henry Joseph entered the Town Hall as the new mayor, but also as a good and righteous man whose sole intention was to leave the community a better place for his family. (That’s what most politicians think when they take office.) The sickness that hid behind the doors of the Town Hall thought otherwise. The sickness came out to play and corrupted him. Residents speculated that the Mayor was involved in something ‘dark,’ and that he had become mentally unstable during his time as Mayor.

Mayor Joseph was found early one morning lying face down on High Street in a pool of blood. The lingering questions were, “Was it suicide,” or, “Was he punished?” The world may never know, but we may get clues from what lurks inside the walls.

For this attraction, another couple gladly let us join them in the journey of Mayor Joseph’s darkness. Our group became a group of four. This is a self-guided tour, but it is timed very well in that we did not miss out on anything due to a group in front of us.

Each scene was ready for us the moment we stepped into it. There is a part where it gets dark and disorienting. I remember the lady with us saying repeatedly, “It is too dark. Get me out! Get me out! What is that?!” and, “Oh, sh!t; Do not touch the walls!” What we later realized is the haunt knows you will need to use the walls, so you *may get a “shocking” surprise!

The cast does well at knowing their hiding places. You may be in that scene, but never see them until it is too late and they’ve already completed the task of scaring you.

I am a sucker for jump scares that include drop doors. The noise will get me every time. Imagine my horror as I walk down a corridor and they are strategically placed across from each other so they can drop doors all the way down one after the other.

The exit is never where you need it to be, especially when you are told to pick a door. You pick a door and then they laugh at you and say they are going to help you, and then they do not. Then there’s the part where you enter a bayou of hell where the banjo sound alone brings fear to your body.

Some of the characters like Razor and dragon will back you into a corner. When you reach the end are you really at the end? Remember, they like to be everywhere; up, down, and across.

Haunted Town Hall is open and making the best of 2020. It took our group of four 24 minutes to complete the self- guided haunt. Here comes my disclaimer: this time is not set in stone and will change based on group size, if you run in terror, hide in a corner, or walk. With that being said, if I pay the general admission price at $12.00 per adult, I am getting 2 minutes of entertainment/scares for every dollar I spend. That is a crazy good deal for this haunt and compared to other haunts in the area.

Children’s prices are $10 for 12 and under, making it an even better deal. They have the fast pass option still available at $24.00 per person. If you take that option, you will get one minute for every dollar, which isn’t bad either. They still have the group option, but you need to contact Haunted Town Hall to make those arrangements before purchasing.