Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses Review (2017)

From creepy coffin makers, to cannibalistic cooks, and of course killer clowns, the costumes used here are all complete and believable. Mostly every costume fit the theme of where they were located, and was appropriate for the scaractor wearing it. The makeup was great and realistic, the masks fit the rest of the costume nicely, and overall everything just worked. One laughing inmate had a Slipknot-esque mask that fit his disturbing laughter, and of course the Headless Horseman himself made appearances, with his oversized shoulders. Headless costumes always make me laugh.

Upon arriving you see a big house, all covered in decorations, looking like something out of a horror movie. Music is played at certain areas of the midway, but it is mostly radio hits rather than Halloween music or eerie sounds. Roaming scaractors and an animatronic Horseman on his horse entertain guests, as well as a magic show. So the atmosphere is a mix of fright and fairground. Gift shops and food stands take up more space than spooky sets, so it is possible to forget that you are at a haunt.

The special effects used here are great. Pyrotechnics, fog effects, bungies and zip lines, these aren’t your everyday sfx. Ranging from small animatronics to giant pumpkin king, the moving parts all looked amazing. Visually and audibly the scenes were detailed and well done. The boat area was dark and depressing, in a good way. The hotel was grungy and disgusting, in a good way. And this was our first encounter of what someone had told us was called the ‘laser swamp,’ so we were very captivated by this new effect, though we hear it is the newest big trend.

Each individual area has its own small theme, though there is no overlapping theme that connects it all. The hayrides theme was 25 years of fear, with nods to multiple past themes. Each of the mini-haunts had their own theme, ranging from a hotel, to a diner, to a greenery with a bee shed.

A lot of misdirection is employed to keep guests caught off guard. Decoys and distractions are used a few times in each section. Scares come from left, right, in front, behind, and even above! Most of the scaractors would focus on the visibly nervous guests, causing for fun reactions when your friend goes to grab your arm, only to realize they grabbed a bloody psychopath that snuck into your spot.

The $50 ticket price may seem a bit steep, but you get well over an hour worth of haunt time. You get a well put together hayride, and about 8 linked together haunts, as your main attractions, as well as a magic show and a handful of shops to spend your time and money in. Edibles range from donuts to brisket if you get hungry too, so that’s a nice variety to refuel on, once you burn all that energy off by running for your life.