How Do We Get These Scores?

Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 8.49
How Did We Get This Score?

Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 7.45
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 9.25
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.75
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 10
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.4
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 9.5
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 6.7
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.45
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Summary:
Horseman’s Hollow is located at Philipsburg Manor in the village of Sleepy Hollow, New York and is one of the most authentic and iconic haunt locations in the country. This year it consists of the walking trail and an additional feature of a silent ghost story movie.
‘The Unsilent Picture,’ is a presentation of a silent movie shot on the grounds of Philipsburg Manor. What makes it so special is that it incorporates live music and a foley artist next to the screen so you can see how they make the sound effects for movies as well as turning this silent movie into The Unsilent Picture. It was a very interesting experience and the story that was told in the movie itself, with only subtitles on the screen, was actually quite good.
Horseman’s Hollow is a classical haunt that is great to look at with the historic buildings and creepy atmosphere. The costumes and characters are here to essentially tell the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Along the way, you will see Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman himself. Ichabod, of course, is at the schoolhouse, but the Headless Horseman, unfortunately, has moved from his lighted spot in front of one of the old buildings and is now in a darkened area at the end of the trail.
This is definitely a family-friendly attraction that resides within the grounds where the famous story took place. It is definitely safe for younger guests and those folks that would not usually like to go to a haunted attraction. It is the perfect starter haunt or just a place to spend a spooky October night. They also have the best gift shop of any haunted attraction you will come across with all sorts of items related to the story and the historic Hudson Valley area. I highly recommend stopping in there before or after your time at Horseman’s Hollow.
Cast: 7.45
How Did We Get This Score?

Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 7
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 7
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8
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There was definitely a smaller amount of actors this year opposed to past ones and that may have been due to it being a Sunday night when we attended. I definitely felt as though they could have used more scare-actors especially on the trail areas between the buildings. The dialogue and interaction are very good here as it’s more of a theatrical event like a walk-through, living history show more than a full-on, jump-scare marathon.
There is a wide variety of types of colonial characters ranging from redcoats all the way to Pirates. Standouts here would be the actor who played Ichabod Crane as he looked very authentic in both makeup and costume. There was also a gentleman outside the church in the cemetery looking for blood donations. I did miss the vampires in the church this year as they were a highlight from last year.
Costuming: 9.25
How Did We Get This Score?

Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 10
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 10
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.5
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 7
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 10
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The costumes here match the time period well. They are authentic, fully realized, and detailed. Personal favorites are the Redcoats as well as Ichabod Crane again. The girls who were dressed as ethereal ghosts in what looks like an attic were also high points.
Most of the makeup was adequate with lots of dark eyes and shading. They had more of a ghostly look overall rather than a gory or zombie appearance. Pale and spooky was a much better way to go. There were only a few masks here but they were of good quality especially the two guys in the beginning who seemed to be the Horseman’s guards or soldiers complete with their black headwear and tunics.
Customer Service: 9.75
How Did We Get This Score?

Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 10
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9.5
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 10
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.5
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The haunt is very easy to find as it is located right off the main road in Tarrytown. You can follow the signs for event parking down the hill where there is an enormous and free parking lot if you don’t mind walking just a little bit. The staff here are very friendly, helpful and dedicated to making this event a success. I do highly recommend utilizing the ample and free parking down by the river. That way after you walk up a short hill, you will find the candlelit and winding trail that overlooks the pond and the historic houses beyond.
This is an outdoor walking trail but it is mostly flat and cleared. Although we still recommend that you come prepared for the terrain and dressed for the weather.
The staff and management were exceptionally friendly and helpful and willing to answer any questions that we had.
Atmosphere: 10
How Did We Get This Score?

Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 10
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 10
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If you take the recommended walking trail around the pond up to the attraction, you can take in all of the creepy, cool atmosphere with the lighting on the historic buildings and the music playing. As you walk through the relative darkness, you can hear the screams and sounds coming from within the Horseman’s Hollow attraction across the way.
All kinds of creepy and spooky vibes were going on here especially with all the real candles along the trail. You can immediately get the idea of what this place is about based on the surroundings and the overall look of the grounds of the historic site.. You instantly know you’re walking into a colonial-era ghost story.
Special Effects: 8.4
How Did We Get This Score?

Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 9
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8
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Given the theme and the time period, special effects are not exactly Horseman’s Hollow’s main focus. So we didn’t notice anything super fancy or high-tech here but they do utilize sound effects in the buildings and on the trails. The sounds consisted of voices, especially children’s voices in the woods and bushes.
The sets and the props are designed to bring the Legend of Sleepy Hollow story to life. Different locations from the story and authentic places from that time period of colonial Sleepy Hollow Village are accurately portrayed. One of the best special effects that we came across was spotted early on in the trail. There was an attic or barn and a large, ghost-like characters that looked very much like the creature from the Poltergeist! It was really impressive-looking and matched with the live ghosts that seem to float around the room. It also had a creaky floor.
Theme: 9.5
How Did We Get This Score?

Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 10
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 9
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 10
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The theme is, of course, one of the most well-known stories ever (especially around Halloween), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. So not only will you get to hear all about the Headless Horseman, you will also get to see many of his victims. You will also experience a dutch church, Ichabod’s Schoolhouse, a graveyard, and all the iconic locations from one of the greatest ghost stories that have ever been told.
The theme is very easy to pick out and they executed it very well. The location doesn’t get any better than this, landing them a perfect score for the question, ‘Does the location help to authenticate the theme?’
Scare Factor: 6.7
How Did We Get This Score?

Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 6Explanation:
Not necessarily a bad thing if your goal is not to scare the pants off people. But…It could be a bit scarier and still be safe.
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 7
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7
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Horseman’s Hollow really strives to provide a haunt accessible for everyone and it is really perfect for families. They have spooky stuff going on and some good-looking sets in a perfect time period and theme but overall, they aren’t terrifying. So if you’re looking to be horrified out of your shoes, this is not that type of place. However, they do bring just enough ghostly stuff out to make it scary enough to make it fun for young folks, those that don’t visit a lot of haunts, and those who don’t enjoy being terrified.
Entertainment & Value: 8.45
How Did We Get This Score?

Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 8
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9
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Although it is entertaining on the trail, we wish it could be just a touch scarier. It’s also not really long, as it took us about 25 minutes to go through but with general admission being $20 for Fridays and Sundays and $25 for Saturdays, it makes this a pretty good value for your money. Fast Track Passes can be purchased for an additional $15.
There is an additional cost for The Unsilent Picture of $20 per person. This attraction is located at the corner of the upper parking lot right at the bottom of the trail that leads up into the main area (Horseman’s Hollow). If you decide to go with this addition, your total time inside the attractions will increase to over an hour as this presentation lasted around 45 minutes total.
Before you enter the haunt, there is some live entertainment in the waiting queue lines to help pass the time while you wait as well as some roaming actors who were mostly there to take pictures and mingle with guests. They also have some food areas and an excellent gift shop!
Horseman’s Hollow is a fun night out for the family or it would make a perfect date night. It’s a great tradition to start as it’s one of the most famous spooky places in the country!
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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