Hundred Acres Manor holds a special place in my heart as it resides in the same location as the first haunt I ever attended, way back in 1995. Back then it was known as Phantoms in the Park. It ignited my passion for haunted attractions that has only grown over the decades. In 2004 Hundred Acres Manor engulfed the area and has resided at this location ever since. It is a tradition of mine to visit HAM first each year as we previously did with Phantoms in the Park.
Hundred Acres Manor returns after a yearlong hiatus, due to Covid. Continuing as a nonprofit haunt, the manor is not your typical residence. It bends time and space transporting you to five unique areas spanning over a mile. This year the lift is closed. But, a new area has materialized. Folklore, a familiar theme was rebooted into Voodoo: The Spell. Also, three familiar themes are returning: The Host, Breach, and Hallows Eve. Additional attractions include The Maze, and (for those of legal age) The Scream Bar.
As the sun falls out of sight and the moon rises we anxiously await to enter the manor. Looking up at the towering stone fa������������������ade and stained glass windows I think back to the old tan and grey building with the Hundred Acres Manor name in meek green letters on top. So much has changed and even though this is not the same haunt I experienced over a quarter of a century ago, the nostalgia hits hard. It makes me feel like I’m thirteen again, excited and anxious, wondering what awaits inside’
I’ll admit in the past HAM has had its up and downs with actors. I’m happy to say that although the manor did not seem as packed with a large number of actors the quality seemed much higher. We estimated around 56 actors within these terrifying walls providing enthusiastic scares. A lower number than in past iterations. Some actors moved through multiple areas providing numerous scares which made the cast feel larger. This, accompanied by the use of animatronics helped limit the downtime between interactions.
We were surprised at the range in dialogue this season especially in The Host section. It provided the most diverse dialogue. As we navigated the streets of London we were asked, ‘Don’t you know there’s a curfew?’ and ‘Why are you in my shop after curfew? You are bringing in disease, the streets of London are filthy.’ This seemed to be integral to the plot as it was brought up a few times. This makes sense because during both the plague and Jack the Ripper, curfews were put in place. Possibly it is a social commentary on the lockdowns and quarantines we experienced not too long ago? One sozzled lass sang ‘London Bridge’, the nursery rhyme not the Fergie song, in the bar area. She did an excellent job of slurring her speech and walking like a drunkard. She also asked my wife if she was the ‘Fair Lady.’ A gentleman questioned if I ‘needed something to ail me,’ apparently he could see I was in pain. I asked if he had something for back issues and he quickly offered me an ‘elixir.’
All the actors spouted off their lines with British accents providing more authenticity. Even the individual with the chainsaw had original lines as he told us, ‘There’s no more room in the tombs dearies.’ Right before starting his chainsaw up and screaming, ‘But I can fix it right quick.’
The remaining themes stuck with the typical jump scares approach. Loud bangs on the metal backdrops, screams, growls, and even a ‘boo’ made up more than half of the dialogue. We appreciated the swamp lady who blamed everything on me since ‘I brought the demons from the shadows’ (possibly) and the doctor who tried to unsuccessfully save a patient in The Breach. Let it go doc, he was missing all his organs already. The actors did provide their lines according to the scenes which felt natural. We would have liked a little more interaction, however, the number of patrons that partake in the manor each night would ultimately impact the flow of the show.
Variety of Characters – (35% of score)
Complete, Finished Appearance – (30% of score)
Creative, Detailed Costumes – (20% of score)
Creative, Detailed, Realistic Makeup – (15% of score)
As I have mentioned before, costuming is my least favorite category to review. Perhaps it’s because I’m more of an old-school guy and don’t pay attention or generally care what people wear. However, if I do notice a costume it has to stand out as good or bad. For a good amount of the actors, I couldn’t get a good view of their attire as they popped in and out so rapidly.
During our visit to London, the costumes seemed appropriate and nothing felt out of place. Old-style clothing, disheveled and worn, fit the characters. Pale makeup and black eyes provided a sickly look to these cheeky Brits. It was hard to see more details as most were behind drop-down windows. I would have liked to have seen some actors as Alien or some type of creatures on the ship/facility, maybe next time. We also bumped into cult members with goat heads, a monk, some colorful gents who were truly glowing, a couple of lumberjacks, a Yeti or two, and a witch who all had on fitting costumes for the theme in that area.
If Masks, Effective – (25% of score)
Costumes Appropriate for Scenes, Themes – (30% of score)
Easy to Find, Navigate – (25% of score)
Safety – (20% of score)
Hundred Acres Manor is easy to find even if you haven’t visited it 30 plus times. It is located in South Park. Entering the address will lead you to the haunt. However, a slight change was made two years ago. Due to parking restraints near the haunt on 100 Acres Drive, you can now park at the skating rink lot on Corrigan Drive. On busy nights parking fills up fast. This is located on the main road heading into South Park from Bethel Park.
After parking, you will cross the main road and head to the wagon ride. There is also a building with restrooms to the left, which has always given me the creeps, or you can wait to arrive at the haunt which also has restrooms. This is a non-haunted ride to get you from the parking lot to the haunt and back. I will admit this put a damper on my tradition of cueing up “Thriller” on my phone while driving down the dark windy park road. I remember when I would have my cassette tape ready to go before heading up the road. It still provides a creepy feeling when a low branch scrapes the top of the covered wagon and for a brief second everyone wonders what the hell was that?
The ticket booths are designed in stone matching the manor itself as does the gift shop. Both were easy to point out.
We noticed security onsite and police nearby. In regards to Covid, they are sticking with CDC guidelines. They have limited high touch areas, added hand sanitizer stations, and all employees must wear a mask. Customers are not required to wear masks. Inside the haunt, we did not notice any major safety issues. There are dark spots, uneven ground, some steep ramps, as well as low spots, proceed with caution.
All the staff we encountered were extremely helpful and nice including but not limited to, management, the wagon ride helpers, the ticket booth, gift shop, Mortem Manor, and security.
If you need more info before visiting HAM has a robust website and is active on social media.
Staff Professional, Helpful, Friendly – (25% of score)
Ease of Finding Info Before Arrival – (20% of score)
Obviously a Haunt Before Entering – (40% of score)
Prepared for Experience Inside – (15% of score)
From the outside looking in, it’s pretty clear this is a haunt. The outside fa������������������ade, giant animatronic demon, pumpkin photos ops, and music from the main house scream haunted house. The ‘Scream Bar’ is off from the haunt and walking by you can hear some pop and country music but closer to the haunt it is not noticeable. We did notice a lack of line actors when we were in line, which was a short time this evening.
Sound Effects Effective – (20% of score)
Creative, Original Scenes, Props – (30% of score)
Detailed Scenes – (30% of score)
Achieve, Maintain Suspension of Disbelief – (20% of score)
Sound plays a prominent role throughout the experience. Each area and sometimes each new set had its soundtrack and sound effects. As we strolled the streets of London we heard crows, wind, bells (Big Ben?), howling werewolves, and creepy background music. The breach had intense music spreading through the ship while Voodoo had wind, crickets, locusts, frogs, swamp noises, and an intense chest-thumping composition in the church area. Folklore’s soundtrack had a fantasy feel to it as we entered that quickly changed to a piece of more intense background music with wind sound effects. All Hallows Eve had quirky Halloween music playing throughout. We noticed that depending on if you were inside or outside the sound effects were appropriate to the surroundings which was another nice detail. Another layer of sound was with the animatronics which sounded like these were turned up to eleven. They were ear-shattering.
The set design was impeccable. Each area consisted of movie quality sets that provided a feeling of immersion to that area, especially the newest attraction, Folklore. The design made it feel like you were in the mountains, in real snow and ice. I don’t know if it was just from our minds playing tricks on us but it felt colder in this frozen wonderland gone wrong. A few times I thought I might slip on the snow and ice on the walkways and ramps even telling my group to watch the ramp it’s icy, facepalm.
The detail and Easter Eggs are deep, I even saw a picture of Jack from The Shining in the Folklore areas which made sense to the theme. The Host looked like England/London/Britain/UK’ I’m not great with geography and have never gone overseas’ so in my head, they are the same place, I think, damn public school systems. Therefore, I’m relying on all I have seen and learned from Monty Python, The Pink Panther (movies not the cartoon), and Austin Powers, yeah baby! Posters for Jack the Ripper were posted around the area, dummies with those oval police hats were standing around, and a large red phone booth in the outdoor area felt authentic.
The Breach felt more confined and isolated. With large steel walls, flashing lights, weapons cases, and glass containment units it felt like a classic spaceship facility. Details were spread throughout even down to the ‘Argos’ logos painted on the walls.
Voodoo: The spell placed us in the middle of the Deep South, I’d say New Orleans. Don’t get excited about this party because everyone here is deceased. So as much as I hate to say this, put your ‘tiddies’ away and beware of the demons that inhabit the cemeteries and swamps around you. We also noticed the lighting shined, pun intended, in this area in the cemetery the purple colors gave it an unearthly feel. A little later we enjoyed the black-light area; it kind of felt reminiscent of the Princess and the Frog also set in New Orleans.
Transitions between areas stood out this season such as the blue laser hall leading to the Alien area, the caverns leading to Voodoo, and most notably, the hallway leading to Folklore provided a disorientating optical illusion, or were we moving?
The mix of movie quality sets, lighting, sounds, background music, and originality deliver visitors to a whole new dimension of terror.
SFX Effective at Scaring, Entertaining – (35% of score)
Could Tell What Theme Was Without Asking – (15% of score)
Theme Well Executed, Believable – (25% of score)
Location Authenticates Theme – (10% of score)
How Scary – (15% of score)
Hundred acres Manor normally houses 6 diverse themed areas, although this year ‘The Lift’ is out of order. Don’t fret, there are still 5 imaginative areas to explore. Returning this year is ‘The Host’ an old-timey romp through Jolly ole London set during the turn of the century. You will experience the dark side of the swinging city; plague, Jack the Ripper, and AH’HOOOO! Werewolves of London. Another familiar area is ‘Breach’ where you enter a space-bound research facility, known as Project Argos, filled with extraterrestrial experiments. Rounding out the trilogy of returning themes is ‘Hallows Eve’ a trip through time into a classic, but not normal, Halloween Party. HAM has been hard at work providing two new themes for this year as well. ‘Voodoo: The Spell’ is a twisted trip through the dark and dangerous deep south, where a curse has unleashed the underworld. Finally, the newest and most unique theme is ‘Folklore’ where legend and nightmare meet is in the Seven Valley Springs Mountains.
All were very well executed with each theme looking distinct. All Hallows Eve seemed to deviate from the original theme roughly halfway through, leaving the 50’s/60’s Halloween party and becoming a hodgepodge of classic haunt scenes. Regardless of the theme, the attention to detail is impeccable and nearly unmatched.
Provide Scares to Entire Group – (50% of score)
How Predictable – (25% of score)
Variety of Scares – (25% of score)
Hundred Acres Manor did a good job at bringing the scares while trying to maintain Covid safety measures. Relying mainly on startle scares, it seems a person, prop, or animatronic was always ready to scare with a scream, bang, or air cannon’ I hate air cannons! They did a good job of distracting us with inanimate bodies who replicated the same outfits as the actors, making us question who was real and who was not. The animatronics came in all shapes and sizes, especially HUGE! There were several notable animatronics and larger-than-life monsters and demons throughout, which added to the horror and diversity.
They seemed to focus on everyone in the group but I would say it leaned more to the middle and end of the group. I was in the front of our group and several times I heard my team behind me react to something and by the time they turned around, it was over. We are glad to see an attempt at a finale.
1 100 Acres Drive, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania 15102