Features:
✓-Paid Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Food/Concessions✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-Optional Games/Midway✓-Special Events✓-“Hi-Tech” Attraction✓-You will NOT be touched✓-Original Characters✓-Uncovered Outdoor Waiting Line✓-Indoor/Outdoor Attraction
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: 8.74
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.63
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.91
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.42
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.96
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.67
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.85
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.32
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.53
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Summary:
Lake Hickory Haunts (LHH) between Granite Falls and Hickory, NC, is situated around the shores of a small natural lake. Winding down from an overlook that allows a glimpse at the entire attraction from a distance, our path led down into a carnival-like midway filled with shops, games, and some wandering monsters. There are nine attractions beyond the midway featuring a variety of custom-built sets and plenty of creepy creatures. LHH was a haunt we were looking forward to visiting this year and they did not disappoint.
Though some procedures have been altered because of the pandemic, LHH has worked tirelessly to deliver their show with a lot of thought given to the safety of patrons this season. We can definitely recommend a visit for those willing to venture out to Lake Hickory Haunts.
Cast: 8.63
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.7
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8.8Explanation:
Walls, noises, dialogue
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8.8Explanation:
A few get outs and help mes
good: mad doctor, clown on stilts, pirate captain, nurse, 2 in slaughter house, grandmother
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.9
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A huge variety of characters inhabit Lake Hickory Haunts. Though many of these are the traditional mad doctors, nurses, clowns, and pirates, there were also a number of aliens and sea-monsters. In several scenes, we were entertained with some witty banter and dialogue with the separate monsters and denizens. From the nurse at the front door to the mad doctor, the stilt wearing clown, the pirate captain, and several others in the slaughterhouse, we enjoyed talking with the different members of the cast as much as we enjoyed the surprising screams from the ones that popped out from the various hidden nooks and crannies.
Costuming: 8.91
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?: 8.8
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.9
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.8
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 9
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9
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There were a lot of wildly creative and detailed costumes worn at Lake Hickory Haunts. The majority of these creepy denizens were all alike in one way – there is a unifying grimy-look to all of the cast. This well-weathered look serves to not only give the various actors a cohesive feel but makes them all seem like they’ve just climbed up out of the lake ready to scare.
There were also several full-body costumes that were very well detailed. One of them even seemed to be a static prop until we had almost passed it and it came to life for a sudden scare.
Customer Service: 9.42
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?: 9.1
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8.8
(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?: 10
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Lake Hickory Haunts obviously cares a great deal about their cast and their customers. There are a lot of safety measures in place – of course, there are mandatory masks and social distancing due to the pandemic but there are also lots of lights, guide ropes, and numerous safety personnel.
The majority of LHH is a series of trails through the woods surrounding the lake. As with any other haunted attraction involving a lot of walking, comfortable shoes that can get dirty are a must. Should it rain, the trails are covered with a fair bit of thick gravel and have either guide ropes or handrails.
Besides a bevy of helpful staff both roaming the site and manning a number of booths (tickets, gift shop, midway games), LHH also has an online presence through their main website as well as a variety of social media and video channels that provide not only information about the haunt (prices, hours, dates) but also give some behind the scenes sneak peeks during prior to opening.
Atmosphere: 8.96
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?: 9
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.9
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From the street, LHH resembles nothing so much as an abandoned gas station. However, that is simply the ticket booth. Navigating down past a smattering of decorated vehicles and through an arch of skulls, we ventured down to an overlook where we could see the lake below us and the haunt surrounding it.
Before entering the haunt itself, there is a sizable midway filled with a number of creatures giving some glimpse of what lies beyond the doors of the haunt itself. From a gasmask-wearing pirate to a towering representation of Cthulhu, the roaming midway actors give a great sense of what’s to come.
Special Effects: 8.67
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.8Explanation:
ambient sound, some sound bleed
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9Explanation:
alteration of bought props
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.8Explanation:
ceilings neglected in some places
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.1Explanation:
some dead zones, some lighting issues (safety first!)
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.8Explanation:short places, nice effect in clown area
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A lot of time has been poured into the sets and set design of Lake Hickory Haunts. Attention has been paid to everything from the ambient sounds to created scents to, of course, the visuals that surrounded us.
From the shifting floating docks that set one of our team off-balance to the constantly shorter ceilings that made another team-member duck and crouch more and more.
We may have spent more time looking at the various pieces of set decor and art that made up the haunt than we did screaming in terror, but we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Theme: 8.85
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 9
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 8.9
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 8.5
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While there are nine separate and distinct areas that make up LHH, each with a different atmosphere and theme, there is an attempt at a cohesive overall theme that is introduced before one enters the front of the haunt.
At the front door, a charming and lovely nurse informed us that she was employed by a doctor who was working on perfecting a formula that could make dreams and nightmares come to life. We were to be the next batch of test subjects!
We felt that this was a clever way to unify the disparate elements of the haunt, working in some slight way to have both clowns and sea monsters, undead and pirates, all stalking about. As mentioned above, the weathered look to most of the creatures helped play in that all of these characters and locations were sprung from the same fevered mind.
Scare Factor: 8.32
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.3
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8Explanation:
center hit most often
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8
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Aside from the beautifully worked sets, we were hit with a lot of jump scares at LHH. We had a small group passing through the haunt, and the vast majority of the scares were aimed right at our center.
We especially enjoyed the drifting docks of Aquaphobia, the interaction of the Slaughterhouse, and the eye-bending effects of the Big Top Circus – each of these had their own special pieces that helped to deliver entertainment and pull out some screams.
Entertainment & Value: 8.53
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?: 8.5
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8.5
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8.9
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 7.9
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Lake Hickory Haunts does a great job of delivering entertainment and value. From an entertaining midway (that grew increasingly crowded during the night) complete with a variety of different diversions and games to an entertaining walk through the haunt itself, LHH was well worth the money spent.
Visitors should be aware that parking is $5, so bring along a small bit of cash for that. Guests looking to avoid some of the crowd in the midway should consider the small extra up-charge for Fast Pass tickets. We did notice that guests can upgrade their tickets in the midway gift shop if they find that the wait in the midway becomes too much to handle.
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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Promo Images:
Click to Enlarge
Awards:
2023
2022
