Scary Harrys Haunted Trail – Full Review

Scary Harrys Haunted Trail is a Haunted Attraction located in Homer City, PA.

1703 Pierce Road, Homer City, PA 15748
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Haunt Type(s):

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Features:

Free Parking, You will NOT be touched, Indoor/Outdoor Attraction

This attraction was reviewed on October 2, 2021 by Team Haunt Crew.

Final Scores:

(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.86

(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.84

(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.42

(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 7.43

(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 9.69

(5% of Final Score) Theme:

(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 9.16

(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 9

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Welcome one and all to Scary Harry’s Haunted Trails! You’ll want to put on your running shoes before beginning the 1/3rd of a mile trek at Scary Harry’s. Why do you ask? Why!? Because they’ll have you running for your life, that’s why! This haunted attraction is far out! Far out in the countryside that is, however, you should not let this bother you, especially if you want to attend a great haunted attraction! We would know, we traveled over 4 hours from home to get there. It is totally worth the trip!

When you arrive at Scary Harry’s you will be greeted by the friendliest parking attendants we have ever encountered at a haunted attraction. After purchasing your ticket you will be directed to the entrance of the attraction where you will go through a security checkpoint. Then it is onward and upward climbing a unique set of custom-built stairs that may just lead you to your doom! While this is a single attraction you will not be let down by the variety of scenes and characters lurking within.

You will see many spectacularly detailed scenes in this unique attraction. Twist and wind your way through a junkyard in complete disarray. Pop into Scary Harry’s ‘Master Bait Shop’. Take a trip into the coal mines (if you survive the elevator ride down there!). You may see the many sides of yourself reflected back to you, get completely lost in the dark, go for a stroll through the cemetery, or swing into the saloon for a cold one… Dead cold one that is!

This attraction is currently in its 12th year of operation. The owners are a husband and wife team accompanied by many family members. Paul is the ‘Creative Director’ while Amanda handles the ‘hard stuff.’ Even Paul’s mother is greatly involved, handling most of the set decor (keep an eye out because she will be haunting you somewhere within the trail). We also learned that the history of Scary Harry’s has its beginnings with Paul’s mother wanting to have the adults spread out on a trail in the woods for the local kids to Trick ‘R’ Treat on Halloween as, being in the country setting, everyone is spread out making it more difficult for the kids to go out trick or treating.

All in all, Scary Harry’s Haunted Trails is a scary good time. While you are making your way through the labyrinth you may encounter others just as scared and having just as much fun as you are. By the time you escape from Scary Harry’s, you’ll be making new friends one scream at a time!

Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 7.5

(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.83

(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9.67

(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 9.33

(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9.17

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The cast truly did a truly phenomenal job at Scary Harry’s. The cast is extremely convincing and really became one with their characters. We learned that these members will meet on a weeknight to gather with their team just because they want to and practice their roles. Their dedication and hard work was evident throughout the attraction. We learned from the owners that this year they are currently down to about half the actors that they would normally have within the attraction. We were surprised by this information because even though we did think they could have used a few extra actors we did not think they were down by such a significant number.

The interaction patrons have with cast members is one of the best parts about Scary Harry’s. A few members who stood out to us with fun and unique banter are Maggie Mae, Peggy Sue, Becky Sue, Robby, and a Barkeep needing “spirits” to refill his bottles. We were instructed to do things like yell out searching for a lost dog (we won’t ruin the surprise, but it turns out you’re not looking for a dog) and asked to answer many questions along the way. The actors portraying zombies deserve notes for making incredibly creepy sounds adding to the horrific vibes in the cemetery. There was one zombie in particular that really stood out to us. This zombie had an excellent hiding place and we never saw them coming. We won’t spoil anything for you but we will say just because something seems empty doesn’t mean there is no reason to let your guard down!

This haunt had a wide variety of characters. Hillbillies, rotting zombies, witches, coal miners, a crazed butcher, and devilish children are just some of the characters you will cross paths with. Not only did the actors create entertaining banter, but they creatively separated patrons from the rest of their group. Many of the cast members utilize a variety of weapons (nope, not just chainsaws!) and malicious-looking novelties that will make your eyebrows raise in shock (oh, and yes, they DO want to use them on YOU!) From a safety standpoint we should, of course, point out that the weapons are props and will not actually harm you, but they do get the ‘point’ across if you know what we mean!

We were very impressed with the cast members at Scary Harry’s. They really know how to work their victims over. Not only did we experience the usual jump scares but we were legitimately surprised on many occasions when we walked by cast members that we thought were mannequins when suddenly they moved at the most opportune moment taking us totally off guard! Well played, actors of Scary Harry’s, well played!

Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):

(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 8.67

(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.17

(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.5

(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 9.17

(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9.67

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The costumes at Scary Harry’s appeared to be on par; they were appropriate for the scenes and effective. You will not find any kind of typical premade costume here. The costumes are put together and customized by distressing the clothing, adding dirt and blood when needed, then finishing off with perfectly paired props to provide a very realistic detailed ensemble.

The makeup is airbrushed on each actor by one of the owners. It takes about ten minutes per actor to complete the overall appearance of each costume. Makeup and blood were used on almost every character to provide them with a scary edge to their maddening behavior.

There were some specific costumes that caught our attention. Right from the get go there is a witch that greets you at the entrance to the trail. She had such realistic makeup and prosthetics with her long crooked nose and warts that she could have been ready to throw us in as ingredients in her witchy brew! The barkeep was detailed from head to toe in your typical old west style and the bloody wound on his face proved he was having a hell of a rough night! One silently taunting character that stood out to us in the saloon had very detailed lizard-like facial features wearing a hooded robe. It was so well done that we could not identify if it was makeup, a mask, prosthetics, or a combination.
The cemetery was infested with cute adorable fuzzy little bunnies!!! NO! Not bunnies’ You guessed it! Cute adorable fuzzy little ZOMBIES!!! Ok, ok, so the zombies were not exactly cute and fuzzy, but come on did you really believe they were for a second!? They were, however, garbed in the typical distressed, dirty, bloody, and ripped attire to complement their creepy rotted appearance. The makeup in this area was hard to see because, well, you are in a dark cemetery at night after all, however, during the bright flashes of lightning, from what we did see, the blood and gore required for a high-quality zombie appearance was dead on.

Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):

(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 8.67

(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9.83

(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

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Scary Harry’s is located in rural Homer City, PA. It requires travel on many twisty back roads, so be careful and watch out for the speed beef (AKA dumbass deer). We had no trouble finding our destination using the GPS which took us directly to the main entrance. Unfortunately, there are very few signs on the way because of city ordinances and private property laws which have made placing signage out to help direct patrons and assure them that they are on the right road a great difficulty. Parking was a breeze. Nelson, the friendliest parking attendant we have ever encountered, directed us where to go. He ran through the rules with us, explaining that no weapons of any kind may be brought in and the usual safety guidelines, however, he did suggest we bring a pitchfork for when we met his girlfriend, because, ‘She can be a real Witch!’

Once we were parked, a second and equally friendly parking attendant went over the rules of the attraction once more and a bit more thoroughly. Be forewarned that nothing is allowed in the haunted attraction including bags, lighters, knives, (yes even pitchforks, regardless of what Nelson said!), etc. If you bring any of the items with you that they have instructed you not to carry on you then, yup you got it, you will have to head back to the parking lot to drop them off.

The ticket booth was easily found and well-lit. Be sure to bring cash for tickets, food, and souvenirs. Cell phone reception and wifi are limited which makes trying to utilize any kind of device to accept credit or debit cards near impossible. The souvenir stand has very affordable prices so be sure to check it out. Be prepared to be amazed at what we are about to tell you next, for you may nary encounter such an oddity again! The porta-potties were pristine and actually smelled good! We couldn’t believe it either but it is true. Turns out that one of the owner’s pet peeves is dirty disgusting porta johns and therefore has hourly checks to make sure these portable thrones stay fresh and clean!

Although the attraction is not ADA compliant, they will do their best to accommodate requests. Unfortunately, they are limited because their entrance queue is partially on a massive staircase.

As with any haunted attraction, be sure to wear sensible shoes. During most of the haunted attraction, you will be traveling on well-maintained gravel pathways. Compared to other outdoor haunted attractions, the pathways were the best we have seen. There were no nasty tree roots or unlevel surfaces like at many other haunted attractions.

The staff were top-notch, friendly, and personable. While we were at the ticket booth, a large group of unruly teenagers arrived and the staff handled the situation like an expert teacher handles their classroom. Throughout our experience, we only came across one safety issue of an unmarked emergency exit, which was quickly corrected by the owner.

Scary Harry’s has a Facebook page but most of the information you need is located on their main website. The FAQ section has an abundance of answers to many questions and we found that this section of the website was quite humorous so be sure to check it out before arrival! (https://www.scaryharrys.com/FAQ-S.html)

Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):

(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 7.17

(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 7.83

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The first thing you will see when arriving at Scary Harry’s Haunted Trails is an eerily lit driveway embowed with trees and large lighted wooden signs flanking the entrance for the haunted attraction. Scary music and sounds echoing out from the haunted trails, as well as billows of fog, set the mood for this attraction. There is a food stand, ticket booth, and souvenir stand. The owners focus most of their time, money, and energy on making the attraction the best it can be but they do have plans to expand their offerings in the future. We feel that once they have expanded on some of the details they are planning to incorporate in the future that the overall atmosphere will vastly improve.

Once you have received your ticket, you are directed to security and then up a long, crooked staircase. As there are many safety concerns involving a staircase, the owners are unable to offer line entertainment (Can’t have patrons jumping back in fright and creating a waterfall of bodies tumbling down the stairs now can we!). This staircase, interestingly enough, was not specifically designed to creep anyone out. As it turns out though, the way it twists its way up the rugged hill creates an unintended spook factor that will give you goosebumps. At the top of the steps is a long creepily decorated pathway that leads to the main entrance to the haunted trail.

When you arrive at the main entrance to the attraction you are entering a small shed where there are signs, over three separate queues, where you get the chance to choose your party size. This is something quite different than we have experienced anywhere else, usually, you don’t get to decide your group size. The group size options were separated into groups of 1-2, 3-4, or 5-6. We highly suggest you go with smaller groups to get the best experience!

Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 10

(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9.67

(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9.67

(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9.5

(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9.67

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At Scary Harry’s you will never not have something catching your eye. One could easily wander the attraction for ceaseless hours drinking in all that there is to see. Of course, this is not what you will be doing when attempting to traverse your way through the darkened trail. It is worth noting, however, that the ‘set dressing’ is part of the special effects because without all that incredible attention to detail you would be left with nothing more than a walk in the woods with the occasional actor popping out from behind a tree.

While making your way through the junkyard you will encounter many sounds including the banging on walls made by the actors but also audio custom-made by the owners. While we do not want to give away too many details we have to mention one tricked-out truck that was custom designed and built just for Scary Harry’s. Aside from what the truck does, the sound effects are incredible, and they change, so each time you go through you can have a different experience. While we are talking about the junkyard, we have to take a moment to discuss a certain vehicle that we saw. One of our team members happens to have a soft spot for the loveable little classic VW Beetle (no not the new ones). If you happen to be a classic car enthusiast of any kind, yes it is sad the Bug isn’t out driving around or being restored, but this one gets to live on at Scary Harry’s in a different way so don’t ‘Bug out’ too much. While the little car acted as a static prop when we were there, we do hope to see some devilishly fun scares and special effects created utilizing this cool old-school Bug. If they need ideas, we definitely have some! Ok, ok, rant over about the Beetle! Sorry! Not really’

On to one of the best special effects we have seen in some time is the thunder and lightning effect in the cemetery. We have walked through loads of cemeteries at haunted attractions before but never a cemetery of the caliber. For one thing, we have never experienced a haunted attraction cemetery with lightning before, and beyond that it was believable, it actually looked like a lightning storm! When entering through the gates you feel as if you are in a real cemetery, no joke, the owners informed us that they actually have many guests come through that ask if it is a real cemetery! Part of the realism within this cemetery is that the headstones are made of cement giving them the realistic touch often missed with wooden or foam props. Be sure to take notice of the Mausoleum, no typical set piece here, it is the real deal built from the ground up.

There were several other great special effects throughout the attraction. Some of the special effects are animatronic while others are new twists on the classic chainsaw. We have been to other attractions that provide a devilish ride in a doomed elevator but here in the Scary Harry’s Coal Mine, they have perfected the experience. If you ever feel the need to really see yourself from all angles the mirror room with laser light show will make you glow. There is also the dark, which may not seem like much of a special effect but it sure was effective at getting us completely lost and bumping into walls. At the saloon, if you do get served a drink you may have to share with a particularly large animatronic demon that may make you have a second thought about trying to stick around for that drink! When you are all done and ready to head out it is more likely that your head may roll as there is a classic ending of being chased out by a madman with a chainsaw!

Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):

(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?:

(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?:

(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?:

This score is left “N/A” when we believe the haunt is trying to target a random variety of themes or phobias, rather than a single overarching “Theme” or “storyline.”

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We did not pick up on a specific unified theme at this attraction. It seemed mostly as if we were in different sections of an old country town. There was of course the Junkyard, the Saloon, the butcher shop, hillbillies’ trailers, the perfectly, hilariously named ‘Master Bait’ shop, Coal mines, general store, and of course the epic cemetery, etc. Even without a specific theme, the themes within the individual sections of the trail were perfectly executed. Scary Harry’s is packed with so much detail that it is sure to keep your eyes darting from here to there wondering what will happen next!

Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):

(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 9.5

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 10

(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 9.33

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.67

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7.83

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Scary Harry’s pulled off a practically impossible task. There is a member of our team that sees almost everything coming, who rarely ever gets startled while going through a haunt, who pisses off actors by not running when they come after him with a chainsaw or get in his personal space’ and well’ Scary Harry’s managed to take him off guard several times, not once, not twice, but, well we don’t know because to be honest, we were laughing so much we didn’t bother to keep count! That is something to be proud of right there! If you can scare the unscarable, you are doing something right!

There were several kinds of scares and creep factors. The good ole standard jump scare happened multiple times as well as those pesky sudden loud noises that are always good at making you clench your teeth. Many of the scares were not predictable. They are masters of the art of using distraction and misdirection. As mentioned in the cast section, the actors really shined when it came to making patrons feel scared and uncomfortable. We experienced a range of scare tactics including the blank stare, props suddenly coming to life, almost being run down by a truck, and invasions of personal space. We were even ganged up on by a few of the cast that had us trapped backed into a corner. We also noted that there are a large variety of weapons used to intimidate patrons, and believe me, after seeing some of these interesting contraptions you will want to run away in fear!

Everyone in our group ended up getting a fairly equal number of scares (for once!). No one is safe. Also, don’t be surprised if you do get separated from your group. They do a fantastic job at keeping you on your toes because you have no idea what is lurking around the next corner.

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?: 9.83

(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 6.5

(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 10

(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9.5

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Scary Harry’s is a steal! At only $15.00, you will definitely have a scare-tastic time. The website states that the attraction takes about 30-35 minutes to complete. When we visited it took our group 37 minutes to complete. With a ticket price of $15.00 and 37 minutes of entertainment, we get 2.47 minutes per dollar value. This is one of the highest on The Scare Factor site for a haunt!

The souvenir shop has affordable t-shirts ranging from $10-$15. The owners work with local shops and vendors to have their merchandise created locally. Scary Harry’s filled its haunted attraction space to the max without being overwhelming. If we lived closer to this attraction, we would definitely attend it more than once each season because you definitely get your money’s worth. They have plans for major expansions in the future and honestly, we cannot wait to see what they will do next!

How Did We Get These Scores

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Guest Reviews
Guest Average: 9 out of 10

danleep – 10/10 – October 15, 2016
In a rural setting, Scary Harry’s Haunted Trails takes the visitor along trails, into buildings and …show more otherwise scares the pee out of some, as evidenced by some of those exiting the park. One person did a #3 on one of the trails! (It wasn’t me, but I know of it happening.) For a great and scary time…visit Scary Harry’s Haunted Trails in October of each year…

Jessica Polovich – 8/10 – October 12, 2018
This was my first time at Scary Harry’s and besides the fact its in the middle of no where its …show more creepy just getting to the place. The line is set up on stairs and we waited about an hour and a half. The whole thing is outside with an exception of maybe 2 or 3 buildings. They have cool things I have never saw before with props. They do need more actors with masks but other then that it was a cool experience.

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