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: 8.23
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 7.86
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 7.96
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.34
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.44
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.41
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.14
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.55
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Summary:
Scream Acres is a South Carolina institution, offering up scares all through the season spread between a remote house and a long hayride and walking trail. Dedicated to charity, the Scream Acres volunteer team puts on an annual show that cannot be missed. Between the updated walking trail, the ghoulishly gory denizens of the woods, and the incredibly friendly staff, Scream Acres is an enduring local legend that keeps patrons returning year after year to see what new horrors they have. Fast passes are strongly recommended as the crowds can get thick, but queue entertainment is available and there’s an area between the house and the trailer ride that serves concessions and offers seating around a cast iron stove that helps on chilly nights. Offering one of the best hayrides in the area, for both the content and the comfortable bench seating without hay, Scream Acres is a joy to be terrified at each year.
Cast: 7.86
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.1
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 7.6
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 7.7
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7.8
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.3
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With a wide variety of creepy crawlies available at Scream Acres, there’s a lot of monsters to interact with even on a Sunday night. Our experience through the house had some front of group heavy moments, but the actors on the walking trail and along the hayride made sure to spread the fear throughout the entire group. There is not a lot of dialogue from the Scream Acres monsters. Where dialogue is used, it is very effective though, and we had a great time quipping with the dark robed figure outside of the end of the walking trail. The skull-faced monster inside the house was the perfect mixture of intimidating and quick-witted. The Freak Show brought high energy fear spread from the front of the trailer to the back, and the Hillbillies used a perfect combination of misdirection and chainsaws to keep the screams coming. Our team would also love to give a shout out to the hard-working monster in the woods who seemed to have night vision by the way he stalked our group. All cast members seem to love their craft and the art of the scare, which is always a delight to see!
Costuming: 7.96
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?: 7.9
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 7.9
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 7.7
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 7.7
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.4
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Because of the wide variety of characters, costuming at Scream Acres is variable and ever-changing. The team does a great job of making sure that monsters are dressed appropriately for their scenes. Our visit happened to be on an October night when it was in the eighties, so we were especially impressed that the monsters standing close to the pyrotechnics were still wearing their masks tucked despite the heat. Where makeup is used it’s complete and fitting with the character, and where masks are used they are fitting and also in line with the monster being portrayed. Costumes tend to vary in complexity, but for some of the more detailed characters, there are a lot of impressive getups that help them to achieve their goal of making people scream.
Customer Service: 8.34
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?: 8
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8.9
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 8.9
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 7.2
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The signs for Scream Acres start indicating the direction of the haunt and attracting guests miles away from the actual attraction. Parking is easy to find and the lot is kept staffed. Lighting within the parking lot and at the entrance of the haunt is very good. Scream Acres staff is highly professional and friendly, and more than willing to talk with a guest about any concerns or complaints. Their hayride is set up to be comfortable with safe benches in the trailer bed and no hay in the bed which makes the ride physically more comfortable. Safety measures like a guide rope have been added to the walking trail to better protect customers from getting lost forever in the woods. There are still some roots to watch out for on the trail, but Scream Acres has done a great job of creating a clearly designated and safe path to the finish line.
Atmosphere: 8.44
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?: 8.4
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.5
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The ticket area for Scream Acres sets the tone with the most terrifying photo booth we’ve ever seen, a haunted port-a-potty. With multiple haunt themed set pieces waiting for you at the entrance, there is no question that you are approaching a haunted attraction. Set deep into the woods and with a focus on horror that is related to isolation, the unknown, and the sort of monsters that hide in plain sight in remote country locations, Scream Acres’ setting and atmosphere legitimizes and enhances its scenes and actors’ work.
Special Effects: 8.41
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.4Explanation:
Each scene has its own sound. Beneficial sound bleed on hayride builds anticipation.
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8.6
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.8
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 7.9
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.5
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One of the criteria that our site looks at when it comes to special effects is the bleed of sound effects from one scene or room of a haunted attraction to another. Scream Acres has done something brilliant here by not only controlling the dreaded sound bleed but utilizing it so that where sound bleed cannot be controlled in an outdoor location, it blends into the next scene or adds tension and a sense of danger to the spaces in between scenes. There was an actor who combined both costuming and special effects to create the sense of a giant spider crawling out of the darkness before terrorizing the trailer that was not only impressive but fairly unique as well. Scream Acres also has an incredible array of pyrotechnics on display, as well as beautiful lighting and sound quality. The finale of their walking trail portion has been updated and revamped into another world from the one you entered the haunt in. New details, lighting, and sound make the trail something to behold.
Theme: N/A
How Did We Get This Score?
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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N/A
Scream acres does not have a unifying theme but instead moves guests from an old-school haunted house out through the woods into scene after scene of terrors. Whether you’re afraid of clowns, the cannibal hillbillies from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or hidden monsters in the dark, there will be something to scream at in the acres beyond the house.
Scare Factor: 8.14
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 7.9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.3
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.3
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.3
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8
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Scream Acres’ hayride and walking trail do an incredible job of spreading scares evenly amongst parties. The haunt staff is very good at avoiding any sort of conga line, which controls the size of a group so that it’s easier for actors, props, animatronics, and special effects to efficiently scare everyone in the scene. The monsters here are also excellent at using distractions to divert attention away from the next surprise scare. Careful attention paid by cast allows them to focus on and target members of the group that seem especially affected by the scenes around them, and the combination of techniques and acting results in a lot of screams from the patrons coming through. Our team was especially impressed with the combination of all of these techniques in the Hillbillies scene, especially when it came to the actors’ performances.
Entertainment & Value: 8.55
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?: 8.9
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 7.5
(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?: 8.9
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With highly reasonable ticket prices at $15 and about 38 minutes needed to get through the house, the hayride, and the walking trail portion you’re looking at 2.5 minutes of scare per dollar which is a great ratio. The fast pass is a little more expensive than general admission but highly recommended as the crowd builds up fast and to preserve proper group sizes in the attraction, it can move a little slowly. Also, getting fast pass ups your chance to go through a second or third time!
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!