Screamin’ Acres Haunted Houses, or SA for short, isn’t your average farm. Located 20 minutes from Madison, Wisconsin, in Stoughton. Eugster’s Farm is a fully operational farm where daylight meets darkness. By day, it captures the essence of a classic family farm with vibrant fall festivals, corn mazes, and driveways aligned with pumpkins. As night falls, those same pumpkin paths lead you into another world filled with creepy creatures, crazy convicts, and chaotic clowns.

At SA, your journey begins in the main waiting area, but this is no ordinary line. You’ll be swept into an electrifying atmosphere created by the DJ, setting the stage for the horrors to come. As you explore the grounds, prepare to face the terrifying ‘Slaughterhaus,’ a meat processing facility inhabited by bloodthirsty, contaminated workers. Next, you’ll stumble into the eerie ‘Lock Up: Under NO Management,’ where deformed escapees roam and a nightmarish laboratory awaits. If you manage to navigate the treacherous sewer system, you’ll find a house haunted by the twisted experiments of a chemist, who was driven to madness and isolation in ‘The Last Resort.’ Finally, in ‘Side Effects: Recharged,’ you’ll plunge into a disorienting maze, mirroring the chaotic descent into insanity the chemist faced in his final days. For those seeking an extra thrill, there’s an optional add-on experience that will amp up your fear level. SA revamped its shock therapy, ‘Death Trap 3.0.’ Do you think you can handle this SHOCKing experience?

For those who are itching for thrills beyond just one spooky month, Screamin’ Acres presents the ‘Halfway to Halloween’ experience. During the spring and summer, they open their doors to deliver chills and frights, so fans don’t have to wait an entire year for their next dose of heart-pounding scares.

SA’s cast is full of a wide variety of creepy characters that take their roles seriously to provide the best experience possible

Slaughterhaus: In this haunt, we were impressed by the number of characters that filled the space. As we navigated through the scenes, it became clear that these performers took their roles seriously, immersing us in an experience that truly felt like we were battling through a slaughterhouse. The characters were interactive, from their desperate screams for help to their relentless pursuit with chainsaws and cleavers. They engaged with us both verbally and physically, creating a thrilling atmosphere. We encountered butchers, pigs, and cows, with even a few of the farm’s goats making a surprise appearance at the fence line. Their performances really heightened the feeling that we were fighting for our lives to escape!

Lock Up: While walking through this haunt, we noticed a good amount of character to fill the haunt. We noticed a few parts of the haunt that could benefit from additional characters inside. We felt as though the number of characters in this haunt filled the space nicely. In Locked Up, we were escaping a prison full of demented convicts and the chemist’s experiments gone bad and it felt like just that! The characters fit the theme of the haunt, from yelling and crazy laughter, prisoners begging to be let out of their cells, and a prisoner lunging at you behind glass. We also saw a lot of variety of characters in this haunt. From prisoners, creepy creatures, spiders, clowns, and MaKayla’s favorite character, Puddles the Opossum.

The Last Resort: Entering this haunt we noticed that this haunt had the most amount of characters inside. Each room seemed to have at least one character in it. These characters all had their own creepy place inside this haunt, each being interactive in their own way. From the opera character scurrying across the floor at your feet to the distorted character in the crib moving in unsettling ways and even the librarian shushing you so you don’t wake the souls inside the books. There was no shortage of wacky behaviors.

Side Effects: Recharged: This distorting haunt had a good amount of characters. The characters inside this 3D haunt matched the interior almost too well. Some of the characters blended into the walls to be almost completely unnoticeable, while the rest matched the crazy clown aesthetic. All of these characters were very interactive and chaotic. From blending into the walls and banging on the floor and monkeying around to tossing stuffed animals and running an eye “scream” truck. All of these characters were immersive and interactive from start to finish.

At Screamin’ Acres, actors get to take charge of their costumes, making them feel more like their characters and adding their own spin. Each person is given a character to bring to life, and it’s up to them to make it their own. If anyone needs a little extra help with their look, the team is there to pitch in and make sure everything fits the vibe of the attractions

Slaughterhaus: Inside, you are met with a good amount of unique and creative characters as you walk through. Here we saw the use of masks more than make-up. We like to see this because sometimes you can’t always get all the details with make-up. An example of this is the pig character in this haunt. The mask was creepy and well-detailed. Something like this would be hard to achieve with makeup without heavy prosthetics. In this haunt we came across butcher, cow, pig, and other characters you’d expect in a slaughterhouse. These characters look like they were meant to be there and did not look out of place. The queue characters for this haunt were setting the vibe that you were about to enter a slaughterhouse. One character was dressed as a butcher with an apron and the other characters were dressed similarly with a mask that looked like a hand sewn onto a face.

Lock Up: This haunt is set inside a prison and the costuming shows just that. The orange jumpsuits and white and black tops with rips and tears covered in blood fit perfectly inside the chaotic walls of this institution. Some of these prisoner characters had makeup to make them appear bloody and beaten up and some of these characters had crazy clown makeup while others had masks that ranged from clowns, peeling skin with nails in the head, big mouths with sharp teeth, and more. These costumes were detailed and well-fitting for this haunt. The queue character for this haunt was a priest dressed in all black with white face paint, black around the eyes, and upside-down crosses on their cheeks. This character was well detailed and holding a lantern to light your way onto the bus to the prison.

The Last Resort: There are many different characters in this manor. We met each of the grave digger’s family members. We saw a lot of detailed costumes and makeup through this haunt. We saw a librarian with white contacts and skull-like makeup who shushed us for being too loud around the books, a lady in a detailed dress who chased us on the floor singing opera wearing a black and gold dress with a white beehive wig paired with white face makeup, and many others. These costumes were not only detailed but they fit in perfectly with the crazy family inside a manor vibe. The makeup on each character fit their respective costumes and nothing about the costumes seemed out of place. The queue charter for this haunt was a gravedigger that was dressed in a dark jacket with a flannel underneath and ripped jeans. This character’s makeup was well detailed giving the appearance that their nose fell off along with cuts on their face.

Side Effects: Recharged: This crazy 3D haunt is bright and disorienting just like the characters inside. This haunt was full of neon colors and the characters inside were just as bright. A lot of these characters are dressed as clowns with bright neon outfits to match the interior of the haunt, but we did see a snake. We also saw a few characters that were dressed to blend into their surroundings so we wouldn’t see them before the scare. The makeup in this haunt was also made up of neon clown-like makeup. These costumes fit well into this haunt and match the crazy interior clown-like Funhouse vibe we feel as though these costumes match perfectly to the respective scenes. The queue character for this haunt was also dressed as a clown with face makeup in conduction with a black-and-white wig, striped jacket with a skeleton bodysuit underneath the skirt, making it appear that this character was a skeleton clown. We feel as though this queue actor fit this haunt well.

Screamin’ Acres is pretty easy to find. The GPS had no issues finding the premises. They have lights on the poles at the entrance and a truck with flashing orange lights so you don’t miss the driveway. This was easier to spot pulling up from what we recalled during last year’s visit. The road leading up to this haunt is a very dark country road. Due to this, we would suggest signs leading up to the driveway on both sides of the road that state “haunted house next left/right” just to ensure people slow down so they don’t miss the entrance. We did not deduct points for this as the haunt is still easy to find, but just a friendly suggestion for the future. Once you get on the property, they have people with red stick lights directing you to the row you will be parking in. The driveway is gravel and the parking lot is a field with dirt/grass parking. Due to the parking lot area being so large, we feel as though this haunt would benefit from some additional lighting to try to light both ends of the lot for the people parked farther back.

As for safety, this haunt did well. They have police and EMTs on sight which is always good to see because it’s always better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. In the time we spent there, there was nothing that made the experience feel unsafe. The only thing that we did notice was the potential hazards inside the haunts. If you are aware of your surroundings, you won’t have a problem with this, but there are parts of the haunt inside Slaughterhaus and Lock Up that have areas where you can trip over thresholds between rooms if you aren’t paying attention, along with some of the holes in the walls you walk through in Locked Up that you can hit your head on if you don’t duck far enough. This haunt has added padding for situations like this so if you do hit your head it’s protected. This is something to be aware of if you don’t pay attention.

The staff at Screamin’ Acres is one of the most friendly staff we’ve encountered. They are always willing to help and answer any questions you may have and help direct you to where you need to go. While we were here, we also witnessed someone experiencing what looked to be a panic attack in the queue line. This was handled well by the queue characters who got this person out of line and to an EMT without disrupting others’ experience. We noticed that these characters were companionate towards the situation while also not drawing the attention of other guests to what was going on. This shows us that they are quick to address issues and potential emergencies and help in any way they can without disrupting the operation of the haunt.

If you are looking for information about this haunt we recommend checking out their website. It’s user-friendly and packed with all the info you need before you go. You’ll find details about their schedule, ticket prices, actor applications, attraction info, a promo video, and more. One cool feature that sets Screamin’ Acres apart is their mission statement, along with their values and history, which you can find under ‘About Screamin’ Acres.’ It’s a nice touch you don’t see on many other haunt websites. Under the ticket tab of the website, you will find the address to the property. Under the ticket tab, you will find where to buy tickets, information on timing, group sizing, duration of the haunts, weather information, clothing recommendations, disclaimers, attraction rules, and October ticket prices. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out through their website or on their frequently updated Facebook page.

When you first enter the midway it’s full of life. Between the roaming characters scaring and taking pictures, food, coffee trucks to grab a bite, photo opportunities to remember your experience, and fire pit to warm up before or after the haunts, there is a spooky fun vibe before you enter the queue line. The queue line is almost its own attraction, this line makes waiting without a fast pass a fun experience. This queue line is a mini pre-haunt rave. Between the lights and the DJ mixing up some party songs, you’ll feel like you aren’t even in a line. We think this type of queue line isn’t seen often but its a creative way to pass the time of waiting in line.

If you check out the Screamin’ Acres website, you can dive into the storyline for each attraction. We think adding a narrative as you go through the haunt would make everything feel more connected and boost the overall experience. While the haunts were still super immersive, some guests might be left wondering how it all fits together. Experiencing the detailed storylines you find online in person, would definitely help clarify things. This online storyline is one of the best we’ve seen, especially since a lot of haunts don’t do this. We recommend reading up on the attractions before you go to make the most of your visit.

Inside each attraction, we felt immersed, though some haunts stood out more than others. Slaughterhaus did a great job of capturing the vibe of a meat processing facility, but it could have used a bit more detail to some sections of dead space and turned up the music a bit to enhance the overall atmosphere. Lock Up did a good job with the prison vibe, especially with parts that let you feel like you’re escaping through the walls and sewer. It’s a lengthy experience that genuinely feels like two different haunts. First, you’re inside the prison, and then you move into another section where you escape and wander through a gas station, barbershop, and the cornfield further until you reach the house, also known as The Last Resort. The Last Resort captured the manor style well and every room was well-detailed and tied together well. Side Effects was truly impressive from the moment we stepped in. It offered a super interactive experience, with the sets coming alive and bright colors everywhere. This haunt really gives you the feeling of hallucinating.

Once you exit the 4 haunts you walk through a tent that leads you back into the midway where you can find the gift shop, photo ops, food and coffee trucks, fire pit, and Death Trap 3.0. Death Trap 3.0 is a revamped version of last year’s Death Trap. This year it is an escape room with a SHOCKing twist. While inside, you have to race against the clock to find all 5 glowing buttons in order in a pitch-black room full of chains that shock you, crawling and climbing till you find all the buttons. This is a great add-on for those who want more of a physically thrilling experience.

Sound Effects: Between all haunts, we noticed a decent amount of sound effects. Certain areas of the haunts did more well while others did not. For example, in Slaughterhaus we felt most sound effects came from the cast banging or making noise. We suggest adding a soundtrack of squealing pigs and other animals to make it really feel like a slaughterhouse. As the prison had good music playing, we still think it could be amplified by adding more alarms or noises by turning the volume up to create a chaotic environment. Most haunts had audio throughout but could be elevated in areas to create a more well-rounded environment.

Scene Design: The scene design across all 4 haunts was overall well done. We saw well-detailed areas in each haunt. To name a few, we saw old weathered wood-lined cattle shoot-like hallways in Slaughterhaus, a detailed prison bathroom that was almost too detailed in Lock Up to even the library area of Last Resort which was full of old books, desks, and dusty cobwebs. In Side Effects, it was hard to pick one area to use an example due to the haunt being full of fun house decor and many cool details throughout like the waterfall wall and volcano and all the cool 3D wall art. One thing we noticed a little in each haunt was a bit of dead space in some hallways that could be fixed by expanding details from the room before and meshing that with details from the next room to make the hallways feel like a seamless flow to and from the rooms.

Props & Animatronics: Similar to last year, we did not come across a vast amount of animatronics. The times that haunted attractions add these to scenes, it can help aid the cast member in their role or even be able to replace a character in a dead spot. The eye candy from large animatronics can also be a huge bonus. SA does still have some good animatronics when you find them such as the falling bookshelf or even a violently shaking body that was hanging in Slaughterhaus. Another really good animatronic that got Spencer in our group was the falling barrels. This trick did not do well last year as it was delayed but this time around, it got our group good especially Spencer with having good timing. Besides animatronics, there was a good use of props located across all haunts. A few examples of these were electric sticks, knives, dolls to even more.

Special Effects: During our visit, we saw a good amount of effects that other haunts do not always incorporate. We experienced zaps, moving floors, laser swap walls, and even one of our favorites being a vortex tunnel. There could be room to add more effects among each haunt to create a higher level of the show but is not necessarily needed. Some suggestions to add more of are doing a laser swamp, air blasts, squishy floors, inflatable wall tunnels, intense strobes or even mixing up multiple effects for an impressive double-door pop-out scene just to name a few. SA also did a good job with lighting especially being found in The Last Resort. Using lighting can help captivate the experience for guests.

Slaughterhaus: In this haunt, we saw a good amount of scares. These scares came from above, around corners, and jump scares. We noticed that the characters from this haunt did well with targeting everyone in the group as we walked through. We like to see this in haunts because it makes the group feel completely immersed in the experience. Some of these scares were predictable but there were some good scares that caught us off guard. As for the finale of this haunt, similar to last season, they used a cattle pusher-like device to bump you around as you walk through. We have not seen this done at any other haunt and really fits the slaughterhouse theme.

Lock Up: Here we saw some good scares that got some of our group good. We saw scares to everyone in the group. Nobody was left out. Although we did see some scares coming, there was a good amount of scares that we didn’t expect. We saw some banging noise scares, characters catching us off guard around corners, screaming, jump scares, and many more. This haunt also made sure to scare every part of the group as we walked through. The finale here was a giant puppet in a room. This puppet lights up and screams. While it does this, its head moves crazy and its arms reach out and try to touch you. We like to see this because we don’t always see finales and when we do, it’s usually a chainsaw ending.

The Last Resort: We thought this haunt was the scariest out of the 4 on the property. The characters in this haunt did well with making sure everyone in the group got a good scare. In this haunt there were a lot of details in the inside to look at so this helped distract us from anticipating scares as we walked through. Although we did come across a few predictable scares, they were still well executed and may not be predictable to the average customer. Inside this haunt, we experienced a variety of different scares. For instance, we saw some jump scares, and sound scares, some characters ran at us, while some characters scurried across the floor at us from a dark corner. The finale for this haunt was a bit different than last year’s. This year it was creative to have multiple laser swamp walls while having an actor set the stage. The fog could have been more filling but was a creative setup we have not seen at other haunts. After this room, there was just a tad more walking to complete before finally finishing the actual haunt.

Side Effect: Recharged: This 3D haunt is something we would like to see more haunts do. There is so much to look at that can distract you from seeing characters catching you off guard. This haunt wasn’t the scariest we’ve seen but it is one of the coolest to experience. This haunt had some good scares that we didn’t see coming. There were scares that we never saw coming due to the characters blending seamlessly into their scenes. For example, the character that looked like lava blended into the wall and we didn’t see them till they moved. This haunt had a lot of jump scares and sound scares that targeted everyone in the group. This haunt’s finale was interactive which was good to see. This finale was an “eye scream” truck scene where the clown character bats a balloon at you so you hit it back to keep it off the floor. This was a fun interactive take on a finale that we don’t see often.

The time to complete SA does vary as well as the walking speed of your group. The time to complete Slaughterhaus was 7.5 minutes. Lock Up took us a whopping 17.5 minutes to finish being the longest haunt on property. The Last Resort took a solid 9.5 minutes to complete with the final haunt Side Effects Recharged, taking us only 5 minutes to endure. With the average general admission price of $32 and total walkthrough time of 39.5 minutes, this gives SA a 1.23 minute per dollar rating! This rating is a great bang for your buck and higher than a good amount of other haunts across the state!

While we visited, most of our group experienced the new version of Death Trap 3.0. This is an extreme add-on attraction for those who are brave enough to complete it. This version of Death Trap was different than last year as you must navigate through the cargo container which is an extremely dark-filled environment with electrified chains, only to find the 5 buttons to press in sequence to be let free. Our time in this add-on took around 5 – 10 minutes with only an additional $7 upcharge. For those who talk a big game and don’t think haunts are scary, this is a must-do as I think you will change your mind after challenging this experience that this is genuinely an intense experience.

During your time on the grounds, you can find a small midway area. This area has improved since last year with more room for improvement over the years to come. In this area, you can find multiple food trucks along with multiple photo spot opportunities set up to capture the memories. The gift shop and Death Trap is now located in this area which brings the atmosphere more to life. There are also actors roaming about to entertain you with multiple seating areas to unwind before or after along with a large singular fire pit.

Something to keep in mind before attending SA is to ensure you purchase tickets online in advance. Tickets will typically sell out in advance and in order to prevent missing this haunt, plan accordingly. General admission cost $28 – $36 which all depends on the hour you visit on that operating night. The general price SA has is typically found at other haunts and a very solid competitive price. Besides general admission, SA offers a general admission ticket with the Death Trap Experience for $33 – $41. You can also find fewer cheaper ticket options with opening weekend or Facebook/Instagram coupon codes. In addition to that, they also offer a Heroes’ discount for any active/retired service men and women. If this criteria fits you, be sure to bring your ID and show it at the ticket booth to be honored with a $22 general admission ticket. There will always be a set of these tickets set aside each night even if they are sold out online.

As mentioned in last year’s review, SA does not offer Fast Pass tickets on their website. This is not a typical scenario when offered but they do this to ensure you do not buy something that is needed. If you do however want to cut the wait down, you can buy the Fast Pass upgrade at the ticket booth found on the grounds for an extra $10. Even with no Fast Pass, the line will move quickly from the DJ playing music and entertaining queue actors roaming around.

For those who crave more frights and can not wait another year, be sure to be on the lookout when SA announces their halfway to Halloween event. Here they will open up a similar full-fledged haunt to deliver those scares without waiting a full entire year. For those who have or have not been to this haunt before, be sure to come check them out as they offer unique features that other haunts in the state do not even offer as well as continuing to improve each year!