Sir Henrys Haunted Trail Review (2023)

It should come as no surprise that the cast of Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail goes above and beyond to not only scare you but also drive home the central story of each haunted attraction. Of particular note are the first two actors in Moonlight Massacre. As we entered the trail, an actress set the scene that a sheep farmer named Thomas had been tricked by an old witch named Beatrice (who is seen throughout the entire event this season). In exchange for a fortune, Thomas agrees to a sinister pact with Beatrice and, under the light of a full moon, transforms into a werewolf. We then come upon Beatrice in the woods, who further explains how she cursed Thomas and that the residents of the town will continue to be tormented by the werewolf with each full moon. It’s a lot of story to cover, but these two actresses delivered the full plot so effectively as you made your way into the town of Boggy Meadow.

In Wicked Waters, we picked up a resident of the Boggy Meadow swamp in the queue line. This actor proceeded to follow us through the entire queue and let us know what he was planning to do with our bodies. Unluckily, our group leader was nominated to be the first to go. To take things one step further, this same actor proceeded to follow us through a majority of the house and provide occasional scares to the person in the back of our group. Well done!

The haunted hayride features all of the classic Halloween characters, from trick-or-treaters to vampires, the Headless Horseman to scarecrows and witches. Each actor did a great job staying in character and engaging with each guest on the haywagon as we were stopped in the different show scenes. When we mentioned to a vampire we were hungry, we were informed we couldn’t be nearly as hungry as they were and to stay for dinner. Little touches like this elevate the hayride experience and make it such a welcome addition to Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail.

Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the cast in the midway who proactively approached you and always remained in character throughout the evening. As we stood in front of Beatrice’s witch cottage in the middle of the midway, she walked up to us and had a full-blown conversation about one of her statues, which was going to help her cast her spell to get rid of Sir Henry and take over the event. It was such a fun interaction that tied together the theme of “The Witching Season” at the event this year.

If you can manage to arrive before the sun sets for the evening, you’ll have the opportunity to see some of the most detailed costumes of the event up close. They’re works of art, and, as Sir Henry’s introduces you to new characters (icons) at the event, they continue to up the costume ante. One small critique is that there were very few instances where we saw tennis shoes that stuck out on some actors’ feet, and the actor in the jail cell in Moonlight Massacre seemed to be in modern-day clothing while the rest of the house featured period clothing. In full disclosure, we attended on Media Night, so this is something that might have changed before the event opened for the season.

Be on the lookout for perhaps the biggest and most impressive costume of all in Moonlight Massacre: a full-sized werewolf covered in fur from head to toe. This massive character hunts you through the last segment of the trail, and, if you can manage to get a good glimpse of him, you won’t be disappointed. We swore we were standing face-to-face with a real-life werewolf. For even more costume goosebumps, try to sit towards the back of the haywagon during Legends of Halloween, and make sure you remember to turn around after you pass through the jack-o-lantern. If you do, you’ll come face to face with the headless horseman in full regalia perched on top of his horse. It’s a sight to behold that left our jaws dropped.

Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail is located right off Interstate 4, and if you’re traveling from Orlando or Tampa, it couldn’t be more easy to get to. Free parking is available out front, and there’s a large sign to welcome you to the event as you turn into their driveway. As usual, everyone was very polite and courteous at the event. Each trail had an attendant at the entrance to brief you on the security measures in place and pump you up for the experience ahead. We swung by the Swag Shop later in the night, and the attendant was very helpful when we had questions about some merchandise options. With all of that in mind, Sir Henry’s gets a perfect 10 out of 10 for Customer Service!

Pro tip: Make sure you take the time to stop by the Swag Shop. T-shirts, candles, socks, shot glasses – You name it, Sir Henry’s has it! Sir Henry’s even has its very own 3 book series, which can be purchased at the shop or online on Amazon. Check it out for all of the backstories and lore into the icons of Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail!

It’s hard not to get lost and caught up in the horror and beauty of Sir Henry’s when you enter the midway. Actors constantly interact with you while you’re trying to enjoy a snack or take in the midway, you’re taunted in the queue lines by actors before you enter each attraction, and, when the trail or hayride is over, you’re brought back out into the midway for even more scares.

Sir Henry’s makes sure you never have a moment to truly relax because you never know when characters like Poppy, Beatrice, or even Sir Henry are going to pop up next! The storylines for each attraction are distinct, yet all tie together as a whole. And, if there’s any confusion, the full storylines are displayed before you enter the queue lines for each attraction.

The sets at Sir Henry’s keep getting bigger and grander every year. The front entrance of Moonlight Massacre has been completely redesigned, and it’s a work of art. Full-blown sets have been built for the haunted hayride, and these aren’t small set pieces we’re talking about. A witch’s cottage, a residential street (with a fun Halloween reference), a larger-than-life jack-o-lantern, and more make up the 20-minute experience that will keep you wanting more.

In addition, Sir Henry’s stepped up their prop and animatronic game this year, especially in the haunted hayride. Two of our biggest scares also came from some new animatronic effects in Wicked Waters and Moonlight Massacre. If the set pieces, animatronics, and taser effects aren’t enough to get you, Sir Henry’s has one additional trick up their sleeve: scents. Both Moonlight Massacre and Wicked Waters pumped what smelt like a mix of death or rot throughout portions of the trail. It got so strong that the ending of Moonlight Massacre left us gagging our way through the final rooms of the trail. Bravo to Sir Henry’s. For everyone else, you have been warned!

As Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail continues to add animatronics, impressive sets, and fully detailed costumes, the scare factor also continues to climb higher and higher each year. Each of the three trails scared a member of our group at least a couple of times throughout the evening, even on repeat visits through the trails. In perhaps the greatest scare of the night in Tales of Halloween, we were walking down a hall in the dark mansion when a door slammed open at the end of the hallway. We stood there in silence, afraid to move forward. As we finally approached the door, a character popped out and chased us into the next room where another character was waiting with a taser. It was a great double scare and goes to show you these actors were firing on all cylinders, even during a Media Night. In Wicked Waters, scares came from above you and the actors expertly jumped from the beginning of the scenes to the end of the scenes to give you a double scare.

And then there’s Legends of Halloween Haunted Hayride. Unlike a haunted trail where it’s easier to escape into the next scene, you’re trapped on a haywagon for 20 minutes with nowhere to go. With such a great story surrounding you on all sides of the wagon, it’s so easy for a scare actor to creep up and scare you while you’re distracted and Sir Henry’s takes advantage of that!

Between the 20-minute hayride experience and the three trails ranging from 5 – 6 minutes long (depending on how scared you are to walk through them), the minutes per dollar comes in at .75 cents. It’s a tremendous deal for the money, considering you can spend another solid hour perusing the midway, grabbing a tasty treat, checking out the gift shop, or running into one of the ghastly characters who call Sir Henry’s home. Or, for the ultimate deal, you can purchase a season pass to the event for only $125. The pass allows you to attend up to every night of the event, includes one front-of-the-line access to each attraction (3 haunted trails and haunted hayride), and allows for unlimited entries into the general admission line for each haunted trail (hayride excluded). Plus, you’ll enjoy a 10% discount at their swag shop.

Note: All tickets must be purchased in advance online before attending the event, and there are a variety of ticket options to pick from:

1. General Admission: Valid for one admission to each of the three haunted trails. Legends of Halloween Haunted Hayride is NOT included with this ticket. Prices start at $27.

2. All Access Ticket: Valid for one admission to each of the three haunted trails AND one admission to Legends of Halloween Haunted Hayride. Prices start at $42.

3. VIP Ticket: Valid for one front-of-the-line entry to each of the three haunted trails and Legends of Halloween Haunted Hayride. This ticket also allows for unlimited entries into the general admission line for each of the three haunted trails. This ticket does NOT include unlimited entries for Legends of Halloween Haunted Hayride. Prices start at $57.

4. Season Pass: Attend every night of the event with one front-of-the-line access to each attraction (3 haunted trails and haunted hayride), unlimited entries into the general admission line for each haunted trail (hayride excluded), and a 10% discount at the swag shop. Season passes cost $125 and are limited.

For additional ticket information, please visit sirhenryshauntedtrail.com.