By day, Sullivan Farms is a fun, family-friendly pumpkin patch. But when the sun goes down, evil spirits come out to haunt you and your friends. Can you make it out of the scary haunted forest alive?
Sullivan Farms Haunted Forest is entering their 2nd year of operation. They currently have about 4/10 of a mile of haunted outdoor trail and have built everything from scratch. They plan to continue expanding, and we are looking forward to watching them grow since they have about 25 acres to work with. This one is worth the visit if you are near the Corbin, Kentucky area!
The haunt actors did a great job of keeping the entertainment flowing throughout the haunt! There were very few dead spaces that needed more actors. They only had about 20 actors, but we saw the same ones a few times in different locations. Each time was unexpected, and they provided some great entertainment! The only portion that could have used more actors was the hayride to the entrance of the haunt. We encountered two actors who jumped on with us about 3 minutes into the ride, and another actor about a minute later.
Some of the actors used creative dialogue, such as “Will you fix my car?” or “Not ALL of us are dead”. Others used some generic phrasing, such as “Get out” or “Hi”. We appreciated the use of creative dialogue and would have liked to see every actor use it (if the actor was supposed to speak). Ghostface, for example, didn’t speak, so that increased their authenticity.
We would have liked to see more verbal interactions with the actors. There were only a few actors who attempted to have a conversation with us. With that said, conversations don’t always have to happen. Actors can interact physically as well. Many of the actors seemed to be afraid to get in our way, which was understandable in some areas because of the mud, but it would have increased the fear they could have created. When an actor steps into your path, it forces you to walk around them and possibly go toward another scary prop, animatronic, or actor.
Some of the actors differed from each other in their acting styles, but others performed similarly. Some would jump out, scream, and follow, while others would ask us questions, creating a unique experience. It would have been more unique if every actor had acted differently from the next.
Many of the costumes seemed generic, as if they came from Spirit Halloween. Unfortunately, this takes away from the realism of the haunt, because the costumes weren’t made very well. With that said, though, there were some costumes we absolutely loved, like the scarecrow chainsaw-wielding maniac or the crazy dead guy toward the beginning (who we discovered was the brains of the haunt!)
Many of the masks were similar to the costumes in that they were generic. Some also didn’t fit the actors well (they were too big, or some showed off the back of the actor’s head). We were looking for unique masks and makeup to make the realism more effective.
We learned that the actors were on their own for costume design and what makeup/mask to use. This may have been the reason some of the actors seemed scattered and placed in random locations throughout the haunt. However, some actors worked well in locations, such as the scarecrow in the cornfield or the clowns in the carnival.
This haunted attraction is difficult to locate if you have never been here before. We used the address provided on their Facebook page, and it didn’t quite take us to the haunt. However, if you drive a bit further, you will see the entrance. They have a small sign with a little lighting. The instructions on how to get there are also on their Facebook page. That ticket booth was a bit confusing as well because they had a large sign for an ATM, but no “Ticket Booth” sign. They have restrooms at this location, but no sign for them. There are also no signs for the queue line. Each of the employees is very friendly, though, so all you need to do is ask and they will be happy to help!
Safety is important with any type of attraction. The only concern we had was how little lighting there was around the parking lot, throughout the haunt (around muddy areas), and the walk back to the parking lot after the haunt. During the haunt, I came out of a room/scene, wasn’t looking down, and stepped right into a giant puddle of water. Mud is always going to be a never-ending nuisance to outdoor haunts, but there are ways to prevent injuries in these areas. For example, we have seen haunts lay out hay to soak up some of the mud, or more lighting could help prevent any slips & falls.
Sullivan Farms Haunted Forest has a Facebook page that has quite a bit of important information on it. You’ll have to scroll a bit to find it, but it’s there. They include information on dates/times, ticket price (cash only), the location, and the fact that the haunt is all outdoors. We would like to see a little more detail, including whether or not the haunt is ADA accessible and what the touching policies are. This haunt has a messaging system, and they are very responsive, so if you have any questions, you can always reach out!
While in the parking lot, we didn’t think we were at a haunted attraction at all. Once we arrived at the queue, we saw “Friday the 13th” playing on a projector. While this is a great form of entertainment while waiting in line, this was all we saw to prepare us for the haunt. They had some ambient lighting as well, but it was otherwise quiet.
Overall, we felt like we were immersed in the attraction. The only scene/actor who took away from the immersion factor was right around the cornfield, and there was an actor who took out their phone to use a screaming sound. It was obvious this was not a real scream. We understand trying to save your voice, but the actor could have done something else instead of screaming. Since this haunt is outdoors in the woods, it made the transition zones easy to place. They focused mostly on outdoor scenes and used the woods to their advantage.
Immediately upon exiting the haunt, we came into a huge field. There was no lighting in this field, but you could see in the distance, the barn where the queue was, and sort of make out where the ticket booth was. We only had the moonlight to guide us (and our flashlights on our phones). We also used our car keys to turn the headlights on in our car. It was quite a boring atmosphere after the haunt. It would have been more entertaining if the exit had been near the entrance or a gift shop, etc.
Approximately half of the haunt was dead quiet. In some areas, this worked well because it would feel like someone was going to jump out at any moment, and we could easily hear what was to come. While in other areas, the silence was boring. Sound effects are important in haunted houses because they create a sense of unease. They can be very effective if used correctly. In the areas that used sound effects, it worked well, like the backwoods hillbilly home. And during the hayride, there were no sounds or lighting used at all. The only time anything happened was when the actors jumped on with us.
We enjoyed many of the scenes throughout the haunt. The scene designers worked hard to make sure everything had a place. There were many props that were built from scratch and placed in locations that worked well. We especially enjoyed the cemetery and the corn-covered area. Our favorite props were the dead guy prop in the cemetery and the large props that were placed in some of the doorways. We didn’t see any animatronics, but this haunt did well without them. They used many props to create an effectively creepy environment.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 6.88
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8.25
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 5.38
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 6.13
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 7.5
Sullivan Farms Haunted Trail had several areas that were scary. For example, the actors were placed in great spots, and most of the time, we didn’t see them coming. They would use props or other actors as a distraction and then jump out to scare us. There were many chainsaws, which are always startling. We would have liked to see more gore or something gross. The only part that kind of made my skin crawl was the spider’s lair.
Since there are only two people in our group, it’s usually difficult to determine whether or not scares are directed toward one person or everyone. In this haunt, the scares came from all directions except above and below, so it would be safe to say that the scares are aimed toward everyone.
This haunt used a few different types of scares, such as distractions or phobias. They had clowns, darkness, and spiders, so if you are afraid of any of these, beware when you enter this haunted trail! There were many times where an actor would use camouflage, act like a statue, or we would see them several times because they would run ahead and hide.
The ending was a lot of fun! We did not expect to be bombarded, chased, and startled at the same time. Be careful when you get to the end of this haunt. You never know what surprises are in store!
The entertainment provided, aside from the main attraction, was very little. The only entertainment we noticed, while waiting in line, was a horror movie playing on a big screen. While this is fantastic entertainment, it would have been beneficial to have queue actors, games, some type of performance, etc. We did notice that they have concessions available, so if you are looking for a snack, you can get something here while you wait.
We absolutely felt that this attraction was worth the trip! For only $15, you get almost 20 minutes of entertainment! That is more bang for your buck than almost any other haunted attraction we have been to! We were happy to visit Sullivan Farms Haunted Trail and are looking forward to watching them continue to grow. You definitely need to check this place out if you are looking for a fun outdoor haunt in the Corbin, KY area!
1091 Old Barbourville Road, Corbin, Kentucky 40701