Terror in the Corn at Anderson Farms Review (2022)

Terror in the Corn boasts more than a hundred actors on any given night and even more customer support staff to make sure the haunt runs like clockwork. As with years past, a mélange of mysterious and monstrous masses helped maintain the immersion and all of the usual suspects were present, as were a few new surprises. Upon first entering, hauntgoers will be treated to a truly spectacular performance given by the newest resident of the haunt, Dumitra, as she writhes around her viney perch, greeting guests with a remarkably well-delivered soliloquy in search of souls.

Also new this season is the embodiment of the haunt itself, Jack, the pumpkin-faced scarecrow that has served as the mascot for several seasons. The actor playing Jack did a good job fulfilling the role, with equal adeptness on the stilts that gave him a foot (or two) up on his competition. We were also haunted throughout the Ravens Gulch town set by a corn-enthusiast cowboy who had some great kernels of humor for our ears, and we had an especially spirited performance by Bella, the ghostly girl with the best songs in the place, no bones about it!

The cast was also highly interactive to appropriately varying degrees. Some cast members engaged us directly, verbally and physically, while others simply lurched at us or offered an acknowledging grunt. Others still didn’t interact with us at all but timed their interactions with each other, so we were witnesses, including some saloon patrons and the couple arguing about infidelity. While many cast remain unnamed, the collection of their performances are perfectly appreciable, having come at us from many angles and with a multitude of methods. In short, the cast at Terror in the Corn was fantastic!

There wasn’t a single costume at Terror in the Corn that didn’t look genuine and complete from head to toe. Even the run-of-the-mill ghostly Ravens Gulchians, whose costumes and makeup were the least remarkable of the bunch, were very well done with high-quality make-up, unique detailing, and clothing complete with matching accouterments and accessories. The Romani traveling carnival, in particular, seamlessly signaled a shift in scenery while remaining well within the old west meets ancient evil theme. There were also some downright cool masks, particularly in the corn fields, as well as a heavily-hooded acolyte who didn’t need to show any skin to get his couple of scares. The queue cast’s costumes, in particular, excelled here, with a grievously gregarious ax man, Ravens Gulch’s sheriff and the scarecrow, Jack, all haunting the line with amazing looks made to be seen in the brighter light of the queue line and captured on haunt fans’ smartphone screens. Costuming is a definite highlight of Terror in the Corn, and worth the high marks they earned.

In speaking with Michael and Bart about the changes they made to Terror in the Corn in 2022, coming off of a banner year in 2021, two words kept coming up over and over again: customer service. This season, Terror in the Corn brought on a team of folks to focus solely on the queue line experience, by having staff help direct guests to the right line or timeslot, managing the queue and timing to avoid conga lines, and ensuring that guests are getting the full impact of the haunt. Speaking of queue lines, Terror in the Corn took the truly customer-centered step of putting portapotties right in the queue line so folks don’t have to abandon their place in line to go in search of some relief. In the short time we spent observing the queue line and cast there, we saw many groups taking advantage of that hospitality.

The crew also made sure that things like safety weren’t an issue, ensuring that the pathways and cornrows were noticeably level and easily passable. Getting to the haunt and parking, however, was a little more difficult than it’s been in the past. Hauntgoers approaching from the west take heed: the security helping manage traffic on Highway 52 won’t let you turn left onto the County Road, leaving visitors to attempt to find a place to turn around on a dark highway that’s got plenty of oncoming traffic (largely headed to Anderson Farms for its non-scary Fall Festival activities or for Terror in the Corn’s nationally-renowned awesomeness). A note on the website would allow guests to formulate a better route to avoid that turn-around, as would a suggestion from the guard or a little signage indicating where to double back.

Speaking of the website, with the exception just mentioned, it provides all of the information haunt goers could want. For folks looking for Fall Festival information, Anderson Farms maintains a separate web presence, but it’s bright, sunny façade is linked from the black and red themed Terror in the Corn’s site. Overall, customer service at Terror in the Corn, and throughout Anderson Farms in general, is top-notch, from the creatures screaming in your face in the fields to the peaceable pumpkin vendors running the general store registers!

Haunt goers’ tickets are also admission to Anderson Farms for the day as well, meaning that guests can spend a calm day strolling through the annual (not haunted) corn maze, enjoying the farm-based fun and games always on the grounds, and vendors specially brought in to supplement the already huge and well-stocked General Store and snack bar. All of that greets guests arriving for Terror in the Corn and awaits after the haunt finale, which is to say nothing about the world class rural Colorado views surrounding the farm, from the golden fields on the east to the jagged peaks off to the west. In the evenings, folks can even rent private campfires to keep warm and bask in the glow of their good decision-making abilities when it comes to autumnal fun.

That atmosphere alone is enough to make Sam blush through his burlap mask, but the vibe really kicks up a notch as hauntgoers get into the queue line. As mentioned above, the Terror in the Corn crew upgraded the queue line that also included a DJ booth with a couple of recognizable pieces of technological wizardry that we all look forward to seeing reanimate in a future season. Upbeat tunes keep the crowd moving while the aforesaid queue cast creep about the procession of guests, giving glimpses of what awaits within the haunt.

Although the story of Ravens Gulch and the Wells twins has been the Terror in the Corn mythos for years, it hadn’t been featured largely in the haunt as it evolved over the years, causing a bit of a disconnect between the story and the experience. That vacuum was enough to summon Dumitra, the new witch in town intent on taking the power of Ravens Gulch for herself and away from the Wells twins. That Dumitra greets guests with such a truly stunning performance is enough to lodge her into our collective minds, but the repeated reminders–and accusations–from the townsfolk of her presence and intentions ensures that she’s never too far from the forefront of our thoughts. As we learned in our discussions with Michael, there are already plans to further her wicked influence more thoroughly in upcoming seasons, which will only serve to deepen the immersion when going through the haunt.

With respect to the haunt itself, we were consistently immersed in the moment, though sometimes to more comedic effect than scary. Despite a few ill-timed animatronics or scares, the flow from scene to scene and field to ghost town remained smooth and made sense while providing a mixture of environments to keep folks on their toes. Going from the haunted environment to the kitschy confines of Fall Fest does provide a bit of a stark transition that I didn’t recall when zombie paintball also helped flesh out the space and buffer the switch, but returning to all that Anderson Farms has to offer is far from a disappointment. Rather, it provides a nice way to round out a great night!

Terror in the Corn wouldn’t be the attraction that it is without the amazing soundscaping spanning the mile-long route. Old time music wafts from the recesses of buildings and antique radios the size of tube TVs found along the path in town while crickets sing in the fields over the chilling sound of small gas motors revving in the distance. Those auditory effects, however, only provide support for the masterfully crafted scenery, full of period-appropriate settings and structures, furnishings, décor and detailing unique to each location.

Other special effects were very well done, the laser swamp, in particular, being more effective than others I’ve seen due to the confluence of creative cast, well-timed animatronics, and expert set design. We did note the absence of a couple of effects we experienced in the past and a few of the animatronics betrayed themselves too soon, but overall, the special effects at Terror in the Corn were splendidly effective.

Terror in the Corn is scarier than many of its counterparts in the metro area, providing heart-pounding moments and targeting everyone in the group with a wide variety of approaches. At times, however, those moments are punctuated with enough time to cool down or laugh at something or someone that the sense of scary wanes from time to time. That’s not to say that Terror in the Corn is tame, though, as the cast combines with the setting to sell each scene by lunging at our legs from dark corners, discussing our doom with darkly humorous dialogue, stalking us from the corn rows, or skipping along and singing with all of the malevolent joy one can conjure.

The finale at Terror in the Corn has also undergone some significant facelifts, as the crew constructed an all-new ending to keep us on our toes, capping off a fantastic haunt! Terror in the Corn may not be the scariest haunt in the state, but it’s certainly among the top few.

With a world-class, mile-long haunt, admission to which gets guests into the daytime Fall Festival, all at the gorgeous autumn setting that is Anderson Farms, the price of a ticket is well worth it and provides a full day’s worth of fun.

With the haunt coming in at just over a dollar per minute, it’s also a tremendous value, even if you’re only visiting for Terror in the Corn itself. Just make sure to buy your tickets early, as the haunt often sells out of slots, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, leaving none for purchase at the door.

Whatever the case, though, if you’re looking for a great time surrounded by the spirit of Samhain itself, make a point of visiting Terror in the Corn. And while you’re at it, stick around and enjoy some of the fun Anderson Farms Fall Festival offers as well!