Terror in the Corn has proven itself to be a top-notch haunt, but this year, things were kicked into high gear! The mile-long haunt, which is packed with scene after scene of the unfolding battle between the Wells twins, themselves miscreants who ruled the town of Raven’s Gulch with an iron fist before the arrival of Dumitra, the witch intent upon wresting control of the area into her own unclean hands. Guests not only get to experience an incredible haunt but also gain entrance to Anderson Farms, a large farm with all sorts of fall festival activities, including a huge non-haunted corn maze, fire pits for rent, and more, providing a full night of entertainment for the price of admission. This season, the haunt took a big step forward by taking a big leap back. Now, visitors entering the timed ticket line will go from the innocent seasonal fun of the farm and transport through space and time into an old west train station, physically filling the queue lines but psychologically preparing visitors to enter the twisted yesteryear happening inside of the attraction. From there, things just keep getting better and better. The haunt itself has also been updated this season, giving folks a fresh experience with a few new surprises! Once again, Terror in the Corn is outstanding in its field!
The cast at Terror in the Corn continues to step up their game this season, meeting the challenge set out by the improvements made to the haunt and queue line. The experience begins with guests entering the timed ticketing lines, who are then greeted by the haunt’s non-scary staff. However, this season, to go hand-in-glove with the train station, the folks scanning wrist bands and managing the lines are themselves dressed as old-time train station workers. That detail almost fades into the background once wristbands are scanned, as haunt goers are then sent into the actual glowed-up queue line, which has its familiar cast of queue line actors to harass and harangue guests. Those actors have always been among the most bold and interactive cast members, and this season was no different in that respect. They did, however, add a heaping helping of humorous horror to their repertoire this year, breathing new life into the haunt’s storyline and engaging guests like never before. Every thirty minutes, a variety of queue actors appear on the train platform and entreat the people in line to support either the Wells twins or Dumitra and her fellow witches. Those skits play up the battle that’s brought to life in the fields of the haunt, but rely on the quick-witted thinking and infectious charisma the actors bring to the show. The other queue actors continue milling about, so the queue line is never completely safe from confrontation. Once the playlet is over, the actors return to antagonize the queue line, engaging in small talk about supporting one side or the other while slinging some mud at the other side and still giving guests threatening engagement.
The cast inside of the haunt, literally consisting of enough people to fill a small town, performed at their peak. We were repeatedly accosted by Dumitra’s zealots and acolytes, whose approaches were more visceral and animalistic with their bestial body movements and unnerving noises, and the Wells twins’ henchmen and Raven’s Gulch townsfolk, who tended to lean more into being witch-weary and generally demented. Everyone we passed offered some sort of interaction, some appearing only once or twice as we walked the trail but others made repeated appearances complete with callbacks to our earlier interactions. Did we finally find the bar? Were we staying at the hotel? Had we bought our coffin yet? In another area, after uttering an inadequate response to whether we had burned a witch yet, the Romani roamer called to her fellow travelers that we were witches only for them to respond with an uproar of “burn the witch!” And really, that’s just one of many examples of how all of the actors paired their characters seamlessly with the scenery and special effects to set up scares. One animatronic we’ve seen in use repeatedly over the years was given a new lease on screams with the presence of a young girl innocently giggling before the pressure-powered ghoul wretched forward, for instance. Whether in the town or in the corn, whether team Wells or team Witch, the cast at Terror in the Corn left it all on the field!
The costuming at Terror in the Corn remains incredibly detailed, appropriate to the time period, and fitting within each respective area. Each cast member, in fact, gets their own customized costume, which is then reserved for that actor all season, allowing the cast to truly embody the facade of their individualized haunt characters, honing the complexity and depth as the season continues. The costumes of the witch’s crew included some tremendous masks and prosthetics along the way, and the denizens of the town had great looking makeup, not to say there wasn’t a little overlap. The upshot is that the costuming, masks and makeup were all very well done. The makeup in particular had a more creative bend, tailored to each character with more love and attention than a fast coat of airbrushing or a quick spritz with a squirt bottle (or, alternatively, a bucket full) of fake blood can accomplish. As for masks, the best ones seemed to be in the corn, where Dumitra’s dark magic created abominations and amalgamations of monsters, including the goat-headed guy and the wendigo donning its natural face. Although there were some looks that provided more of a punch, most of the costumes were up to their usual standard such that they fit the scene and added to the sense of realism, deferring attention to the actors’ engagement rather than the costumes themselves.
The customer service at Terror in the Corn, and at Anderson Farms, where the haunt is located, leaves nothing to be desired. The staff are all incredibly friendly and helpful, helping make sure things move smoothly and that everyone has a good time. This even extended to after the haunt, where greeters dressed in the train station garb mentioned earlier spoke with guests leaving, bidding them a good evening and checking in on the experience, which hadn’t completely ended, as queue line actors continued spilling out into the exit area sending guests skittering.
There is no shortage of available information about Terror in the Corn including on their website, in social media, and via ads that run throughout Denver and northern Colorado. Getting there is also very easy with any map app, though it remains just off of Highway 52, a few miles west of I-25 (a little less west than the Tree Farm). Even though the place was sold out on the night of our visit, the ample parking lot still had space available, though visitors would be wise to arrive a little early. Not only is there more than enough to do inside of Anderson Farms before your timed ticket haunt slot, but you might need some extra time to find a parking spot and walk in.
From the moment haunt visitors enter the timed ticket queue line, the feel of going back in time sets in. The wooden walls are lined with large windows and posters celebrating past years’ successes. Walking down that long path, even before encountering the first queue actor, begins setting the stage and mentally preparing folks for the haunt and the struggle for its soul between the two opposing sides. The queue line itself not only offers visitors the incredibly interactive skits mentioned above, but there is music provided by the twin animatronic skeleton DJs situated in one of the train cars while the train engine billows smoke from its stack. During the quieter moments, guests are able to read old news clippings from the Raven’s Gulch Register posted throughout the line that recount some of the history leading to the haunt: the coming of the railroad, the Wells twins’ unsavory exploits, the arrival of Dumitra, the end of the orphanage, and more. The table is set beautifully in that queue area, and it comes to impressive fruition before our eyes in the haunt itself, which keeps visitors grounded in each moment as it passes. There was only one spot where we weren’t wholly enveloped by the haunt, when we came through a curtain only to see an area outside of the haunt with a railing and lighting bank on full display. That spot, however, lasted no more than a second or two, but it was enough of a contrast to the rest of the crazily immersive haunt that it stuck out.
Haunt goers making it out of the attraction are greeted by a rotating combination of queue actors and train station employees touching base before being released back onto the Anderson Farms grounds, stuffed to the gills with seasonal spectacles and activities. For those wanting to keep the fun going even longer, there is the Zombieland gift shop that sells all sorts of haunt swag, including Issue 2 of the Terror in the Corn comic book!
The special effects and props at Terror in the Corn are incredible and everywhere. The soundscaping throughout the various scenes and locations is immaculate, infusing the scenery with authentic aural ambiance lending credence to the tale. The design of the path, the dense cornstalks, and areas guests pass through create innumerable spots and paths for haunters to work, which are also usually set up with some sort of effect to draw one’s attention here or there. Even something as simple as a lantern in the corn, after encountering a creature with a similar lantern earlier on the path, amounted to an anxiety-inducing experience waiting to see if it would move. We also lost count of the number of times we wondered if a full-sized figure was living or not, as even the static props proved more useful than being mere eyecandy. Another time, while taking in an eyeful of the spectacular scenery, I bumped into someone. As I turned to profusely apologize, I realized that the creature was more latex than living, and missing its head.
One area in particular really encapsulates the impressive special effects: the orphanage, which was realized with remarkable clarity. Upon stepping through the doorway, the first thing to hit was the sound of a crying baby, followed by a thick haze. The actor in the rocking chair added a little flair as well, but as we walked further into the structure, we noticed the wooden slat walls pulsing with orangish-yellow light reminiscent of embers, rekindling the memory of the Raven’s Gulch Register article in the queue line. As that article reported, the Wells twins and townsfolk blame the witches for the fire, but others believe it was really the Wells twins’ doing. Whoever was to blame, each step through the carnage brought the battle between evil and eviler thrashing back to the fore.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 9.19
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 9.16
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 9.19
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 9.19
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 9
With our group of five, it can sometimes be difficult to scare everyone. Inevitably, the person in the front gets the benefit of first seeing things, and the person in the end gets the benefits of being stalked and harassed by roaming actors, but the folks in the middle are sometimes allowed to cower between the others and avoid the brunt of the haunt. That wasn’t the case at Terror in the Corn. The explosive shows put on by the cast, the unbelievable scenes, and the authentic setting combine to keep the fear fresh on tap. Some scares consisted of creepy but friendly-enough interactions, such as speaking with the Wells Hotel front desk worker about the freshly stuffed mattresses, declining the bartender’s offer of an unknown cocktail, and being offered unsavory offers by the questionable courtesans. Others were more akin to quick jump scares, as critters and beasts skittered and bade as they burst from the fields, rushing at us like we were prey. Others still menaced while leading us by our noses to the slaughter. Everything about Terror in the Corn this season was superlative, pushing the line and sometimes solidly stepping over it in the best ways, not least of which was the terror it wrought in our hearts as we wound our way through. Terror in the Corn is terrific in every sense of the word!
Although Terror in the Corn runs nearly $50 for a basic ticket, it is well worth the price of admission. The haunt itself is approximately 40 minutes, which puts the minute-to-dollar ratio on par with most other haunted attractions in the state. As noted above, that ticket also allows guests to enter Anderson Farms during their daytime hours, which could turn the evening’s activities into a full day of autumnal enjoyment, including the huge not haunted corn maze, the plethora of things to do, see, eat, and drink, and much, much more. Given that huge variety of seasonal stuff to do and the top tier haunt, Terror in the Corn is a great price and an even better time!
6728 County Road 3 1/4, Erie, Colorado 80516
