The Goblin King’s Haunted Trail, located in Hartville, MO, is a part of the White Hart Renaissance Faire, and 2024 marks its second year in operation! This journey in the woods is a collection of beasts the Goblin King has possessed, according to his mother who I spoke with before embarking on this journey. While this is more of a family-friendly attraction, and you’re not going to see blood and guts, the chilling dark woods still offer plenty of frights and surprises waiting for you.
Continue reading if you would like to hear more about my solo experience!
I was impressed by the cast and their ability to use the woods and the darkness to their advantage. They were able to move swiftly and quietly within the trees, getting the jump on me on several occasions. The Goblin King’s Mother was great to talk to at the beginning as she prepped me for the journey ahead. The biggest scare actually came at the beginning; after a few minutes of walking, I began hearing strange animalistic sounds, but I couldn’t pinpoint the source. I turned a corner, only to hear rustling behind me. I screamed and turned around, seeing a large figure emerging from the woods. Using the small red flashlight given to me, I turned it on and pointed it at the beast, and it was a Wendigo! What I didn’t expect next was the actor on stilts to come charging at me while roaring! That had my heart racing as I managed to escape.
I caught up to the group in front of me, who were trying to figure out a riddle given to them by an Egyptian Queen. None of us were able to figure out her riddle and moved on from there. That’s when another beast came out of the woods, a large beast that was puppeteered! While the group ahead of me got the jumpscare, he still spent time turning to me, creeping towards me, and charging after me once I managed to squeeze past him!
I also encountered a couple of ghosts, a banshee, a couple of what appeared to be cloaked cult members, a ghoul that crawled right at me from the woods, a clown, a werewolf, and more. Besides the only speaking actors being the clown and the Egyptian, the others silently stalked, screamed as you crossed your path, or made strange animalistic sounds and growls.
Overall, I have to give props to the cast for utilizing the space given to them well and it’s clear that they are working to entertain all their guests who cross through their woods!
How complete, unique, detailed were the costumes, accessories? – (35% of score)
Were the masks, makeup creative, detailed, realistic? – (30% of score)
How appropriate were the costumes for the respective scenes, themes? – (20% of score)
How believable-, detailed-looking were the queue actors? (See Note if N/A) – (15% of score)
Given the dark areas, it was hard to see a lot of the costumes unless they were under direct light or if you used the small red flashlight provided. That being said, the costumes I did see amongst most actors were fairly detailed and the makeup, while simple, was well done. The Wendigo and the other Beast were my favorites of the night for their details and creativity. The actor who puppeteered the beast was wearing all black to blend into the shadows while operating the creature. I also enjoyed the banshee’s costume, as she was wearing a dirty white dress with white makeup and hair to match. A couple of the masks appeared to be store-bought, but fitted the actors well and fit within the setting given to them. I was happy to not see any basic t-shirts or underdressed actors out in the woods. There was minor distressing down to most of the outfits as well that made it fit given their setting in the woods. While the Egyptian Queen was well dressed, I was a bit confused by her placement within the woods, as her character and theme didn’t feel like they quite fit the overall theme of the attraction.
How easy was it to locate, park at, navigate the premises? – (25% of score)
Safety (Only dock points for TRULY DANGEROUS hazards!) – (30% of score)
How professional, helpful, friendly were the staff members? – (25% of score)
How easy was it to find pertinent information before arrival? – (20% of score)
While I was a bit concerned that I was going to the right place, as there were no signs or indicators about the haunt or ren faire, there was a sign posted right at the entrance to indicate that it was indeed the right spot. Google Maps will take you to where you need to go!
The staff, upon arrival, was friendly, professional, and helpful in letting me know what to expect!
Their website and social media have all of the information you need regarding the attraction, and the website even goes into more information about what to expect within the haunt itself.
The trail itself was straightforward, and there were no safety concerns to note! Just be aware that it is a trail in the woods, so dress appropriately!
How well did the pre-haunt areas ("vibe") prepare you for the attraction/s? – (25% of score)
How obvious, creative, believable was the storyline? (See Note if N/A) – (20% of score)
Were you completely, consistently immersed inside the attraction/s? – (40% of score)
How well did the "vibe" flow after, between the attraction/s? – (15% of score)
The ren faire provides a mysterious and mystical atmosphere to prepare you for the trail. As you line up, all you can really see ahead of you besides one or two lights is darkness, which was exciting.
What really ties this haunt together is the setting, the forest. It is dark, and they use that to their advantage. Even between transition areas where there are no actors, the ambiance of the forest keeps you on edge. A walk through the woods at night is always a little spooky, and not knowing what will pop out next and when keeps you tuned in to every little sound and movement that happens around you.
The haunt is advertised as having creatures of folklore and legends throughout, however, some of the characters within the trail didn’t seem to match this description or were too vague to pinpoint which legend it was supposed to represent. We would love to see more creatures of folklore and legends weaved throughout the trail, or see the ideas in the haunt expanded upon!
How effective were the sound effects? – (20% of score)
How realistic were the scene designs, details? – (30% of score)
How effective, realistic were the props, animatronics? – (30% of score)
How well did they use creative, special, sensory effects? – (20% of score)
The lighting and sound effects were simple but effective. The lighting was used to help actors hide within the darkness, used as a distraction, and to aid in jump scares. There were a couple of moments throughout where music was playing, but they mostly relied on the natural ambiance of the forest and a couple of sound effects for certain scenes I came across.
While you are not going to see high-tech used at this haunt, I appreciate the creativity in the old-school tech that was used like with the puppeteering for the beast and the couple of times a prop would drop down from above. A lot of the decor, props, and set pieces were store-bought, however, there were also a lot of pieces that appeared handcrafted by the staff. There is a lot of potential and I can only see it improving from here!
How scary was it? – (35% of score)
How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? – (15% of score)
How predictable were the scares? – (25% of score)
How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? – (10% of score)
How strong was the ending / finale? – (15% of score)
Keeping in mind that this is a family-friendly attraction, there were still plenty of scares to go around that got my heart pumping! As mentioned before, the woods definitely aid in keeping you on edge throughout your journey. There was always this feeling of unease and that I was being watched.
They do rely mostly on jump scares, and if you have caught up with a group, the jump scare may get spoiled for you. However, there are also a lot of actors who continue to stalk you or pop up again after you think you have passed them. The actors do a great job maneuvering through the forest quietly. You would think you were by yourself, only to look over your shoulder and see someone has been silently following you!
I hope to see this haunt continue to grow to its full potential, especially since it’s not too often you see a ren faire have a haunted attraction!
How satisfied with the entertainment provided by the MAIN attraction/s? – (50% of score)
How satisfied with OTHER entertainment INCLUDED with the ticket price? – (25% of score)
How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s? – (25% of score)
The haunted trail took about 22 minutes for me to venture through, and costs about $15 for the trail. This ticket also allows you access to the merchants and food vendors throughout the faire as well, including the nice folks at Treasures of Agrabah!
This family-friendly haunt is a fun, mystical, and spooky addition to the White Hart Ren Faire, and we hope to see them take this haunt and continue growing it to its fullest potential!
5651 State Highway F, Hartville, Missouri 65667