Features:
✓-Paid Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Food/Concessions✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-“Old-School” (Low Tech)✓-“Hi-Tech” Attraction✓-You will NOT be touched✓-Original Characters✓-Uncovered Outdoor Waiting Line✓-Indoor/Outdoor Attraction✓-Family Friendly
How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 8.82
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.56
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.96
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.43
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.84
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 9.18
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 7.9
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.6
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.67
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Summary:
Celebrating ten years of thrills and chills in the Hendersonville area, Haunted Farm is a fan favorite haunt in North Carolina. 2020 may be an odd year for haunts, but our team was delighted to visit the Haunted Farm for the first time despite the pandemic concerns. Located in a lovely portion of North Carolina known for its orchards, Haunted Farm set the tone from the word go by having a legitimate graveyard next to its parking and a lively set of actors working the parking lot where we waited to be called.
Bring comfortable shoes, a love of Southern horror, and a lot of energy to get through this winding tale of terror.
Cast: 8.56
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.7
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.6
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8.6
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8Explanation:
mine guy coughing, lady in mine, steak tartare, “YES!”, nurses
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.8
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The cast at Haunted Farm spans the gamut of classic, old-school Southern horror with some more unique and inventive monsters mixed in. We had our two youngest members with us for the visit, and we were delighted when a group of ghouls in the woods started up a chant of ‘Yes’ versus our youngest’s ‘No’ for being chased. The guardian of the cannibal house wittily offered us steak tartare, the entryway to the mine included some delightfully scene appropriate improv, and even the nurses taking temperatures and keeping COVID precautions were on point and ready for us. Some characters did stick to rote dialogue, but where monsters took liberty with the script it was delightful. We were also impressed with the collection of creatures, especially the Treant none of us expected and the Tooth Fairy that had our entire team stopping to marvel.
Costuming: 8.96
How Did We Get This Score?
Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 9.2Explanation:
well done
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.9Explanation:
lots of details, some unaltered off-the-rack masks
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.9Explanation:
blood very well done (aged), mine operator
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 9
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.9
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Our team paid close attention to the costuming details as this year has been hell on monsters due to PPE requirements and the need to blend or hide them into costumes. Haunted Farm features a number of creatures that sport impressively applied makeup or well-fitting masks.
The dentist’s neighbor had alarmingly realistic blood patterned for her injuries, the mine operator looked appropriately weathered and dirtied, and the bloated patriarch of the cannibal feast gave several of us the chills. Some masks may seem familiar, but even a few days later our team is still fawning over the beauty of the Tooth Fairy creature. In the walking path portion of the house, monsters were perfectly costumed to be both visually terrifying and invisible in the darkness of the woods. Another shoutout here goes to the Treant whose costume was perfectly blended with his scene.
Customer Service: 9.43
How Did We Get This Score?
Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 10Explanation:
GPS parking attendants
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8.5
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9.5
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 10
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In response to Pandemic concerns Haunted Farm has gone above and beyond to offer their guests as much safety as possible. Tickets are sold by time block this year, and it’s recommended to buy online before time slots sell out.
Parking is easy to find, GPS is your friend here, and signage is clear and helpful. All patrons are given a card with a QR code and asked to stay in their car until their group is called. Hand sanitizer is plentiful, social distancing marks are clear and easy to follow, and temperatures are taken along with masks required. All of our interactions with customer service were friendly, clear, and helpful. Parking staff appears to be separate from the haunt employees, but are uniformed and easy to spot. There are some bumpy and dark paths in the forest portion, but nothing truly dangerous or concerning.
Atmosphere: 8.84
How Did We Get This Score?
Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 8.8
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.9
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Immediately upon parking our team pointed and asked, ‘Is that a real cemetery?’ The answer was yes. In addition to a haunting real-life location, Haunted Farm boasts an impressively built front face along with a ticket booth and pyrotechnics that set the mood for the haunt.
There is a country feel tying into the backstory of the haunt, and monsters working the lines of cars in the parking lot underlined that impression. There is also a lot of hand-built pieces and sets in the entrance and parking lot that show how much of the haunt will be unique.
Special Effects: 9.18
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.5Explanation:
Some sound bleed (outside helped)
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9.7Explanation:
floor to ceiling decorations
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9.7
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9.1
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.8
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Haunted Forest is a grand blend of hand-made special effects and modern store-bought ones modified for their haunt.
Sound effects, in the grand tradition of Southern haunts, are for the most part genuine. Sound bleed in the forest portion of the haunt is a beautiful thing, as screams echo their way through the darkness of the woods along with the sound of yard power tools. In the woods we also saw gorgeous sets that spread along the forest floor and stretched up into the branches, merging into the bark and leaves. In the mines, we were impressed by the floor to ceiling details that transport you into the setting, and the heavy amount of special effects placed inside for jump scares and long tension building twists and turns. From start to finale there is a sense of authenticity and surreal believability throughout the haunt.
Theme: 7.9
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 7Explanation:
Long webpage on Lively/Tate blood feud
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 8
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 9
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The Haunted Forest’s theme is a delightful and detailed story that should not be missed which can be found on their website. Aspects of it are scattered throughout the haunt, telling the story of the Lively and Tate blood feud that has stretched over the years and evolved from standard shotgun tension to curses, ghosts, and zombies. Lunatic family clusters can be found throughout the woods, and then spread into the mine with mutants and through the cabins and rooms of the next scenes in the form of a carnival, a demented dentistry, and a cabal of cannibals.
Scare Factor: 8.6
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.2
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.8
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.9Explanation:
Nice “drop panels” that weren’t drop panels
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.6
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When it comes to scares more than one group around us at the haunt told us that this is their favorite place to go in North Carolina every year to scream around Halloween, and we can see why. Monsters have mastered the art of distracting group members so that scares seem to come out of nowhere. Scares themselves are varied enough that there’s no pattern you can become bored with or find in any way predictable. With a blend of drop panels, hidden creatures, spooky sets, special effects, and bold animatronics there is no shortage of things to scream at.
Creatures spread scares evenly over groups, making sure to go at front and back without focusing so hard on more easily scared group members that they forget the rest of the party. We were super pleased with the detailing and the effect of the finale, and of course very excited to see a goodly number of chainsaws throughout since they are always a crowd-pleaser.
Entertainment & Value: 8.67
How Did We Get This Score?
Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 9
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 7.9
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8.9
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 8.8
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Our group showed up super early, so our walkthrough time was roughly 31 minutes. With a $30 regular admission price this comes in very close to last year’s national average.
Parking is $5, and merchandise is available online this year due to COVID-19 precautions. Queue line entertainment is lively and regular, and at the beginning of the night, monsters slip out of the haunt to keep attendees waiting in their cars entertained. With its wide variety of scares, beautiful scenery, and good pricing, this is definitely a haunt that is worth putting on your regular rotation.
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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