Final Scores – By Category:

Cast (20% of Final Score): 7.98

Costuming (10% of Final Score): 7.34

Customer Service (10% of Final Score): 10

Immersion (10% of Final Score): 8.3

Special Effects (15% of Final Score): 8.39

Scare Factor (20% of Final Score): 8.37

Entertainment & Value (15% of Final Score): 7.31

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Final Scores – By Attraction:

Attraction 1: 8.19

Hidden away in the rugged hills of Tarentum, PA, there’s an abandoned mine with a dark secret buried deep inside. It once belonged to Louis Hicks, a ruthless businessman with a twisted obsession for collecting everything from rare artifacts to human beings, including convicts and outcasts—he gathered them all, forcing them into brutal laboring of his mines.

But Hicks wasn’t just about power and control. His dabbling in the occult drove him mad, and soon, he began experimenting on his human collection. Now, the tormented souls of those he enslaved are trapped within, seeking vengeance… on Hicks or anyone who dares to come too close!

The question is, can you make it out alive? Or will you join the haunted ranks, becoming just another part of Hicks’ cursed collection?

We encountered nearly 30 creepy characters from Hicks’ chilling collection. Honestly, he could’ve used a few more hands around the shaft…ahem, the mine shaft, because there were some “dead” zones (pun fully intended). Still, those slower, silent stretches made the sudden scares hit harder than my head off of the low-hanging rock.

Up top, the cast sank their teeth into their roles. Hicks himself was like a haunting hologram, popping up everywhere during the first part of the haunt. The butcher, a fan favorite from last year, was back in bloody business. He greeted us with, “Who wants to get hooked?” while flashing a rusty meat hook. Zombies zigzagged through the graveyard, groaning and stumbling, while some creature crawled up on a mausoleum.

Meanwhile, a wicked witch followed us with a maniacal cackle, like she knew our fates were sealed. Below in the mine, it was all about quick, coal-hard scares of people screaming for help and grasping at us, while others grumbled about plans to off their boss, or how much they despised Hicks.

Though jump scares were the main attraction, we struck gold with some witty interactions. When we asked the witch what she was brewing, her answer was short and sweet: “You.” The back-and-forth with the butcher was just as sharp as his hook, and the banter with Hicks kept us on our toes.

The cast brought plenty of energy but with the storyline expanding and hints of Hicks’ sinister experiments, we were hoping to unearth more unique creatures down in the mine. But hey, there’s always next season…let’s hope they dig deeper into that idea!

The costumes were decent, though not all felt put together in full. Some leaned more toward street clothes, which wasn’t completely out of place with the mining theme, but we wouldn’t have minded if they took a few more creative swings.

Most costumes ranged from masks to face paint. When they were fully done, they really stood out. One zombie sported ripped-up clothing and gritty face paint, while another rocked a mask that looked like bloody bone.

One girl had a bloody pentagram carved into her forehead with dark circles under her eyes, and the witch went classic all decked out in black, with green makeup and that iconic pointy hat. Some miners were kitted out with full gas masks and jumpsuits, while others had soot-smeared faces and streaks of blood.

One actor in the queue line caught our attention right away. He was decked out in a blue coal miner’s jumpsuit with a red hard hat and the mask of a disfigured worker. Perfect for setting the mood before entering.

Overall, the costumes fit the theme well enough, but there’s room to mine for more creativity!

With our trusty GPS fired up, finding The Haunted Mine was a breeze. Helpful signs along the way made sure we stayed on track. This season, they did a better job with parking! Haunted Mine parking to the left, and The Shadows, another haunt on the property, was off to the right.

A big chunk of this haunt takes you deep into an abandoned mine. Be ready for a low stone ceiling and beams that make things feel extra tight. They hand out hard hats—and let me tell you, I was glad they did. Even at my short 5’8″, I banged my head a few times. Outside of the usual haunt thrills, there were not any major safety issues; it’s pretty straightforward.

The staff? Top-notch. From the ticket booth to the folks handing out and collecting hard hats, everyone we met was friendly and ready to help.

If you want more details, check out their info on the Tour-Ed Mine site or hit up their Facebook page.

Before you step inside the haunt, you’re greeted with signs, lighting, and sound effects that set the eerie tone. There’s even a coal miner train prop to get you in the right headspace. The sound effects echo through the air before you enter, giving a preview of the chills to come.

The new storyline revolves around Mr. Hicks, a twisted collector of things…and people. He’s the ghost you’ll meet early on, and his haunted manor is filled with all kinds of creepy curiosities. The story is posted at the line, and the first character we encounter warns us about Mr. Hicks. Throughout the walkthrough, various characters drop his name, adding to the tension.

We enjoyed the new contraction of the manor which provided a variety of scenes and creativity. The manor, graveyard, and slaughterhouse sections felt disturbingly real. The actors, props, sounds, and animatronics worked together seamlessly, using the space to make it feel like we’d wandered straight into our worst nightmare.

The highlight, of course, is the mine. Nothing beats the atmosphere of being in an actual mine—talk about immersion! To get into the mine, you board a mine railway, and yeah, hard hats are mandatory, providing a more unique entry than any other haunted attraction.

Between the different sections, the vibe flowed well. Sure, there were some dead zones, but most had a prop or actor nearby to keep things lively. There were a couple of photo op spots, and while waiting for the mine cart, an actor kept us entertained with some solid interactions.

There were plenty of sound effects sprinkled throughout the haunt, setting the mood right from the start. As we made our way toward the manor, the eerie toll of a bell echoed in the distance. Inside, ominous music crept through the manor. In the cemetery, the flapping of bat wings could be heard circling above, filling the air with dread. Down in the mine, the sounds shifted. Puffs of water, and chains scraping along the floor kept the tension high and the nerves rattled.

The props and animatronics brought the scenes to life. The manor had a portrait that blinked at us, shelves teetered and toppled over, a rocking chair swayed back and forth all on its own, and, yes, there was a growling bear in the corner…just for good measure. Over in the butcher house, body bags dangled from the ceiling, while the graveyard had the usual suspects: gravestones, tombs, and skeletons.

The mine kicked it up a notch with plastic snakes hanging from the ceiling and collapsing walls that made it feel like the entire place was about to cave in on us. Animatronics popped up out of nowhere, startling us when we least expected it.

For the sensory effects, the fog swamps, walls, and vortexes were a standout! Rolling in thick and heavy, making it impossible to see what was coming and setting us up perfectly for jump scares, causing one of our members to scream in fear. Some sections had distinct smells that added to the immersion, and nearly every area had unique sound effects, which helped keep the atmosphere on point.

All in all, the combination of sound, props, and sensory effects pulled us into the world of Mr. Hicks’ twisted collection. From the subtle clinking chains in the mine to the larger-than-life animatronics, every detail worked together to keep us on edge. By the time we stumbled out of the mine, covered in fog and dodging those low beams, we were already talking about coming back next season.

The Haunted Mine did a decent job of delivering solid scares to everyone in our group. They leaned heavily on jump scares. Some were pretty predictable, but some caught us off guard. The chainsaw guy got us twice with killer timing and using the natural darkness of the area for camouflage. Disembodied hands reaching out of unexpected areas in the mine caught us off guard, and another worker seemed to appear out of thin air through a wall of fog. Humans did not cause the only scares, there were several animatronics deep in the mine that came out of nowhere and had us all jumping.

Aside from jump scares, you’ll face off against spiders and snakes. No lions or tigers here, but they’ve got a bear to keep things interesting. If you’re claustrophobic, the train ride might get to you, and if falling elevators freak you out, well, brace yourself—they’ve got that too! The mine itself is built to tap into that fear of being trapped in a cave that is caving-in, and it plays that card well.

The finale is placed in a pitch-black room with glowing face masks that may or may not have been real.

The Haunted Mine is packed with plenty of fun and scares this year. General admission tickets are $25, but for $40, you can grab VIP and breeze past the regular line. We timed the whole haunt at around 30 minutes, giving you about 1.2 minutes per dollar—a bit better than the average for haunts around here.

Outside the main attraction, there isn’t much else going on, but hey, maybe down the road, we’ll see some extra entertainment pop up to keep things fresh.

With new scenes, a revamped storyline, and hands-down the most unique haunted spot in the area, The Haunted Mine keeps stepping up its game each season—like coal slowly transforming into a diamond.