TWISTED HAUNTED YARD returns for 2019 after a hiatus in 2018. This year, they have a backwoods swamp theme to their attraction with some fun scenes, effects, and scares. Since not incredibly scary, this is a great haunt for the entire family, and with the inexpensive ticket (a portion of which goes to charity), it is also a reasonable venture for a family with brave or older kids.
Speaking of kids, TWISTED HAUNTED YARD is one of the few haunts where kids are part of the scare team, because of the unique setup of the attraction, being mostly made up of friends and family of the owners. Because of this, the types of Characters seen encompass a wide variety, making for interesting opportunities (including creepy children in a graveyard, and kids used as ‘attack minions’ in a garage scene). As we went through the attraction at the top of their night, some of the kids had a top of night lollipop which they were still sucking on (possibly worrisome for Safety, and also distracting from scaring), but understandable for kids of such a young age. There’s a mix of dialogue between well themed and concisely delivered script (man standing on the bed of a truck in the garage), to generic phrases over used in the attraction to loosely match the theme but not deliver much story (‘What are you doing here’, ‘Get Outta Here’, ‘Mama’s not gonna like you being here’).
The Costuming efforts of TWISTED HAUNTED YARD match the theme well and help immerse Guests in the swamp/backwoods theming. While a relatively simple Costuming feat for the most part(distressed street clothes), the TWISTED HAUNTED YARD team does a good job of making the Characters fit within the themes. The masks used are generally effective, however sometimes make dialogue muffled and very hard to understand (especially the character at the cabin location). Overall, the Costuming helps deliver good character looks as well as camouflage opportunities, providing scares and entertainment throughout.
Customer Service is always top notch at TWISTED HAUNTED YARD. From communicating with the owner(s) on Facebook, to the arrival experience at the attraction, everyone is always friendly, professional, and helpful.
Parking is free, though limited spaces in the front yard are available, and on street parking may be required based the crowds of the night. There is also not a restroom available onsite, so prepare accordingly. There is food available for purchase, and deliciously tempting with the wafting smells from the barbecue grill.
TWISTED HAUNTED YARD says exactly what it is, an elaborate yard haunt, so this takes place in the backyard of a residential house, with parking and arrival in the front and side yards. A large tree looms over the front yard, and while it provides a spooky appearance, it could be further enhanced by some colored lights shining upwards to create an icon for the attraction. There is, however a sign, and the multitude of cars help you know you are in the right place. There isn’t much more to the haunt than the attraction due to it being a yard haunt, but there are some themed props and set pieces that add to the atmosphere. Because of the setup, it is easy to hear everything going on in the attraction, especially special effects, allowing Guests to prepare for the scares within. With a simple sound system and themed music, some of these sounds could be camouflaged and leave more elements a surprised during Guests’ walk through.
Being a low budget haunted trail, TWISTED HAUNTED YARD still manages to pack a few great special effects in, including a laser swamp (especially effective for those that have never seen the effect before) and other special effects that we won’t spoil.
Their trail layout in 2017 was a bit tighter with more narrow pathways and felt more closed in, also seemingly longer due to the more compact layout.
SFX Effective at Scaring, Entertaining (35% of score): 7.25
Could Tell What Theme Was Without Asking (15% of score): 9
Theme Well Executed, Believable (25% of score): 7.5
Location Authenticates Theme (10% of score): 8
How Scary (15% of score): 7.5
Again, the theme for this year’s trail is swamp/backwoods themes. Several scenic pieces and setups are well themed including a cabin, graveyard, and garage scene. The haunt uses black plastic walls to define the path, and though themed with spray painted phrases, these were more theme-appropriate in the carnival theme two years ago (though understandable and functional for an economic and effective way to define the path of the haunt, for sure). The scenes that are fully realized are well done and appropriate to the theme, most notably the garage scene which provides impressive scale compared to the other reasonable sized scenes.
This year’s trail, with its more open layout, seems to have less unexpected scares due to less tight turns and blind corners, making it a bit more family friendly than 2017’s trail. Similarly, the wider pathways and more open layout create a less claustrophobic experience. This is not to say that there are a few good scares within the short trail, especially for families, and those with less intense haunt experience. There is also a good mix of scares and creepy performances, giving something for all to enjoy.