Celebrating its 34th birthday, Williamsburg Junior Athletic Association Haunted Woods has put on a very entertaining show this season. This No Touch outdoor trail is used as a fundraiser to cover the cost of athletics for the local youth of Williamsburg. Every dollar spent here goes directly into the program. As such, they are completely supported by some outstanding volunteers who donate time, energy, talent, and costuming to the cause.
We began by having the parking crew direct us as to where to park. We were assigned a group to join, and when it was our turn, we waited patiently for our turn on the wagon. While on the hayride, we were reminded that we were going into the woods and to be mindful of our footsteps, as we could encounter tree roots and such. We were treated to a relaxing hayride to the actual site, something to lull us into a false sense of security before they dropped the hammer and put us on one of the longest haunted trails in existence. Our time clocked in at over 50 minutes. With a minute-per-dollar ratio of 2.5 (unheard of!), this well deserving haunt is well worth the $20 general admission ticket. We made it to the wooded trail and were immediately ushered into a full sized school bus where the actors were waiting for their chance to commence punishing us by instructing us to all sit down and watch the chainsaw wielding madman come at us. The night continued with surprise after surprise.
As seasoned haunt enthusiasts, we thought we had seen it all, but Haunted Woods proved us wrong. From figuring out how to walk over strange things on the floor to pole dancing cowboys, we were kept guessing most of the night and asking ourselves, ‘what just happened?’
This is one of the few places I have heard of that runs strictly on volunteers, and seems to have plenty of actors to keep the entertainment going. There were several clowns and nurses, but there were also some swamp things, Hollywood pop culture icons like Pennywise and Michael Myers, witches, carnival workers, butchers, chainsaw maniacs, and furries (who looked to have seen better days as they were aged and dare I say, a little bloodied). We also saw actors of many ages here. This was a no touch haunt, but that didn’t stop them from testing limits and finding other ways to get at us. Some used props, and some used their unique strange sounds. All in all, we saw a lot of high energy and high intensity acting.
We saw characters who wanted to share their critters with us. We passed a tarantula toting lady, and a dude with a raccoon. No, we don’t want to touch it. Thanks for asking, I suppose.
We thoroughly enjoyed the actor who shall forever be called the Scare Factor Covid Gatekeeper, who used a sprayer (puffed air only) on those unsuspecting patrons who weren’t properly covered with their face masks. Oh, and thanks to the actor referring to our face masks as underwear, I’ll never look at a facemask the same.
Variety of Characters – (35% of score)
Complete, Finished Appearance – (30% of score)
Creative, Detailed Costumes – (20% of score)
Creative, Detailed, Realistic Makeup – (15% of score)
It goes without saying, with the large assortment of characters, there was also a large assortment of costumes. The pole dancing cowboy might have been scantily clad…I wouldn’t know because I was told if I look I had to pay, so…I think he might have had a cowboy hat on…there was a dude…and a pole…and…where was I?
Some actors appeared in basic street clothes. There were actors in full costume, complete with makeup or a mask and props, like a ball bat. The clowns wearing makeup looked like clowns. Tarantula Lady had a lovely dress and appeared ready for a special Halloween evening. Dr. Hannibal Lecter wore the leather facemask and orange prison suit, with his hair combed back for a nice, complete look. We also spied characters with minimal makeup and costuming.
If Masks, Effective – (25% of score)
Costumes Appropriate for Scenes, Themes – (30% of score)
Easy to Find, Navigate – (25% of score)
Safety – (20% of score)
Finding information about Haunted Woods wasn’t difficult at all. They have a website, WJAAHauntedWoods.com, as well as a Facebook page, Haunted Woods Presented by WJAA. There, customers can find out ticketing information, learn about Haunted Woods story, dates of operation, directions, and recent reviews.
GPS got us to the place quite easily, just overshooting the entrance a little. Fortunately, there was a large sign out front with the name of the attraction displayed, so we were able to get to where we needed to be with no real problems or issues. Parking attendants were available and had lights to help drivers see where they needed to go to park. Lighting in the ticketing, concession, and parking area was appropriate. Railings were available when there were any steps to navigate. There were strobe lights in use, as well as heavy fog from fog machines. Staff was helpful and on top of issues as they arose. There are steps and mattresses to traverse, so I would be mindful of that if I had any balance or movement difficulties. The fog was also thick in places, for those with shortness of breath.
This haunted attraction had a covid plan including asking customers to remain 6 feet apart and to wear masks at all times. They also posted that they clean sets regularly. We saw a mixture of actors wearing and not wearing masks. Actors closest to us were masked.
Staff Professional, Helpful, Friendly – (25% of score)
Ease of Finding Info Before Arrival – (20% of score)
Obviously a Haunt Before Entering – (40% of score)
Prepared for Experience Inside – (15% of score)
This was a fun haunt for us. Arriving here, there was an atmosphere of friends having a good time. It has a ‘family owned and operated’ feel to it. From our perspective, everything ran smoothly. When an incident would arise, as can happen from time to time, the issue was handled and dealt with immediately. All staff seemed to be well aware of their role and appeared confident.
From the road, we could see a light up bus, a ticket tent, and people standing in front of both. We also spotted a well-lit pumpkin archway. In the distance, we could see the well-lit concession stand serving traditional stadium foods, and, further on, a large campfire. We did not see any actors in this section. The waiting area is located at the sports complex that the attraction is fundraising for, to maintain and update as needed. The actual trail requires a short hayride to a wooded area behind the sports complex.
Sound Effects Effective – (20% of score)
Creative, Original Scenes, Props – (30% of score)
Detailed Scenes – (30% of score)
Achieve, Maintain Suspension of Disbelief – (20% of score)
During our time on the trail, we could pick up on different points along the way using sound. Sometimes jewelry box music, static from a tv station off the air, excerpts from movies, or chainsaws. We had our balance tested more than once with a leaning room, spinning tunnel, and floors made of mattresses and foam. There were tight corridors that made us feel as if we needed to suck in to pass through. At times we would look above us only to find an actor hanging above us. We were robbed of our senses as we had to walk through blackened mazes or hazy foggy mazes. We had to sit on a bus and watch a chainsaw wielding wildman come at us with the chainsaw on full blast. Their use of disguise was terrific! More than one time were we surprised by someone just appearing from the shadows, or we would be shocked to find an actor shrouded in a fodder shock or moss covered suit.
SFX Effective at Scaring, Entertaining – (35% of score)
Could Tell What Theme Was Without Asking – (15% of score)
Theme Well Executed, Believable – (25% of score)
Location Authenticates Theme – (10% of score)
How Scary – (15% of score)
There seemed to be no theme here, aside from displaying a variety of some classic elements found in haunted attractions.
Provide Scares to Entire Group – (50% of score)
How Predictable – (25% of score)
Variety of Scares – (25% of score)
We were startled more than once. There were actors hidden in the dark and others who utilized fodder shocks and ghillie suits to camouflage themselves into the set to throw us off guard. Drop down doors, swinging bridges, spinning tunnels, blacked out mazes, thick fog mazes, swamp scenes with actors coming to get us out of nowhere, actors carrying creepy pets, chainsaws, tight spaces, electrocution, spark tools, actors screaming or creating some distinctive noise, and sets featuring blood and gore were all in abundance here to keep the entertainment rolling. At some point in the night, everyone in our group received some special attention. The final set was a carnival set that consisted of guests being asked to throw an elongated balloon at a board.
3759 Old St Rt 32, Williamsburg, Ohio 45176