This was my first year going to this haunt! We went Saturday night, one day after opening, in a group of 4. It was a relatively short wait for the circumstances and considering all of us had General Admission tickets. I was really excited to go after hearing about the train and seeing all the pictures of the outward façade, and overall we had a great evening full of scary moments!
The haunt consists generally of 3 parts – a (genuine!) train ride, a more maze-like haunt (Slaughterhouse), and the Blackthorne Manor, the main haunt. In between each we had a short outdoor wait. I thought each section was unique, with a distinct theme and the acting/costumes/props reflected that – everything was very well done, professional and looked scary! The authentic, double-decker train is an amazing, unique section and the actors used the train to their advantage, nimbly crawling amongst the patrons. They used special effects and props to their advantage without being too much, particularly in the Blackthorne Manor. The middle section, the Slaughterhouse, was a little less intense, both in the decorations and the amount of actors, but the actors we encountered had great timing and gave us some nice jumps! The Manor was fantastic, nice and long with several really unique rooms, including creepy dolls, cockroaches, confusing mirrors, and disorienting lazers. Overall a really great haunt that I can see why people return to year after year!
Signage / Visibility / Location
The haunt is very easy to find, with a sign for parking and a sign for the haunt itself. There were individuals directing people to park, as well as police around for safety. We stayed at a hotel (being from out of town) and it was quick and easy to get to, and we had fun in the bars around the area after!
Wait Area / Line Entertainment
While initially waiting for the train, we didn’t see any actors or workers directing us, but the signs were clear and easy to follow. In the other wait areas the actors were great, and overall the waits were very short, and there were screens and music to provide visual entertainment as well.
Actors' Performance
All of the actors were fantastic. I was impressed with the train actor’s ability to crawl in the luggage compartments and from one story to the other, and all of the actors in the Slaughterhouse and Manor had great timing – there was an awesome variation between who in our group would get the jump scares, which is something I really love (not always the first person!). Some actors were cleverly disguised by props or scenes as well!
Sets Scenes / Props / FX
Nice and varied – each room was a distinct theme, and there were several memorable ones, as I mentioned earlier. We particularly liked one room with large, creepy dolls and another disorientating laser/inflatable room. I absolutely loved the outward mansion façade and the use of special effects throughout, including lasers, blowing air, fog, and of course lights. One thing I would have liked to see a bit more is strobe lights!
Length
Train was about 10 minutes, the Slaughterhouse was about 15, and the Manor about 30. I enjoyed the little bit of a break in between sections to discuss and take pictures of the actors and entertainment!
Crowd Control
As stated, I did see police and the staff was surrounding all waiting areas. The lines were very obvious and everything ran super smoothly!
Most Memorable Moment
For me, that would be a tie between the amazing train and the mirror maze. The train was just so different and unique to the location – I wasn’t expecting to actually go anywhere on it and I was pleasantly surprised when we did, I also loved the flexibility and strength of the actors weaving in and out of the patrons, climbing all over the bars of the train. It was a great way to begin out evening! I also loved a mirror maze in the Manor – it was tight, disorienting, and had a great actor flitting in and out to add that element of anxiety.
I would absolutely recommend this haunt to those that live in the area, I thought it was great value for the money and is a scary, professional, well-done haunted house. It’s was a great night for all of us and we all enjoyed several moments of heart-pounding fear and jump scares!
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