Brett (wm)

It normally takes a haunt a few years to come into it's own.  Find out what works, what doesn't work, and then build on it.  The Abandoned Haunted House Complex had some great word of mouth going for it, but I didn't want to get my expectations too high being this was new
haunt.  I was pleasantly surprised with Abandoned!



There are two separate parts to Abandoned: Hysteria and Ambush.  You get two nice paced haunts for the price of one!  They are housed in a long building that has some awesome curb appeal.  I appreciate the fact that they do not rush you in, but rather space out the groups so you're not bumping into anyone and ruining a good scare. 



Hysteria is just like it sounds.  INTENSE, with things coming at you from all sides.  They have great sound and lighting throughout, and their actors know just when to jump out at you!  I did notice that at many haunts that the first person in a group is normally the person who they jump
out at.  Not so in Hysteria!  It seemed to me they were targeting more the folks in the middle or the back.  Very smart indeed, as those who are more jumpy tend to hide in those places.  There's a good mix of lit areas were you could check out the details, and then the dark and spooky rooms where they jump out of no-where. 



Ambush places you right in the middle of a made for movie plot where there's a zombie apocalypse and the Army is trying to control it.  Zombies are everywhere, and even the 'good guys' are intimidating and in your face.  They make great use of air cannons as if they were gunshots... they get me every time!



We left Abandoned with our hearts pumping, wishing we could experience more!  If this is their first year, just how good are they going to be a few years into it?  I can't wait to find out!!!  

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The Mars Haunted House has a definite advantage over the others, that being their claim to be a haunt that is actually haunted.  Truth or hype?  We were about to find out... 

We attended on a rainy Sunday night, and were able to immediately enter the haunt.  As you walk into the first room an audio recording tells you that there was a disturbing incident that happened there...  but they never go into the details of what in fact that was.  It's not until after that I read on their website what that incident actually was.  So if you're curious like me, make sure you read all about it on their site.

The haunt is dimly lit with very narrow hallways.  The flooring is filled with ramps and steps that make you tread cautiously, which gives you the feeling that they were put there on purpose to slow you down.  Who put them there, and why?  This had me feeling a little paranoid, like I was stepping into a trap.

There's all sorts of things hanging in this haunt, many I didn't want to touch!  The props were VERY life-like, adding to the 'real haunt' vibe that they hang their hat on.  Those who have weak stomachs... you've been warned!

There's an odor throughout the haunt that I couldn't quite put my finger
on.  If fear has a smell, I guessing it would smell like that.  There's
many twist and turns that provide many opportunities to scare in a
short period of time.  Unfortunately it seemed as though some of those
opportunities were missed.  I'm guessing that they do not have as many
workers on Sunday as they would on a Friday or Saturday.  I'll
definitely attend this haunt again on one of those nights to get the
full experience of the Mars haunt! 

Overall, the Mars Haunted House had our adrenaline pumping and had us jumping.  If you're in the area, make sure you check out this historic haunt!

           

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Haunted High is one of the most unique experiences at a haunt that I've ever had!  Not only do they have a huge school as their playground, but they really play up the school theme throughout!

After waiting in the gym, you start out in the basement, which just so happens to be the locker room.  To me, this was a scariest part of the haunt, as it was dark and smelly.  They had us jumping left and right. 

The rest of the haunt was literally a tour through the school.  It was light on scares, but lots of eye candy throughout.  It was a trip to walk into the auditorium near the end and see a skeleton band putting on a concert!  I've never seen anything like that, it was incredible!

I loved the fact that and the end of the haunt you 'graduated', and they even gave you a diploma!  We left, thinking our high school experience was over....  but was it?  Come see for yourselves!

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This is actually my first corn maze EVER.  If they're all like the Meadowbrook Haunted Cornfield, it won't be the last!

After getting your wrist=bands, you head over to the bonfire where you'll hear some spooky ghost stories.  What Meadowbrook does best is create suspense.  Combine that with the great scenery, and you are in for a treat!

We were there early so there wasn't a wait for us to enter the maze.  Even before we entered, we could HEAR it.  The screams, the howling, the witch cackling...  they really set the mood for what you're about to experience.  There are multiple themes through-out the maze such as a pirate ship, aliens, red=necks, spiders, clowns, etc...

Speaking of clowns, I have a confession:  I've never really found them to be scary.  More like annoying.  There, I said it.  Most haunts have them in a 3D type room, or a room full of bright colors.  Not scary... to me they were more of a distraction than anything.  Meadowbrook was not only my first corn maze, it was also the first and only haunt with clowns that scared the heck out of me!  They looked scary, and they jumped out at us more than once.  I take back every time I rolled my eyes at seeing clowns in a haunt. 

Just being outdoors in the middle of a corn field at night is creepy.  I can't tell you how many times we stopped because we heard something, but it was only the wind blowing through the corn stocks.  They use lighting and sounds effects to make an already scary walk through a corn field terrifying.

I won't give anything away in this review, as I want you to experience the corn maze in all it's glory without any big spoilers.  But my hats off to Meadowbrook Farm.  You had us jumping, screaming and laughing more in your maze than several haunted houses combined.   

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