Please note: this review is for the 2015 season rather than the current season.

Screamin’ Acres Haunted Houses

by wm (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 16, 2015 at about 9 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Medium

Review

You would think with a name like ‘Screamin Acres’ that this haunt would be huge. Well, you thought right! Screamin Acres is one of the biggest haunted attractions around that includes multiple areas. There’s so much ground to cover, at some point I lost track of time! They expect to expand their haunt every year, which is mind-blowing as it’s already huge with multiple themes. While some other haunts will charge you for each theme or attraction, you get everything for one price here.

The wait area is very nice and impressive. It’s housed under a big tent, so you are out of the elements on those nights that are cold and nasty. The first thing you notice is the dj spinning the tunes. Not some cd playing on repeat, but an actual dj in a booth! The whole tent is lit up with lasers, which is another nice touch!

First up is the Slaughter House. If you’re into gore, then this will be right up your alley with a few scares thrown in. The amount of detail was crazy, those with weak stomachs beware! Then we went through the corn maze which was dark and quiet. Being out in-between the corn stalks at night is creepy! Your mind will start to play tricks on you and you’ll start jumping at things that aren’t even there. Then throw in a few actors to really keep you on your toes! You can never go wrong with a corn maze at night.

About halfway through Screamin Acres I realized something was missing. Shhh…. Can you hear that? No, I don’t hear anything! While there was a music playing in the wait area, pretty much 95% of the experience was void of music or pumped in noises. While odd at first, I actually enjoyed that! It was eerie to walk in the cornfield or down a long dark corridor with no music or automated noises. DEAD QUIET, other than some screams heard off in the distance. It made this haunt that much more spooky!

Next we entered the Crawl Space. I won’t give too much away, but smells play just as big as a role as what you’re seeing! VERY realistic, but hardly any actors. That leads you to the Last Resort, which is more a traditional style haunt. We were startled a few times in there! Just when we thought it was all done, there was Side Effects. This is a 3D attraction complete with glasses. There was a little bit of everything!

Several actors were very funny, while others were down-right scary. Some opportunities for a good scare were lost due to number of staff versus the size of the haunt. That’s really my only complaint. Many rooms looked incredible but there was nobody in them. But with that said, the amount of detail was incredible! It felt like we were walking through a big budget horror movie.

On busy nights, the Fast Pass is a good deal for only $10 more.

Signage / Visibility / Location


It was very easy to find! My GPS took me right to it and it's very well lit.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


I was surprised that there wasn't much of a wait to get in for a Friday night. As stated above, the waiting area in impressive!

Actors' Performance


All of the actors did a great job performance wise. All were in character and did a great job. More of these fine actors is what's needed for a haunt of this size.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


This is where Screamin Acres shines. The scenes are incredible! I can't imagine how much time was put into creating all those great rooms, and there are a ton of them!

Length


There are five different parts to this attraction: The Slaughter House took about 20 minutes. The corn maze about another 20 minutes. The Crawl Space took about 10 minutes. The Last Resort took about 15 minutes. Side Effects took about 10 minutes. Everything together lasted approximately 75 minutes.

Crowd Control


There wasn't much of a crowd when we attended, so we did not bump into anyone during our journey other than the line before the Last Resort.

Most Memorable Moment


There was a scene in the Crawl Space that combined sound, smell and gory visuals that will haunt me for some time!

Summary

If you’re looking for a fun, large haunt in the Madison area look no further! You really get the maximum ‘bang for your buck’ at Screamin Acres.

View all Screamin’ Acres Haunted Houses reviews

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April 27th, 2024 11:02 p.m. CDT 24.07