The Haunted Barn BACK FROM THE DEAD! Review by Dr Caligari (Review Crew)

Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.

The Haunted Barn BACK FROM THE DEAD!

by Dr Caligari (Review Crew) after attending on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at about 2 p.m.

Submitted: Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: High

Review

Ahh...The Country...Rolling Hills...The sweet smell of freshly cut silage...The red barns....The Zombies.....

...Zombies???

Yes, something sinister has arisen out in Stoughton and it has taken over the farm. The adventure here doesn't just leave you inside, but it takes you outside into the dark, mysterious woods behind the barn. You get to experience all the trappings of a rural haunting.

I arrived early at the farm, which I had little difficulty finding. I enjoyed the wait watching the different families wait to get into the haunt. I was actually surprised at the amount of families there, as most of the crowds at the haunts I have frequented as of late have tended to the high schooler/college-aged groups. I have, usually, seen more adults/kids inside the haunt, than waiting in line. It actually was a relief to me to see families in attendance. It is diversity of ages here and the atmosphere of the haunt reflected that.

The haunted barn actually was a barn, with all the trappings of a barn and scenes which seemed to depict a more rural way of haunted living. This does not mean that the haunts special effects were any less than the larger, more big budget haunted houses. The special effects here were great and more effectively used than in many other places.

It was also cool having an actual outdoor graveyard and outdoor haunted woods, rather than having to put up with a cheap, indoor imitation.

I enjoyed my experience and recommend this haunt to anybody in the area. It could be considered a long ride from the city, but I think you will enjoy it, as I did.

Signage / Visibility / Location

The atmosphere of the haunt borrows a lot from it's surroundings. I honestly can not think of a better place to have a haunted barn. The Haunted Barn is right off of Hwy 51 near Stoughton. There is a big, lit up sign nearby to direct your attention to the activities at the farm. I had no difficulties in finding it, even though I am all that familiar with the surroundings.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

There wasn't much of a wait at the Haunted Barn. They had several different snack stands from noted area vendors. They also had a small gift shop where they were selling small Halloween items. A few spirited actors worked the crowd. It was a great experience, which got you in the mood to see what was setting people screaming inside.

Actors' Performance

Very good. Everybody knew their lines and you just really never know where these actors will pop out from.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Really good, realistic scenes for the setting that you're in. Like I say, a lot of their props and scenes borrow from the setting they are in, which is a nice touch in an age where haunted barns seem to want to be just haunted houses in a barn.

The people here who set this haunt up also take you up/down/around all over, which creates this really disorienting effect, which just adds to the experience.

Length

It was a very good length. Over 30 minutes total.

Crowd Control

There were no crowd issues outside the haunt. The pacing in the haunted house, due to the fact that the groups ahead of me seemed to be going really slow and the groups behind me were faster paced, had some issues. It was such that, by the time I got out, I think I had run into several different groups total.

Most Memorable Moment

Going down a dark hallway and suddenly noticing that zombies seemed to be surrounding me on every side...even above me...