Folklore Haunted House 2012

                Another year with the creatures of Folklore Haunted House in Dallas, Georgia has come and we can't help but admit that we really looked forward to our visit for quite some time.  We finally arrived on Saturday, October 6, 2012 and admit that we didn't leave until after midnight.  When you are having fun you don't want the fun to stop.  Saying that they were on top of their game during our visit would be putting it lightly.  Their new acting coordinator/trainer has obviously been earning her keep, as we can assess by the hauntingly amazing performances placed by her coral of monsters.  We keep wishing that they could just buy their building and have it as a permanent site, since renters sometimes have to move.  Their site suits them perfectly right now and they are working hard to give their visitors everything they possibly can.  From line actors, to haunters, to the person in the ticket office, they are prepared for you to join them and ready to give you what you paid for and more.

                Every year the sets for the scenes in the maze that is Folklore become more detailed and demonstrate the clear vision of the designers behind it.  Though they could still add smells and scares which are on a lower level, they also are showing off with actors who are falling all over themselves to get to you and make your life a nightmare.  From creepy kids to headless horsemen and even a werewolf, they have what it takes to draw you inside of their imagination and make you wonder how you were drawn into this elaborate folk tale.  Somehow you may find yourself forgetting that you are in an old store located off a main road in Dallas, and believing that you are crossing into a realm where your nightmares have the potential to become reality.

                We hope that Folklore can maintain their acting staff at the high standard which they have set for themselves.  There were approximately fifty actors involved during our visit, which made it very easy to misdirect us and create startling moments that left us surprised and laughing at ourselves for jumping.  A great haunted house will have you jump, scream, and laugh before you leave.  We are hard pressed to scream, but we certainly did jump and laugh during our visit with the creatures of Folklore.

                There were so many small details within the haunt that we found ourselves progressing slowly through it as we tried to simply take it all in.  Not wanting to miss a thing we would turn around within the space and try to see what we might be overlooking if we only walked forward.  We found that the timing of the animatronics, as well as that of the live actors, was almost perfect.  This haunt has something which most other also have, those dropdown spots in the walls for the actors to startle you with.  This cast of characters didn't just drop the panels and scream at you, but rather they practically forced their bodies through the spaces to try to get to you.  It sort of felt as though they wanted you to hang around a while and see if you could become one of them. 

                The owners and managers who work to create Folklore Haunted House have a passion for what they do.  This is something that they love and they make themselves available at every possible moment to speak with guests about their experiences.  They do believe in making changes on the spot so that they can improve the value for their fans.  We have watched them grow over the past few years and can honestly say that the changes which are made are for a reason and are all positive.  Their desire to scare the crap out of you is real, and they hope that they succeed (just without the clean-up).   If you can only check out one haunt on the West side of Atlanta this year then please consider making that stop at Folklore as we are giving them a score of 4.5 severed heads out of 5.  They can't wait for you to drop in, and perhaps pick out a tombstone in the graveyard as your final resting place.