Folklore Haunted House, Acworth, GA 2015

               Folklore Haunted House is located in Acworth, Georgia and is an easy ride from most places in the metro Atlanta area.  Though it is a bit off the beaten path with the new location the move has been highly worthwhile for them.  This facility is expected to be able to expand to house a third haunt on site within the next two years and is still providing enough space to grow their existing haunts.  They have been around for a while now, but have had to move more than once due to temporary building rentals that did not work out.  We would love to know for sure that this new location was a purchase and will be their permanent haunting home (although we could do without the mud that can occur in the parking area from rain). 

               One of the greatest things about Folklore is their sets.  The scenes are detailed and often extravagant in nature.  Though there are some places where the walls are bare it only serves to add to the contrast which ebbs and flows throughout the haunt.  We also know that they will fully dress every space within the haunt given the money and time within a location.  The old factory which they are set in is historically beautiful and made us want to spend tire staring at tiny details from the original structure, which only serves to enhance the haunt itself.

               There are two haunts involved and they share one exit. We thought that this sounded a bit strange until we went through and realized that they have it worked out really well and it does not detract from the experience.  The main haunt is in the front of the structure with the secondary haunt entrance being around on the side of the building.  The talk of a third haunt includes a downstairs space which they have already begun to brainstorm ideas for.

               The greatest challenge for Folklore is having enough staff and characters to fill the space which they have.  They have worked on this in some very creative ways, which we won’t spoil for you here.  Needless to say, even when you don’t think that there is someone around in a room you can easily be surprised to find that there is someone right there by you that you knew nothing about.

               We love visiting Folklore and find it to be another reliable favorite over the years.  They are ready to perform on opening night with a show that will mesmerize most audiences.  We rate them with 4 severed heads out of 5 and feel that it could only rise from there with the acquisition of a permanent location allowing them to work on the attraction throughout the year.

The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street, Griffin, GA 2015

               The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street is located in the small town of Griffin, Georgia.  This event is limited to approximately six nights each haunt season and is held to benefit the Griffin Ballet Theatre.  The group responsible for this haunt is a tightknit group of people who are passionate about the arts an about haunting.  They love what they do and are all volunteers, even the management.  Each year they choose two of their nights to break from whatever theme that they have chosen to present and do special events.  One night will have a unique theme change.  In the past that particular night has been zombie night, vampire night, and carnival night.  Each of those takes its own special twist upon whatever they are already presenting.  Their other special event night is a tradition for them and still manages to use their yearly theme.  They present one night in which all of the lights within the haunt are turned out.  On this particular night you traverse the basement haunt in complete darkness…well, maybe not complete, they might give you a glow stick or the world’s worst flashlight if they have any available.  This year we have learned of an upcharge choice that you could also make.  The regular admission is $7, but if you want to pay $10 you can go in alone and leave your friends behind to fend for themselves.

               The location of the haunt is a wonder in and of itself.  The event is held in the basement of Studio D Dance on Hill Street in downtown Griffin.  The aged location adds a lot of character to the event itself, but them you add to it the ideas which are created within the space and it can become quite spooky.  The space is normally used as costume and prop storage for the ballet, however for a short time each year the haunt team is permitted to move things around and get creative.  They have constructed walls and sets to make the environment as different from its normal life as possible, though it is not entirely able to hide what lies beyond.  In some cases, what you may see past their sets might be creepier than what you would expect to find there, and this could be a good thing.

               Many years they have guests who pay for their tickets and still can’t quite seem to make it to the actual haunt.  This could be owed to the long and narrow hallway which you must walk down before opening the basement door to the stairs.  When you see the stairs you can understand why others may have backed out and forfeited the cost of their admission.  The walls are pealing and crumbling, the ceiling is sloping down, and the stairs make an abrupt left turn which prevents you from knowing anything at all about what you are going to walk into.   The unknown is often a huge fear for guests, and this alone can be enough to stop them in their tracks.  If you go, don’t be surprised to find people exiting through the entrance who can’t bring themselves to make that one turn.

               The actual haunt is very short, but for $7 and for charity you really can’t expect more.  Their space is limited and provided to them freely, so again, beggars can’t be choosers.  There are usually anywhere from six to ten rooms or unique spaces within the event, and they encompass a variety of scenes are scares.

               This year their theme was Bayou in the Basement.  With this concept they attempted to bring the swamp and its inhabitants to Griffin for a visit.  In doing so you may encounter fiercely protective Cajun families, swamp monsters, voodoo priestesses, mausoleum maniacs, and redneck friends.  The characters are often well planned and thought out.  The gentlemen who greeted us when we entered what appeared to be his bayou home did so with a rifle and a little attitude.  He maintained his character and was so good at his acting that we might easily have been convinced that he would use that gun on us if we had been the general public.  At some points we questioned whether the gun was there to scare us out or to protect him from what else lay beyond his home.

               Within the swamp there are trees, creatures, and people who will interact with you.  The floor beneath your feet even changes as you enter and exit the swamp, so be aware that things are not always as they appear.  You will need to able to handle at least two sets of stairs and a long alley which may hold your doom if you choose to enter this haunt, so be forewarned about what physical expectations are made upon you when you enter.  Nothing is dangerous about it, but it certainly helps to know that stairs are involved and there is no way to avoid them.

               When you meet the country man’s daughters please feel free to get to know them if you dare.  They are highly interactive and will try to keep you around if they can persuade you to stay.  They may have a little something they want to sell you, but sometimes you just have to make the best out of a crappy situation (and they are sure trying to). 

               There are a lot of great things which can be said about this haunt and we encourage everyone to visit (we saw that Leonard Pickel recently visited!).   Every cent that they raise through this event is for a good cause and their actors are well aware of the need to scare or entertain so that you get your money’s worth out of the experience.  We rate The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street 3.25 severed heads out of a possible five and wish them much luck in their fundraising this year and in the future.

The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street, Griffin, GA 2015

               The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street is located in the small town of Griffin, Georgia.  This event is limited to approximately six nights each haunt season and is held to benefit the Griffin Ballet Theatre.  The group responsible for this haunt is a tightknit group of people who are passionate about the arts an about haunting.  They love what they do and are all volunteers, even the management.  Each year they choose two of their nights to break from whatever theme that they have chosen to present and do special events.  One night will have a unique theme change.  In the past that particular night has been zombie night, vampire night, and carnival night.  Each of those takes its own special twist upon whatever they are already presenting.  Their other special event night is a tradition for them and still manages to use their yearly theme.  They present one night in which all of the lights within the haunt are turned out.  On this particular night you traverse the basement haunt in complete darkness…well, maybe not complete, they might give you a glow stick or the world’s worst flashlight if they have any available.  This year we have learned of an upcharge choice that you could also make.  The regular admission is $7, but if you want to pay $10 you can go in alone and leave your friends behind to fend for themselves.

               The location of the haunt is a wonder in and of itself.  The event is held in the basement of Studio D Dance on Hill Street in downtown Griffin.  The aged location adds a lot of character to the event itself, but them you add to it the ideas which are created within the space and it can become quite spooky.  The space is normally used as costume and prop storage for the ballet, however for a short time each year the haunt team is permitted to move things around and get creative.  They have constructed walls and sets to make the environment as different from its normal life as possible, though it is not entirely able to hide what lies beyond.  In some cases, what you may see past their sets might be creepier than what you would expect to find there, and this could be a good thing.

               Many years they have guests who pay for their tickets and still can’t quite seem to make it to the actual haunt.  This could be owed to the long and narrow hallway which you must walk down before opening the basement door to the stairs.  When you see the stairs you can understand why others may have backed out and forfeited the cost of their admission.  The walls are pealing and crumbling, the ceiling is sloping down, and the stairs make an abrupt left turn which prevents you from knowing anything at all about what you are going to walk into.   The unknown is often a huge fear for guests, and this alone can be enough to stop them in their tracks.  If you go, don’t be surprised to find people exiting through the entrance who can’t bring themselves to make that one turn.

               The actual haunt is very short, but for $7 and for charity you really can’t expect more.  Their space is limited and provided to them freely, so again, beggars can’t be choosers.  There are usually anywhere from six to ten rooms or unique spaces within the event, and they encompass a variety of scenes are scares.

               This year their theme was Bayou in the Basement.  With this concept they attempted to bring the swamp and its inhabitants to Griffin for a visit.  In doing so you may encounter fiercely protective Cajun families, swamp monsters, voodoo priestesses, mausoleum maniacs, and redneck friends.  The characters are often well planned and thought out.  The gentlemen who greeted us when we entered what appeared to be his bayou home did so with a rifle and a little attitude.  He maintained his character and was so good at his acting that we might easily have been convinced that he would use that gun on us if we had been the general public.  At some points we questioned whether the gun was there to scare us out or to protect him from what else lay beyond his home.

               Within the swamp there are trees, creatures, and people who will interact with you.  The floor beneath your feet even changes as you enter and exit the swamp, so be aware that things are not always as they appear.  You will need to able to handle at least two sets of stairs and a long alley which may hold your doom if you choose to enter this haunt, so be forewarned about what physical expectations are made upon you when you enter.  Nothing is dangerous about it, but it certainly helps to know that stairs are involved and there is no way to avoid them.

               When you meet the country man’s daughters please feel free to get to know them if you dare.  They are highly interactive and will try to keep you around if they can persuade you to stay.  They may have a little something they want to sell you, but sometimes you just have to make the best out of a crappy situation (and they are sure trying to). 

               There are a lot of great things which can be said about this haunt and we encourage everyone to visit (we saw that Leonard Pickel recently visited!).   Every cent that they raise through this event is for a good cause and their actors are well aware of the need to scare or entertain so that you get your money’s worth out of the experience.  We rate The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street 3.25 severed heads out of a possible five and wish them much luck in their fundraising this year and in the future.

Plantation Blood, Augusta, GA 2015

               Plantation Blood in Augusta, Georgia is an old favorite.  Going there for us is like coming home.  The staff provides amazing customer service and truly listens to what their guests want.  One case which clearly points this out is that they planned to remove an entire zombie section and their fans complained that they loved the zombies, so they found a way to keep that well-loved element with a twist.  Haunters such as this have a passion for what they are doing and long to see satisfied customers either running or smiling as they exit the fence after a night of mischief.

               Plantation Blood has a long history rooted in the Augusta area, and when we visited some haunts in North Carolina which disappointed us we needed something that was reliable and enjoyable to end our weekend.  It was a long drive down from Charlotte, North Carolina, but it was worth every mile of it.

               This particular haunted attraction is set up as a multi-layered event.  After purchasing your tickets, you will pass through a space which can either be benign or be used to scare.  Once you are beyond the fence you will see roaming characters, reasonably priced food, souvenirs, and other activities which you can choose to partake in.  One of the souvenirs this year is related to your own personal experience going through the haunt house.  As you pass through there are hidden cameras throughout and they are set to capture the scares.  These images are then able to be purchased in print or digitally.  What we found to be the best deal was a combo pack with one print of your choice and the remainder of your images emailed to you in a link for only $10.  When was the last time that you saw a souvenir of that quality for only $10? 

               For your haunted house experience, you may choose to stand in the general line or go for fast pass service.  On a busy night (they can have lengthy waits) you may find it more beneficial to get the fast pass, but if you don’t mind hanging out in line and chatting up others it can be fun to wait your turn like everyone else.

               The haunted house itself is a twisting and turning maze of motion and sound.  Frequently you will find that things are not always as they seem.  The walls around you, and even the floors beneath you, will leave you questioning your decision to traverse their course.  Objects which should not interact with you suddenly come to life with either motion or sound, and sometimes with both.  The environment which you have chosen to drop yourself into contains realms from houses, caves, cabin, creatures, and hordes of zombies.  Everything around you has been planned and implemented in order to bring the best possible experience to you.  The technology which they are running on has been created by one of their team members and is just beginning to make it out into the market for other haunts across the country.  They are able to program in a variety of sensory experiences based upon your interactions with the environment and their equipment.  This elevates the haunt experience to the next level.

               Sights, sounds, and smells engulf your senses and add to the realism of the world you are trekking through.  This haunt is not for wimps and small children, though you may take them with you for your own entertainment value.  We rate Plantation Blood with 4.5 severed heads of out 5 and can’t wait to return there with victims, um, friends, in the future.

Fear the Woods, Stockbridge, GA 2015

               Fear the Woods is located in Stockbridge, Georgia at a combined pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm.  Fear the Woods is a multi-event attraction including a haunted house, a haunted trail, and zombie paintball.  Located at the same facility you also can find a reptile exhibit, possible live music, and a variety of other smaller activities for those in your party to enjoy.  For a $30 combo ticket you can enjoy it all!

               After we had our tickets well in hand we roamed through the reptile exhibit while we waited for everything to get started.  The animals here are real and on loan from Randar’s Reptiles, a shop not too terribly far away.  They are beautiful and some are even entertaining.  It is a great way to spend a few minutes between events or while waiting for the night to begin.

               Once the lines began to form for the main attractions we chose to go through the haunted house first.  This particular event has been known to be either really good or really a letdown, depending on the year.  This year it was well considered and structured with actors who were better than we have seen there in the past.  Some of the highlights for this attraction include walls which change, scares from down low and up high, and sets which are beautifully designed. 

               After exiting the haunted house we joined the wagon for the zombie paintball experience.  This particular event has a lot of potential, but it is not fully developed in our opinion.  They have one section which is limited due to nearby neighbors, as well as the actors are also a bit sparser through some sections of the shoot.  It is fun to shoot the paintball guns and experience interactions, and we can clearly see where they have room to evolve this attraction into something more over time.

               When we were dropped back off by the hayride style wagon we hopped onto the bus. Yes, we said bus.  This party bus style treat involves current popular music, laser lights, and surprises as it takes you from the front of the facility around to the trailhead at the rear of the lot.  We loved this so much that we were talking with one of the staff members about how we could see people wanting to rent this bus as a party bus for events.  We would!

               When you eventually are kicked out of your ride you are at the starting point for the trail portion of the haunt.  This trail includes enough light to feel reasonably safe for walking and reasonably intimidating due to darkness.  The path twists and turns through outdoor as well as indoor scenes as your progress along.  The indoor scenes here are some of our favorites at this location.  They are well layered and clearly have had serious thought put into their conception and design.  We would love to see scenes like those spread like a virus throughout the remainder of the event. 

               The only downsides which we found to this event were that the big props were not necessarily used to their fullest potential, the 3-D glasses were not in the best shape for actually experiencing the 3-D effects in that section, and the paintball needed some more staff members willing to be zombie victims.  With that taken into consideration, we looked at our overall experience and found that we rate them at 3.5 severed heads out of a possible five.  We love going there and the staff makes the trip enjoyable with their exceptional customer service.  Check them out and let us know what you think.

Gates of Misery, Rome, GA 2015

               Gates of Misery haunted house is located in Rome, Georgia across from what seems to be the central office for the school district.  We found this highly entertaining and our initial impression was rooted in the idea that it couldn’t be too terrifying if it is across from a school system building.  This environmentally induced piece of input from our surroundings was misleading, and we are very glad that it was.      

               The facility is located in what appears to have been a factory or warehouse in its former incarnation, however it currently is housing some meticulously crafted and layered sets filled with menacing creatures ready to involve you in their stories throughout the night.  The scares begin before you have even entered the attraction, which is always a plus.  You may meet some rather disturbing characters on your way in the gates, but do not be alarmed, they are the least of your worries.

               The management of Gates of Misery has figured out some things which we see as highly intelligent decisions and it shows from beginning to end.  This is a self-guided tour with a high quantity of high quality actors throughout.  They are ready for you and anything that you can throw at them (we do so love trying to get an actor to break character, you have been warned).  The staff were talented, skilled, and had a variety of weapons within both their physical and verbal arsenals. 

               The scenes were visually appealing as well as multi-layered.  There was input for your eyes, but also for your ears and nose.  The sprawling multi-leveled haunt includes a dining room with a table set for entertaining the most vicious of cannibalistic villains, a bathroom which would make both Norman Bates and Mr. Clean cringe, and a true maze with multiple potential paths to take.  The haunt is stimulating to your senses and keeps your mind active as you follow the path which has been laid out for you.

               We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and when we weren’t jumping we were laughing (if you can’t scare the patron then you had darn well better entertain them so that they get their money’s worth!).  Gates of Misery was worth the drive to the northeast corner of Georgia for us and made up for other not so great experiences which we had that same evening.  Our opinions of Gates of Misery were slightly split, so we took an average.  We rate them at an unusual 4.6 severed heads out of a possible five.  This is extremely high for us, which should definitely be noted.  This is a haunt which is not to be missed!

Bloodwood Trail, Rome, GA 2015

               Bloodwood Trail is located in Rome, Georgia amongst a unique combination of close together neighborhood homes and dense forest landscapes.  The cost for attending is a $13 admission with the option to add on a $5 fast pass.  For a total of only $18 you can jump to the front of the line to begin your experience.

               One thing which must be stated up front with this attraction is that there is a real danger involved that patrons should be aware of.  This attraction is an outdoor trail, but that alone is not where the danger is found.  The trail was exceptionally dark in many places along that route and the path is not quite as well maintained as we feel that it should be for you to safely traverse the space over limb, roots, and dips at night.  Though it can be done safely, we feel that you should be warned to be careful.  Being a scaredy cat who runs would not be wise in any way at this particular event.

               While we did witness people who seemed to enjoy the attraction we cannot count ourselves among them.  We encountered many scareacters who came out of character far too easily, strike one.  Just because you are in the woods does not mean that you can neglect the need to provide more detailed and interesting set designs, strike two.  There was a tunnel which was hard and covered with carpet that you had to crawl through which was tilted downhill and muddy, strike three.  We could go on, but we just didn’t enjoy this one as much as we had hoped.  We could see the potential, and the line and parking indicated to us that some people definitely like it.

               When we considered the price of the attraction it seemed that if you lived local and were not someone who goes to a lot of haunted houses regularly it would probably be a pretty good deal and a reasonably enjoyable experience for you.  We drove for about two hours and did not find our experience to be either scary or entertaining, so for us it wasn’t worth the cost.  Everyone has their own experiences and I am sure that some of you would love this haunt, so please let us know if you visit it and enjoy it.  We would love to hear what it was about it, specifically, that you liked so that we can guide the right patrons to the right haunts.

               Based upon our own experience, and that’s really all that we can determine our ratings by, we gave Bloodwood Trail one severed head out of a possible five.  Please contact us with you experiences at this or any other haunted attraction so that we can share your thoughts.  You can find us on our Facebook Page: Haunt Review.  Message us through the Facebook Page for the fastest response.  We look forward to hearing about and sharing your haunted house experiences.