Grim Trails (Louisville, KY)
“Terror In The Trees”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
In the woods of Louisville, Kentucky is Grim Trails. It started as a home haunt known as The Haunted Yard. Over the years it has expanded into a large haunted trail that is different from anything you’ve seen before. It’s called Grim Trails because it features different scenes that are molded after Grim Fairy Tales. These are the stories you’ve grown up with. We’ll talk about this later in the review.
Grim Trails uses tea lights inside mason jars as its main source of light. They’re attached to trees and they’re great at lighting paths. They provide just the right amount of light and give the haunt an authentic feel. Grim Fairy Tales were written in a time where electricity didn’t exist and people would use candles as their source of light. Scenes take place inside huts and outside in the woods. This is a very dark haunt and it’s sometimes difficult to tell what you’re looking at.
You’ll relive some of your favorite Grim Fairy Tales like The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Hansel and Gretel and others. The Three Bill Goats Gruff has you encountering three different goats that change shape and size as you get closer to exiting the haunt. The last goat impressed me the most since he was the most intimidating and impressive. His scream sounded like a combination of a velociraptor and another animal I can’t put my finger on. You’ll of course meet the troll who plays the villain in The Three Bill Goats Gruff. He stands guard over his bridge and will gobble up anyone who dares to cross his path.
The reenactment of Hansel and Gretel was neat, but it could have been more over the top. A scent dispenser releasing the smell of candy would make the scene more realistic. It’s also very dark. Hansel is seen on her knees as she screams in terror. You’ll eventually come face to face with the witch.
An issue I have with this haunt is how some of the scenes are created. Unless you know the tales they’re based on then you might be scratching your head a little. One scene has a pig’s head inside a hut. I’m assuming this is loosely based on the Three Little Pigs, but I couldn’t be certain. Another scene has a girl being attacked by an animated spider. This might be based on The Spider and the Flea. Some of the scenes need to have a storyline and the actors should be able to tell a story using dialogue. Having some scenes based on Grim Fairy Tales is a novel idea, but it could be executed better.
Grim Trails has its faults, but it’s much different from anything I’ve experienced before. The outdoor paths are very narrow and the tea light candles give it a beautiful glow. This is one spooky haunt that has tons of potential. The costumes used for The Three Billy Goats Gruff are impressive and the haunt could be amazing if some of the dead spots were filled. I’m looking forward to seeing how this haunt grows. It’s unlike any haunted trail in Kentucky. Tickets are $15 a person and the trail is 17 minutes long.
Length-8 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-6 Acting-6 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 7.0
www.grimtrails.com