Hanna Haunted Acres (Indianapolis, IN)
“Fear on the Farm”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Hanna Haunted Acres is a haunt with plenty of delicious eye candy. It consists of 6 attractions that are beautiful with the exception of their corn maze Stalker Farms. Stalker Farms is a haunted trail and haunted corn maze rolled into one. Hanna Haunted Hayride is chock full of animatronics everywhere you turn. There’s a fire breathing demon, T-Rex head, falling signs, a headless horseman, a rising pumpkin king and much much more. Our favorite every season is the train crash which pushes the wagon. The falling spider comes in a close second. The other haunts have unique set pieces and traditional animatronics.
The Sleeping Giant in Freak Show was impressive and the caramel apples in the shape of baby heads was sickening. Dark Echoes main focus is its spooky and dark atmosphere, but there is some impressive decor. The towering scissor serpent, skull fountain and boat are standouts. The boat can be found in the red river. Bitten and Cannibal Chaos are both very detailed haunts like the rest of the attractions. Bitten is vampire themed and resembles a haunted manor. The falling chandelier and busted ceiling were very cool.
The acting needs a lot of work. Most of the characters resort to jump scares and don’t use any meaningful dialogue. In Dark Echoes many of the characters chant in a unique language I’ve never heard before. Many of the haunts rely on animatronics and set pieces, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t entertaining. It’s the polar opposite. We had a good time exploring each attraction, but there weren’t many standout characters. The cathedral in Bitten had us wanting to drink a goblet full of blood. Bitten is a vampire themed haunt. Cry Little Sister from the Lost Boys is its soundtrack. We were hoping that there would be queue line characters, but there weren’t many to speak of.
(Here’s the scary entrance to Hanna Haunted Hayride.)
The haunts aren’t drastically different from last season’s. But if it’s your first time then this doesn’t matter. Dark Echoes is quite dark. You’ll explore caverns, corridors, and more. Freak Show is a clown themed haunt where you’ll explore a circus, carnival, behind the scenes at the circus and more. The vortex tunnel will make you dizzy as it goes around and around. Stalker Farms is Hanna Haunted Acres’ version of a corn maze. It’s not too confusing and there are some scenes here and there. Bitten is Acres Manor, but with a vampire twist. You’ll see a ceiling open up, a shaking dinning room table, haunted portraits, caskets and lots more. The entire haunt feels like it’s been taken over by ghosts and vicious blood suckers.
Hanna Haunted Hayride was mentioned earlier in the review and it’s main focus is its detailed sets and high end special effects. Halloween lights decorate the wagon. It’s very fun and has a wild finish. Cannibal Chaos is a twisted haunt with scenes straight out of a cannibal horror movie. You’ll explore a chicken coop, garage, tool shed, barn and much more. It’s like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre had a baby with Wrong Turn.
DOA is a new attraction at Hanna Haunted Acres. You’ll have a hood placed on your head, be touched and shocked. You’ll experience, dirt, fire and water. It isn’t included in any ticket package and is an add-on. Hanna Haunted Acres has a plethora of concessions and different vendors spread throughout the farm. Their midway is called the Boneyard.
New this year is a massive tree that changes colors. There are plenty of photo op stations, a fortune teller, tavern, Hanna Haunted Acres merchandise and much more. Animated scenes play as they’re synchronized to music. Tickets are as low as $28.95. They’re $6.05 more if purchased onsite. There are online fees. There are so many ticketing options that it would be hard to mention them all. Please visit www.hannahauntedacres.com for prices on the Unlimited Ticket, Fast Pass, Single Hayride Ticket and more. Tickets are much more during the weekend. Parking is free. Blackout takes place on November 7th and 8th.
The haunts at Hanna Haunted Acres are simply beautiful and you’ll have a full night of fright. The people behind these haunts are very creative. The biggest issue we have is the acting and the length of the attractions. Most of the haunts are around 4 minutes long. Hanna Haunted Hayride lasted around 12 minutes while we made it out of Stalker Farms in around 15 minutes. Hanna Haunted Hayride is the family friendly haunt and the most entertaining. There aren’t any dead spots at most of the haunts. Overall, we always walk away with a smile on our face after we’ve left Hanna Haunted Acres. Yes, there’s room for improvement, but it’s a good value considering how much variety there is in the way of attractions.
Length-7 Design-9 Props-9 Acting-6 Scare Effect-6
Final Stab: 7.4
www.hannahauntedacres.com