Horror Acres 2013 Review

Horror Acres (Springfield, OH)
“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com

Every season we tour haunts we’ve never been to before. Horror Acres in Springfield, Ohio is one of them. We didn’t know what to expect, but we were willing to take the chance. We ended up being blown away by how unique, interactive and scary the haunt was. We arrived at 9:50 pm on a Saturday night. It was their last night of operation and there were quite a few cars in the parking lot. Next to us was a large corn maze called Maze of Insanity. A large ring of light covers the entrance and flashes wildly.

Our mission was to tour Horror Acres and have a great time. We definitely succeeded. While we waited to get our tickets, we met some colorful characters. A small vampire terrorized customers and we got to interact with the one and only Beetlejuice. Horror movies play on a movie screen while customers wait in line. It says, enter at own risk above the entrance to Horror Acres and we slowly walked inside. Horror Acres is a 33 minute journey into the unknown. The animated bust of a clown spirit welcomes you to the house of horrors. From there, you’ll enter a hotel lobby. Ring the bell and get ready to meet some interesting individuals. It’s Captain Spalding from “House of 1000 Corpses” and Beetlejuice of Course. Open the Ipod Box and get your prize. I definitely wasn’t expecting a bloody tampon with an eye ball in it. It’s a prize none the less.

I was quickly separated from my group and placed in Freddy’s Boiler room where I met the crazy killer. You’ll meet your favorite horror movie legends like Michael Myers, Leatherface, Jigsaw and more. Horror Acres is very unpredictable with its scenes. One section is completely dedicated to the Saw movie franchise. You’ll witness victims being tortured and you’ll encounter Jigsaw, the movie’s main villain. You must complete various tasks to move on. Turn the key and you might survive. Press the button on the side of the wall and let the poisonous gas fill your lungs.

Horror Acres has one of the best nuclear waste zones we’ve seen. Walk across the bridge with a toxic spill on the other side and navigate around barrels that are about to fall on your head. If you made it out in one piece then you might enjoy the dark swamp. Enter the dark swamp where large air bags consume you and there’s a portrait of a clown that magically comes alive. There are some tight spaces at Horror Acres and many claustrophobia tunnels that you’ll enter. If you’re claustrophobic then you’ll be petrified as you go through this wild and crazy haunt.

The Hellevator is an intense ride that takes you to the depths of Hell and it features an elevator operator with a British accent. Horror Acres doesn’t overdo it with chainsaws and knows how to effectively use them. You’ll be attacked as you enter the Jeepers Creepers Cornfield and hopefully you won’t lose your head as you’re assaulted from above.

Horror Acres has plenty of eye candy including a vortex tunnel and a disgusting port a potty you must walk through. You’ll see plenty of impressive props like an animated gargoyle, an electric chair, a CGI Bloody Mary Mirror and more. One of the scariest scenes at Horror Acres doesn’t feature many props or actors. It’s a dark room filled with fog and a glowing light.

There were times when we got caught up with the group in front of us, but the actors do a good job at holding groups back. We were asked to solve a riddle. What goes up and down, but doesn’t move? The answer is stairs. A lot of the actors are dressed as clowns, but they do an effective job at being funny and intimidating. I definitely wasn’t expecting to have snot blown in my face. It was silly string, but it’s still pretty gross. Another time I was asked to look in the mirror to see the freak. I was the freak of course. The actors are great. People were so scared of Leatherface that they didn’t realize he was blocking the cornfield’s exit. Horror Acres also has the best Beetlejuice we’ve ever seen. He never breaks character.

Total tour time is over 30 minutes. Our only real complaint is getting caught up with other groups and waiting for them to walk ahead so we didn’t miss some of the scares. We also had a difficult time hearing the audio on the TV in the Saw section of the haunt. Tickets are $15 a piece. Tickets for Maze of Insanity are $10. Combo tickets are $18. Click here for $1 off admission. Horror Acres is one of the best haunts in Southwest, Ohio and features scenes and effects that will amaze and frighten you. We had a great time and we know you will to.