Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride (Petersburg, KY)
“20 Years of Fear and Fun!”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Petersburg, Kentucky is a small town with less than 600 people. But every fall season haunt goers of all ages flock to a haunted farm known as Sandyland Acres. This season Sandyland Acres celebrates their 20th season of scares. We can remember touring the haunt during their media event the very first year. It was great and every year they offer something different for fright seekers. This haunt features two attractions, a haunted hayride and a haunted barn. Two grim reapers guard the entrance to Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride. A large silo shoots fire high into the sky. A massive electric chair features fog that pours out of it. Do you dare to sit down to get your picture taken? We were approached by a pig face killer who wanted to take a bite out of us .
There’s something special about a Haunted Hayride. It does a great job representing Halloween and you’re bound to have a great time. The tractor driver is in charge of your destiny and you never know what to expect as you travel through fields and the deep dark woods. Some people will laugh while others will scream in pure terror. It’s quite entertaining I must say. Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride is quite different from other hayrides we experience since many of its scenes are centered around popular horror movies. You’ll witness movie icons from the past and present. Sandyland Acres has some of the best actors when it comes to them playing victims. They’re very convincing as they cry for help. The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers 2 pulled a poor girl across the ground. Michael Myers can be seen in front of a house that has a flashing police car next to it.
One of my favorite scenes has Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees going head to head in a battle for supremacy. It was so cool and got a big reaction from the people on the hay wagon. One boy yelled,” Get him Michael”. Many of the actors are tall which makes them more intimidating and they do a great job staying in character. Leatherface spins his gas powered chainsaw around and around. Other characters you’ll encounter include Regan MacNeil from the Exorcist. Don’t look into her eyes or you’ll become possessed, Art the Clown from Terrifier 3 and more. I absolutely love Christmas scenes inside haunts. The Saw scene included a girl with a torture device attached to her head as she screamed her head off while she sat in a chair. You’ll travel past a graveyard, clown invasion, killer hillbillies and more. One might even fire his shot gun.
(Scary scarecrows stand guard at Sandyland Acres.)
We really appreciate the attention to detail at Sandyland Acres, but the lighting could be improved in certain areas. This was very apparent in the Headless Horseman encounter. Having the actor hold a light up pumpkin or severed head would help illuminate the scene. The scenes inside the barn can be a little hard to see depending on where you’re sitting. Sandyland Acres does a great job with their chase scenes. My favorite is the intense semi truck chase. It had me on the edge of my seat as the driver got closer and closer. Total tour time was 18 minutes and there were very few dead spots. Even when there was a dead spot, you had a loud sound or flames. They’re simple effects, but it’s entertaining none the less.
After we were finished surviving the hayride, we got in line for Farmer’s Revenge. It’s Sandyland Acres’ version of a haunted barn. This haunt reminds me of an old school Jaycees attraction or a haunted fun house. Skeletons cling to the side of the building as well as a large skull. A skeleton proceeds to throw up green glowing puke in a hazardous waste barrel. Scenes include a dark maze where you could get wet or shocked, a mine shaft, a disgusting dinning room, jungle/rain forest, doll room and more. There are some interesting props with the vortex tunnel being the best. Watch out for Ghostface from the Scream franchise. This is a pretty low tech haunt with more emphasis on spooky atmosphere and characters. It lasts a mere 5 minutes and you can watch people enter the dark maze. There’s a movie screen attached to the side of the barn and a hidden camera inside.
We thankfully made it out in one piece and it was time to explore the grounds. The Haunted Gift Shop is great. There are plenty of one of a kind clown dolls, 20th anniversary T-Shirts, lamps, jewelry and so fourth. I bought my mom some jack-o’-lantern earrings. After that, we checked out the Haunted Snack Shop. They sell hot dogs, pretzels, walking tacos, brownies, soda and more. There are various photo ops available throughout the farm with the electric chair being our favorite. The Haunted Hayride is $20, $15 for Farmer’s Revenge and $30 for a combo ticket. We definitely recommend that you purchase a combo ticket and remember that it’s cash only. There are no atms on site. Parking is free.
Sandyland Acres is a very special haunt because it strives to be different and offers a night of entertainment for those looking to get scared to death.
Please note: Farmers Revenge has not been scored.
Length-8 Design-8 Props-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 8.0
www.sandylandacres.com