Twisted Trails Haunted Attraction (Wilmington, OH)
“Meet the Collector and Their Collection”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Twisted Trails is a 24 minute excursion into the deep dark woods. This is a haunt that doesn’t have an exact theme, but that’s fine since this makes the haunt much more unpredictable. A doll house has been taken over my massive dolls and the outside fence has been decorated with stuffed animals. You never know what’s dead or alive at Twisted Trails. A statue suddenly moves and lunges at passersby.
Twisted Trails is a haunt that focuses on traditional themes. You know that you’re about to be confronted by some eight legged freaks when you hear the Itsy Bitsy Spider song playing. Make sure that you’re in decent shape since there is some tough terrain along the way where you’ll be walking up and down hill.
Witches have invaded the woods of Twisted Trails. They’re hiding in the darkness and one can be seen with her smoking cauldron. Her cackle almost echoes throughout the landscape. Enter a glowing cave where you never know what might be ready to attack. Twisted Trails does a good job with their sound design. You’ll notice creepy music and sound effects that accompany certain scenes. This haunt has its unique take on traditional themes.
I particularly enjoyed the werewolf section where a hairy beast suddenly emerges from the darkness as he growls. Watch out for the massive werewolf head that will take a bite out of you. Ghosts can be seen flying in the air as you try to make it out alive. The pumpkin patch can be a scary place at night. Get ready to flee as you dodge a massive pumpkin monster who wants to make you his jack-0’-lantern.
Twisted Trails is a fun attraction, but there are too many dead spots. This is their Achilles heal. Some of the lighting could also be improved. There were a few times where I couldn’t tell what character was interacting with me because of how dark the trail was in certain scenes. After you survived Twisted Trails, you’ll be picked up and dropped back off at the beginning.
Next up is Muck Manor. The best way I can describe this haunt is that it’s the largest laser swamp that you’ll experience. There are a couple of scenes such as a barrel scene and an elevator, but the majority is just swamp which is pretty cool. The major issue is that there are very few actors and after a while the swamp loses its effect because you’ve seen so much of it. This is a short haunt lasting only 6 minutes.
General admission is $20 and Fast Pass is $30. We highly recommend the Fast Pass unless you show up right when they open. Lines can get pretty large at Twisted Trails. Lights Out Night takes place on October 1ST, 16TH AND 29TH. Concessions are available such as food and Twisted Trails merchandise.
Luckily there was a map available for Twisted Trails since it can be a little confusing where everything is located. We weren’t sure where the ticket booth was until the light was turned on from the outside and we waited 10 minutes before we were told where the Fast Pass line was for Much Manor. More lit signage around each attraction would help a lot.
Twisted Trails is in its second year of operation and has a lot of potential. There are just a few things that need to be tweaked such as lighting and the number of dead spots where nothing is happening. But overall, the haunted trail is a fun attraction and Muck Manor is a nice addition.
Please Note: Muck Manor has not be scored.
Length-9 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-7 Acting-7 Scare Effect-6
Final Stab: 7.2
www.twistedtrailshaunt.com