|
 York Maze has been staging Fright Nights at the end of the summer maze season for a number of years (see reviews). This year they have done things differently and created a true haunted attraction for Halloween featuring three different experiences.
From the moment we arrived the sense of anticipation built. As we waited in line to enter the site, sound effects, mood lighting and various props set the scene. A scary clown kept the queue line moving!
Once inside, the old farm buildings provide a very atmospheric backdrop with smoke machines and lighting creating a spooky feel. There were plenty of monsters lurking in the shadows and a number of scares before we even got to the first attraction.
On entering The Haunted Barns you are immediately in a pitch-black corridor with various twist and turns which unnerved us straight away. A series of rooms followed, notably an upside down room with furniture nailed to the ceiling, a bedroom with an actor on the bed screaming at us, and a mirror maze. Good use was made of both acting and startle scares and at various points we were subjected to water spray, air blasts and more. The chainsaw finale had people bursting through the exit and into the entrance courtyard in front of startled visitors who were just arriving.
The second attraction, The Curse of the Corn, started with a tractor-trailer ride. There were a couple of scares along the way but it was a fairly short ride. However it soon turned out that this was not the main part of this attraction. We were ushered off the trailer at the far end of the maize field, and then had to make our way back along a series of pathways through the maize. Split into small groups we were at the mercy of various monsters who leapt from the maize plants as we passed. There was no fencing so the attacks could come from anywhere. The rustle of the maize plants in the wind made us think there was someone there even when there wasn’t so we were in a constant state of alert. There were also two hotspots of scare activity, each populated by several actors providing a series of attacks. An old double-decker bus was one focal point but Summer Holiday is was not! There was some clever use of distraction and disorientation and at one point we were joined by some army guys who were to lead us to safety. The attacks kept coming and gunfire and lots of shouting created a sense of confusion and panic. It made an excellent finale to this attraction.
The third offering provided a change of pace. The Shed of Dread is an old barn which has been turned into a theatre. Two actors dressed as Victorian undertakers performed a 30 minute ghost storytelling show. The use of gas lighting and the old barn itself made a wonderfully spooky venue. The concept of telling ghost stories to a predominantly adult audience could have fallen flat, but the quality of the acting, their timing and the use of suspense and humour held the audience’s attention throughout.
Apart from the three main haunts, both adults and children (but mainly adults!) were making good use of the jumping pillow and play areas. There were plenty of undercover areas, a café serving hot drinks, burgers, jacket potatoes and the like and covered queuing.
As a first attempt at a Halloween scare attraction, York Maze has made an excellent start. The only disappointing element was the tractor-trailer ride, but viewed as the way to the start of the Curse of The Corn rather than a ride in its own right that is excusable. It will be interesting to see how this Halloween attraction develops next year, and judging by the feedback from visitors on their way out, most will be back for more.
More Information
Attraction page
2007 Review of the Haunted Horror maze
|
