Haunted Acres
446 Raymond Road
Candia, NH
There's something about driving down an unlit road through acres of woods that really gets you in the Halloween spirit. Haunted Acres is the first water park haunt I've ever been to and I'm not quite sure what to expect, but the rural setting provides a blanket of darkness to swallow any hints of jovial summer festivities and provides a sinister tone for a spook walk. The haunt is made up of 5 separate attractions encircling the central bonfire and the Toxic Tavern, where guests are encouraged to hang out and sip on adult beverages or hot cocoa. If you're feeling extra brave, buy a ticket for the zombie zip line - a zombie themed adventure ride!
There are five haunted attractions to choose from. Cell Block 13: a prison filled with flesh eating inmates, Maze From Hell: a maze cloaked in darkness, 3-D Nuclear Accident House: a sabotaged nuclear plant where a breed of mutant lunatics wait to torture you, Quarter Mile Nightmare Walk: Haunted Acres signature walk-through haunt filled with handmade sets, interesting effects and familiar horror legends, and make your exit through Graveyard of the Damned: an abandoned graveyard filled with real hand cut gravestones, a 'human floor' and the creepiest crypt keeper I've ever encountered.
Is It Scary?
Haunted Acres says: "Haunted Acres continues to maintain its reputation as the scariest, most terrifying, blood letting attraction in New England!"
The Raven and Black Cat says: Haunted Acres is a nostalgic Halloween experience perfect for those looking to avoid the overproduced store bought haunts packed with gore.
What We Loved
It's fun to navigate through the confusing design of Cell Block 13. The false and hidden doors keep you on your toes and allow for some fun startle scares. The Maze from Hell has an equally confusing design, but uses pyrotechnics to startle unsuspecting victims. The Graveyard of the Damned's mausoleum and vampire section is incredibly detailed and is really enhanced by the fresh graves and real hand carved headstones. The star attraction is the Nightmare Walk, filled with unique handmade sets, which explore an array of themes from witches to hillbillies, a bloody princess trapped in a castle, even pirates...it's a fun, nostalgic haunt where everyone will find something to love and something to startle them. My favorite moment had to be crossing an amazing drawbridge - it's covered in a thick blanket of fog, a slew of Alice in Wonderland-esque wrong way signs, and a blinding strobe light that sets you up for a brilliant startle scare.
What Could Be Better
Haunted Acres has mastered the art of the startle scare - actors are trained to get in and get out, avoiding that awkward moment when they have nothing else to say or do. That being said, with five haunts to explore you need more variation. Hire a few actors that can improvise and utilize at least one in each haunt. Use actors as living set pieces to breathe life into scenes. The success of the handcrafted Nightmare Walk proves that you don't need high tech effects or expensive sets to be spooky, but when animatronics are dated and poorly timed or the handmade sets are sloppy it starts to take away from the experience. Retire old animatronics or mask them in strobe and fog as a distraction for startle scares.
The Maze isn't truly dark, so try using disorientating effects like extremely bright lights followed by darkness, strobe, fog, unsure footing and unpleasant wall surfaces to make it more challenging and fun. Most of the attractions are missing a final scare - everyone loves a big finish that sends them running out the door. With such a fun Halloween party atmosphere, it's a shame that so much time is spent waiting in line. You will have happier guests and more business at the Toxic Tavern if you utilize a timed ticketing system.
Here's A Tip
Haunted Acres is a great haunt for a group to attend. Plan on going on Date Night (Thursdays) when tickets are two for $40 or upgrade to VIP and enjoy a complimentary beverage. The lines will be shorter and you’ll get all the scares without some of the teenage crowd.
Final Thoughts
If your ideal Halloween experience is telling ghost stories by the campfire, you’ll enjoy Haunted Acres. It’s the perfect wooded traditional walk through haunt without all the blood, guts and gore and you don’t have to worry about the actors touching you.
Haunted Acres 2012 Season
October 5 - October 31
Ticket Information
Adult Combo: $27.00 | Child (12 and under) Combo: $19.00
Adult VIP: $39.00 | Child VIP: $27.00
VIP: Skip the lines and get a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage
Thursday Date Night Adult Combo: 2 for $40
*Haunted Acres also accepts competitors coupons, so put those $5 off Spooky World coupons to good use.
Age Requirements
No age requirements are specified.
Additional Information
