REVIEW: The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride

The Bates Motel
1835 Middletown Road
Glen Mills, PA

Hauntsmith Randy Bates has been scaring area residents for over 20 years
with his top ranking haunted attraction, The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride. Located
just outside of Philadelphia, the Bates Motel, has drawn national attention
with several features on the Travel Channel and in USA Today. So, when I arrived
at Arasapha Farm in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, I had some understandably large
expectations, but I learned very quickly that Mr. Bates does not disappoint.

Visiting the
Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride is like experiencing the pivotal scene from
every horror movie on your Netflix queue back to back. Not only do they have a
haunted house inside a full size replica of Hitchcock’s famous “Psycho” mansion,
but Arasapha Farm is also home to an equally elaborate haunted corn maze, and
one of the most incredible haunted hayrides in the country.     

What makes the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride unique isn’t the incredible
Hollywood-quality sets and special effects, but a solid understanding of how sensory
details complete an environment and create tension and distraction for an
audience. For example, no horror movie is complete (or scary!) without a
soundtrack and Bates Motel incorporates detailed customized music and realistic
sound effects to set the tone for each section of every attraction. 

Is It Scary?

According to their Official Website :  "America's Most Horrifying Motel."

The Raven & Black Cat says:  Imagine
being surrounded by a series of horror movie sets and special effects in the
middle of the woods. Then add monsters that can touch you.  

What We Loved

A common problem with hayrides is that once the zombies and crazed
killers reach the side of the wagon, they have nowhere to go. This is not the
case at the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride! When these monsters reach the wagon they launch themselves into it! Realizing
that the usual rules don’t apply creates the ultimate feeling of unease and adrenaline. We
also loved the hayride’s mine shaft section. The sound effects and downward
movement created a chilling claustrophobic feeling of being trapped. Other
highlights include the man-eating crows and gators in the corn maze and the Bates
Motel’s greenhouse and room of taxidermy.   

What Could Be Better

The set design and special effects are so complex and detailed.
It would be incredible to see the same time and attention applied to the acting.
A complex character (with a back story) that reacts to their environment and
moves with intention is more real and infinitely scarier. 

Final Thoughts

The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride is perfect Halloween entertainment that will scare most and captivate all. Even the most fearless will enjoy visiting the dark and imaginative
world of Randy Bates.

The Bates Motel 2012 Season

September 28 - November 4

Ticket Information

• Haunted Hayride: $12 - $20
• Bates Motel:  $12 - $15
• Corn Maze: $12 - $15
• Combo Special (All 3):  $25 - $40
• VIP Pass (No Waiting):  $60 - $75

Discount Tickets

• 13Haunts Coupon: $5 Off Combo Tickets (Sunday Thru Thursday) - Click Here!
• Wed., October 17th is Military Appreciation Night: 50% Off w/ Military ID. (All Vets get group rate any night w/ ID.)
• Wed., October 24th is Family Night: $10 Off the Combo Ticket when you Buy 4 or More.
• Sign up to have Discount Coupons Emailed to you.

Age Requirements

 Children ages 2 and under are free with a paid adult. 

Additional Information

• Official Website
• Faceboook Page
• Twitter
• Youtube
• Buy Tickets
• 13Haunts

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] The Bates Motel[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] The Haunted Hayride[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="851.0"] The Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride[/caption]

REVIEW: Asylum & Hotel Fear Haunted House

Las Vegas Haunts:
Hotel Fear & Asylum
Las Vegas, NV

Hotel Fear and The Asylum have been spooking Las Vegas residents and visitors alike for more than 15 years! In that time, R&J Productions has been leading the way in developing trailer haunts: entirely mobile haunts that are self-contained within groups of customized trailers. We had never been to a trailer haunt and were excited to check out what the genre had to offer. It’s amazing what’s accomplished in such a small space. Both attractions explore the life of Mortimer Feoray, a troubled child that goes mad (Hotel Fear) and is eventually institutionalized (The Asylum). Even with a limited budget, Hotel Fear and The Asylum create a fun and innovative story-driven haunt that’s likely to make you scream for more.

  

Is it Scary?

R&J Productions says: This is the REAL DEAL…the Real Fear you NEED to experience!

The Raven and Black Cat says: The Asylum and Hotel fear provide the perfect midrange haunt: it’s not too gory and it’s not so scary that you won’t make it through. You’ll be delightfully horrified by the carefully designed story and the actors will actually scare you out the door.

 

What We Loved

We love story-driven haunts! Hotel Fear starts out perfectly, picture this: You walk into an old Hollywood style hotel lobby. A sign says ‘ring bell for service’. The moment you ring the bell the lights go out and chaos ensues. It’s fantastic. You’re sent on a quest to find Mortimer in Room 13, but that’s no easy task. The hotel is specifically designed to trap and confuse you. Many rooms have hidden doors and it creates an awesome feeling of distress that you’ll never make it out alive! The key to this scare tactic is the small size and ample spacing between groups.  There is plenty of time to get lost in the maze of the hotel without creating a backup, and if you’re the least bit claustrophobic you’ll be terrified. The fact that both haunts stay true to the theme adds to the realistic nature of the scares. Every scene supports the story and every scare is designed around the theme- you get lost in the story and experience some fun scares along the way.

 

What Could Be Better

There were a few actors that really stood out, particularly the woman in the spa and the man in the white out room – they encouraged you to interact with them and were very successful at creating the perfect atmosphere and set up for the scares to follow. Unfortunately, many of the other actors utilize the scream-in-your-face tactic, which is much less effective. Not every actor is a star and not every actor is able to improvise, but vary the tone and tempo of the startle scares. A whisper is often creepier than a scream and discovering a silent actor in a pitch black hallway would be truly disturbing. Use the actors as living set pieces and get rid of some of the tired animatronics. We love the sections of complete darkness - our first reaction is to reach out for the walls, so make them feel sticky or wet, and maybe add some elements of unsure footing to add to the disorientation.  

It's always a good idea to keep an eye on younger actors.  Unfortunately, we spotted one high school age asylum patient listening to her ipod. 

 

Final Thoughts

If you’re tired of haunts that jump from theme to theme just for the sake of a scare, then Hotel Fear and The Asylum are your new haven of horror. 

 

Las Vegas Haunts 2012 Season

October 3 - October 31

Ticket Information

Hotel Fear: General Admission: $15.00   |  VIP: $20.00

Asylum: General Admission: $15.00   |  VIP: $20.00

Combo Pass: $25.00   |  VIP Combo Pass: $35.00

Additional Information

• Official Website
• Facebook Page
• Twitter  
• Youtube

REVIEW: HV Asylum

HV Asylum
426 Mill Road
Coram, NY

A 13 acre paintball field is a spectacular venue for a haunt. As the sun sets, High Velocity Paintball becomes HV Asylum. We weren't quite sure what to expect when we first arrived. Gun-toting zombies, perhaps?   First off, it’s in the woods. There’s nothing creepier than what your subconscious imagines to be lurking behind a gnarly old tree. Second, they’re equipped with all kinds of eerie settings ranging from a life-sized militaristic plane crash to a western ghost town complete with livestock, saloons and a creepy old church. A live soundtrack provided by a church organist and a spooky cast brings everything together to make for a really fun haunt.

HV Asylum is split into two sections. A delightfully undead tour guide leads you through the western-style ghost town, where you encounter a slew of living dead wielding farm tools. As you move deeper into the forest, you’re taunted by menacing creatures of the night. A trip though the graveyard and a fantastically executed crypt leads you to the main event: The Asylum. Inside, you encounter fun special effects, tortured souls and all the stuff that nightmares are made of. 

Is It Scary?

According to their Official Website : It’s “The biggest and scariest haunted attraction Long Island has seen to date.”

The Raven and Black Cat says : If you’re afraid of being alone in the dark, then you’re going to love HV Asylum. The unnerving setting combines with a cast of ghastly characters and shocking animatronics to create a spooky, traditional walk through haunted house.

Here's A Tip

HV Asylum is entirely out doors. It can get pretty cold, so make sure you bundle up.

What We Loved

We really love the pacing of this haunt. In the wooded section, there’s just enough time between the startle scares to get your imagination going. The asylum itself is filled with gory animatronics that provide just enough of a distraction for the live actors to sneak in for a startle scare. Favorite moments include hearing the asylum door being nailed shut behind us, a crazy clown assaulting us with a severed head, and being ensnared between a demonic zombie and a flame throwing prison guard. 

What Could Be Better

Why are we visiting the asylum? I think this kind of haunt would really benefit from a backstory and the tour guides are the perfect ones to deliver it. Also, it’s fun that the tour guide leaves you to your own devices, but there’s no motivation for them to abandon the group. This could be the perfect situation for the creatures in the woods to attack or for the guide to turn against the group and have them committed. In the woods, most of the creatures wait until they’re discovered to run in for the "kill." Instead, alternate your methods of scaring; some ghouls can linger menacingly, taunting the crowd with their pitchforks and shovels, meanwhile others can run in quickly for a fly by scare.

Final Thoughts

HV Asylum is a fun and spooky attraction that is big on startle scares and gruesome characters. It's perfect for those looking for an outdoor haunting experience that emphasizes entertainment rather than terror. A lot of the haunts in the area are focusing on an adult-only crowd, where the actors invade your personal space or touch you, but more timid thrill seekers don’t have to worry about that at HV Asylum. You’ll have a blast making your way through this spokky, but family friendly haunt. 

HV Asylum 2012 Runs

October 5th - 28

Ticket Information

• General Admission $25.00

Discount Tickets

• $5 Off General Admission: Click Here!

Additional Information

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640.0"] HV Asylum[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540.0"] HV Asylum[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540.0"] HV Asylum[/caption]

REVIEW: Pennhurst Asylum

Pennhurst Asylum
Church Street & Bridge Road
Spring City, PA

History

Nestled in the woods beside Spring City, Pennsylvania lies the remains of the Pennhurst State School and Hospital (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic.) The massive compound for the mentally and physically disabled was built in 1908. It was completely self-sufficient with its own power supply, dairy, green houses, fire department, movie theatre, and underground tunnel system. At the turn of the last century, it was thought best to segregate disabled individuals from the rest of society, but a 1968 exposé uncovered that over-crowding and under-funding had led to conditions that were unsanitary, inhumane, and dangerous. Ultimately, the Supreme Court found institutionalisation to be unconstitutional (Halderman vs Pennhurst State School) and Pennhurst was abandoned in 1987.

The buildings and everything within them were left to rot for the next 23 years. Pennhurst became popular with trespassers (particularly those with an interest in "urban" exploring and vandalism) until it was reopened as the haunted attraction Pennhurst Asylum in 2010 by hauntsmith Randy Bates (The Bates Motel.)

Our Visit

We arrived in Spring City, PA late on Saturday night. The Victorian architecture of the town is lovely, but under the mask of darkness it takes on a very different aesthetic. 

We arrived at the address listed on the Pennhurst Asylum website and were directed to park in a field. Reaching Pennhurst requires a 10 min walk through the woods. Go ahead and read that last sentence again and really let it sink in.

The buildings rise out of the woods and you are instantly transported to the early 1900s. Pennhurst Asylum  is straight out of your worst nightmare. The haunt is made up of 4 separate attractions: 'Pennhurst Asylum' in the old Administration Building, 'The Dungeon of Lost Souls' explores the basement of the Administration building, 'Ghost Hunt' is a self-guided flashlight tour through two floors of the abandoned untouched remains of the Mayflower Dormitory, and 'The Tunnel Terror' a walk-through haunt located in a 900-foot section of Pennhurst's underground tunnel system. There is  a centrally located 'picnic' area with food and refreshments if you need to take a break.  

Is It Scary?

According to their Facebook Page: It was "Voted the Scariest Real Haunt in America for 2012!"

The Raven & Black Cat says:  We agree! Fear is subjective, but the remains of the Pennhurst State School would be terrifying on its own. Pennhurst Asylum is a top-notch haunted attraction that can be placed in two very exclusive categories:  A Real Haunted Location & The Actors Can Touch You. 

Here's A Tip

Visit Pennhurst on a Thursday or Sunday, or spring for the VIP Pass to cut the lines. Without timed admission, you could be looking at some outrageously long lines. 

What We Loved

Wow. There is a LOT to love here. The attraction entitled 'Pennhurst Asylum' is housed in the old Administration Building. You walk through the actual rooms of the historic building and greet deliriously dark staff and human experiments of the mad Dr. Chakajian. (A fictional legend, in which a mad Austrian Doctor houses his human experiments in abandoned Pennhurst buildings, was created in order to be sensitive to the history of Pennhurst.)  Many of the rooms contain equipment and artifacts that were abandoned in the buildings in 1986.  Animatronics and clever special effects are employed to  distract you while actors grab at your ankles. The element of soft touching is very effective. It is quite unsettling to have your personal space invaded in a traditional walk-through style haunt. One girl even tried to stick her fingers in my ears!

The 'Ghost Hunt' Attraction is what we wanted to do from the moment we set foot on the Pennhurst campus. The Mayflower Building was featured on 'Ghost Hunters' and 'Ghost Adventures' and was found to be a hot spot for paranormal activity. It is outrageously creepy. The walls are covered in graffiti from the vandalism years. The odd messages commingle with remnants of dormitory life in a state institution like an abandoned metal walker still labeled with a patient's name and ward number. The energy of the building is heavy with human suffering and I honestly believe I would be in tears if I had to sit in there for an hour by myself. It is that scary.  

What Could Be Better

'The Tunnel Terror' is another fabulously inventive attraction with gorgeous elaborate sets. The lagoon section, in particular, is amazing, but I couldn't help but wish that I could see the walls of the historic underground tunnel system. Perhaps by accident, we caught a glimpse of the original tunnel through an open door that was propped open by a chair. The tunnel is something I could not dream up. It is real life horror complete with secret passageways. A fifth attraction walking through a portion of the original tunnel would be an incredibly scary experience.

The attractions of Pennhurst Asylum are so detailed and effective that we were surprised that they didn't capitalize on the opportunity for a large and definitive ending for any of them. Instead of building towards a memorable last scene, all of the attractions end very abruptly. Creating a unique and memorable way to exit each attraction would be the perfect finishing touch to what is otherwise a flawless, fun, and frightening experience. 

Final Thoughts

Pennhurst Asylum is a must-see. It is a chilling and effective haunted attraction masterfully combined with the horror of human history.  

Pennhurst Asylum Runs

September 21st - November 4th

Ticket Information

• Pennhurst Asylum: $15.00  
• Dungeon of Lost Souls: $15.00
• Ghost Hunt: $15.00
• Tunnel of Terror: $15.00
• Combo Pass (All 4 Events): $40.00  
• VIP (very important patient) PASS: $75.00

Discounts: 

•  $5 OFF All Tickets (Promo Code: ghost ) - CLICK HERE!
• 13Haunts Coupon: $5 Off Combo Ticket (Thurs. + Sun.)  - CLICK HERE! 
  

Age Requirements

No age requirements are specified.

Additional Information

• Official Website
• Facebook Page 
• Buy Tickets
• 13Haunts

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="550.0"] Then (1922)[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1369.0"] Now (Google Maps)[/caption]