PTR: The Great New England Haunt Tour 2013

Hello fellow haunt lovers. I am knee-deep in my 2013 Great New England Haunt Tour and thought i would start posting some photos I've snapped along the way. New England has quite a reputation for great haunted houses and mazes, and 2013 has been the best year yet for those of us who crave the thrill of being scared. While I miss having huge horror events like Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood only 30 minutes away, nothing beats driving through the woods on a dark night to the middle of nowhere to get the hell scared out of you. This report does contain spoilers, so skip the captions if you are planning on visiting this event.

Week 1

Factory of Terror

Fall River, MA

Price: $23.00

Contains: 3 continuous mazes

Bloodworth Dungeon: 4/5

4D Blackout: 2/5

Phobia Mayhem: 3/5

Factory of Terror is located in a massive abandoned factory in Fall River, Massachusetts, the home of infamous axe murderer Lizzie Borden. They advertise this as 3 seperate haunts, but it is truiy one continuous maze with entry signs signalling transitions to the next theme.The first, and largest of the three is Bloodowrth Dungeon, which features several close encounters with movie slashers like Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers. New this year was a pirate room complete with drunken pirates, a nice touch. 4D Blackout had some very cool fluourescent artwork painted on the walls, but no 3d glasses means no 3d effect, so why it is called 4D is beyond me. Phobia Mayhem had the most elaborate electronic effects, like inflatable claustrophobic walls, and a spinning vortex. This attraction is very long and makes for a fun night out.

The raising of the scarecrow kicks off the tour!

Jessica and I queuing up for Bloodworth Dungeon.

The marquee

I get the feeling this place was haunted long before Factory of Terror arrived.

In the outside queue, huge monsters scare visitors

Damn ghost flew by while I was trying to take this picture...

Entering the old factory, it smells.

Animatronic band that entertains you in the interior queue

Even the queue is elaborately themed. I respected the event's policy of no photos in the mazes, but was given permission to use my flash in the queuing zone.

These decapitated heads sing along with the band

We survived the first event, still 3 more weeks left in October! Next update, Week 2, Canobie Lake Park Screeemfest!

You even get a free photo!

I've always wanted to got to factory of terror but never managed to do it. The one time I tried it was closed because if my inept reading if heir calendar. How does it compare to the other New England ones?

Thanks for the report.

Factory of Terror looks pretty good--I like how they even theme the queue.

Factory of Terror is a long haunt, about a 30 minute walk through so I feel it's worth the 23 bucks. The only thing I didnt like was it seems to peak in the scare department closer to the beginning. In my opinion Barret's Haunted Mansion in Abington Mass is the best in New England, next year be sure to reserve tickets for one of their pitch black darkness unleashed nights, it was the best maze I have ever done, will have lots of pics from the next two haunts very soon.

Week 2

Canobie Lake Park presents Screeemfest!

Salem, NH

Price: $35.00, free parking

Contains: 5 separate mazes, 3 indoor

Cannibal Island: 1/5

The Village: 3/5

Merriment Inc: 3/5

Dead Shead: 3/5

The Virus: 4/5

Week 2 brings us deep into the woods of New Hampshire to beautiful Canobie Lake Park. For 35 bucks including free parking, you get a Eurofighter, a classic wooden airtime machine, an Arrow corkscrew, great entertainment, 5 decent haunted attractions and a slew of intense flat rides. I will let the pictures do the talking.

Beware the gentle looking starfish. This chance wipeout has an unusually intense ride program!

Maze time!

Virus was easily the best one of the night.

Sean and Nightmare

Also known as the Dutch Windmill of Testicular Destruction

The Zakim Bridge, heading back through Boston, beautiful in design and dedication to civil rights

Equinox, a KMG Tango fresh from the UK

Spectral fire that is.

I believe this is one of the last remaining caterpillars in the world.

Excuse me lady, you've got a little bit of sundried tomato on your face...

Still got a couple of hours before midnight, let's play with fire....

Welcome to Canobie Lake Park, our little New England gem!

Untamed packs a bunch of intense elements into its small footprint.

It's about time this park got some real steel.

Week 3

Barrett's Haunted Mansion

Abington, MA

Contains: 2 separate mazes

$25.00 for both mazes

Jess and I saved the best for last this Halloween season. Word of mouth around New England is that Barrett's Haunted Mansion is the best in the business when it comes to scares. This standalone haunt features a separate maze new for 2013 called "The Cell." For $25.00, you get into both Barrett's Haunted Mansion and The Cell. Jess and I reserved tickets online for the last of two special nights called "Blackout Nights." Only on these two nights, Barrett's Haunted Mansion is transformed into the pitch-black Darkness Unleashed sensory maze. Unfortunately, the Cell is closed during blackout nights. I have been in dozens of mazes over the years and this is by far the best haunted attraction I have ever done.

The closest thing I can describe Darkness Unleashed as, is Pitch Black from HHN 11, back in 2001, except with added elements from NYC's infamous Blackout Haunted House and similar "extreme haunts" which are growing in popularity. Reviews of Barrett's say the set design is amazing, and costumes and makeups are great, however, we will not get to enjoy the views, because Darkness Unleashed must be experienced in utter darkness, with only your hands and a tiny glowstick. After signing your waiver agreeing that you will be touched, grabbed, and subjected to "static impulses" (WTF??) We waited in line for an hour even though the event is reservation only. Some technical delays backed up the line but just gave us a little more time to watch exiting guests running out screaming. At the end of the line, a fallen angel hangs over the entrance. A bouncer briefs us on what we are about to experience. He asks us several questions... do you have a problem getting wet or having a bag put over your head? No. He pushes a button on his earpiece to the monsters inside the maze: "The next group is RED." Apparently if you disagree to being bagged and moistened you are given a green glowstick, and the monsters don't torture you as much. He tells us if we need to quit, to shout the word "Out!" several times and we will be rescued.

The last thing the bouncer asked us is that we don't spoil the secrets of the maze, and I will respect that. I can tell you that I was grabbed, tickled, had my hood pulled over my face, feather dusted, shocked with static electricity, and that's just on the first of two floors. The only light in the whole maze is the staircase. There are tons of well-trained scaractors inside, some wearing nightvision goggles to plan the perfect scare. So many neat tricks were used inside, at no point was I hurt, but the idea is to make you feel uncomfortably terrified while you laugh your ass off. I loved this maze, will be back for years to come, and I highly suggest reserving tickets for next year's Blackout.

bhmansion.com

Those of you familiar with Barrett's Ale House restaurants will recognize the name of the haunt. Nextdoor to the mansion is the Abington Ale House, and giant shipwreck pumpkinhead!

Now leaving the land of many beavers and entering the land of merciless torment.

My first impression of Barret's Haunted Mansion was that it was quite small, don't let the outside of the building deceive you. You will become lost.

The last bit of light we will see for the next 20 minutes.

Reaper takes a victory lap, we get posters and tee shirts for not chickening out! Thanks for reading guys!

After hearing your review of blackout, not sure if I'd be up for that. Im that being said, I really need to get to Barrett's next year (since I think tonight is this seasons last night).

Thanks for the review.

Have you heard anything about the new Spooky World in Warwick? I don't know anyone that's gone to it and many of their reviews on Facebook (or maybe it was yelp) were not good at all.

Thanks for the trip report. Canobie Lake Park must not be in their right mind for purchasing a Tango.

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd want to have a bag placed over my head in a haunt. It's good that they give you the option to bow out of some of the more "extreme" stuff.

That is also a line I probably don't want crossed.

Yeah, after reading about Blackout and similar mazes, this is something I would not do. Having bags put over my head, being choked, or simulated waterboarding is not my idea of a good time. I'll stick with more traditional haunts.

dt