Monsters and reapers and clowns, oh my!
You probably haven’t heard of it and if you enjoy the scary aspect of Halloween, you’ll probably hate yourself for not discovering this haunted trail before. This year, it is ranked the second scariest haunt in the country by Haunt World Magazine and #13 in the world! I went through a walk through of the trail…in the day time…without any of the actors there…and I still was a little freightened by the props.
The trail is a half mile of twists and curves leading you into the woods, and around every corner is something new. Every year, the very skilled team that makes all the props, change it up a bit to keep it new and exciting. New features this year include a headless horseman (a classic, right?), non-human skeleton heads, that I kid you not, are 3-4 stories tall, a vulture’s nest where there may or may not be someone dressed up looking at you like your it’s next meal and the cemetery was rebuilt, where the reapers have made themselves at home, oh how fitting.
Other sections of the haunt include:
- A fortune teller (a scary one obviously)
- The iconic big pumpkin head, which has become the mascot for halloween all over
- A tunnel with a laser, fog and mirrors (Beware: you may find yourself lost and have to spend eternity in there)
- A pumpkin alley which I would like to say is the calm before the storm
- A hillbilly section (This could be hilarious or cause nightmares for weeks after)
- An area for the saws and chains, complete with terrifying sound effects.
- Body bag tunnel. Tip: image actual bodies in there, so much more discomforting.
- The nursery which has extremely high potential to be the most disturbing part. Dead. Babies. Everywhere.
- A train station with a caboose the team made them themselves!
- And last but not least the circus. There’s nothing I hate more than clowns, especially when they’re alive and out to get me.
- There is a big finale that is sure to be one to remember but lips are sealed. There’s no fun in ruining a surprise!
If the trail is getting the best of you, and I’m sure the 50-80 actors (Yikes!) will do their best to make that happen, there are zones that you can be escorted to so you can collect yourself. Or if you’re a chicken you can best escorted to an exit as well.
No worries if you would love to see the trail without the actors! Haunted Overload offers a “day haunt” that allows you to walk through and appreciate all the hard works and craftsmanship that goes into all of the props. They truely are amazing!
Another thing that makes Haunted Overload so amazing is that they donate 10% of their proceeds, before expenses, to the Cocheco Valley Humane Society. Last year CVHS recieved over $13,000 to help provide the approciate care to the animals they have that are waiting for a new home!
Haunted Overload makes the grand opening on October 18th and is open most weekends (Friday-Sunday) till November 2nd, rain or shine!
Check their website out for more information about them!