Post by chaperonemom on Oct 17, 2010 17:38:17 GMT -5
Last week we checked for reviews before planning a Halloween evening. Even with a few negative comments on this site, we thought we'd try Screamers Hollow. I can't believe there has been even one less than glowing review about this place. I just chaperoned 8 teenagers (ages 12 to 15 - Sat. Oct. 16) and I have to say it was by far the best 'haunted' event we have ever attended. There are so few safe, fun, "not lame" places you can take kids this age - we have tried dozens over a period of several years with rarely anything approaching an enthusiastic review. There's also a fine line between scary and inappropriately gruesome and this was, without a doubt, the best mix ever. I was SO impressed with the staff/actors and their exceptional costumes/make-up/professionalism. I watched over and over again the huge effort they put into every "scare" and they never seemed to get tired, even after a very long evening of hauntings. I also watched several girls, momentarily too scared to continue, as they were comforted by one of the staff who took the time to talk to them and make sure they were OK. They truly seemed to me to be concerned with the well being of their guests. The skits were terrific, each time the actors giving it their all. The Haunted Hayride was one of the longest I had been on, lots of horrors/action and again, actors who didn't spare an ounce of energy to achieve a good scare, even repeatedly jumping onto and off of the moving wagon - this was my personal favorite. The Village couldn't be on better grounds for this type of event - dark tree canopied paths with a blanket of dry leaves, almost too many places for ghouls to hide, and something to see (or jump out at you) every few feet. Hundreds of creatures/ghosts/exhibits and the finest cast of 'haunted' actors I have ever seen, which made for the best 5 hours these kids have ever had. We drove 1 1/2 hours to get there and they didn't stop talking about it all the way home. We will not only go back next year, but hope to double the size of our group. I am not affiliated with Screamers Hollow in any way - I just want to encourage parents to share a great night with their kids like we enjoyed - there are way too few special places like this. I would have gladly paid more to spend an entire evening with happy teenagers. Rave reviews from this Mom.
