The drive out to DarkSyde Acres was an experience all on its own. It was freaking scaryyy! We're talking pitch black, dirt and gravel roads, “did you hear a banjo?”, middle of nowhere scary. Turns out we were in Jonesville, MI to be precise. Makes sense that we would be in farm country, and this haunt is a converted pig farm.

As we walked in, skeletons were putting down the spooky vibes by being used as directional signs pointing the way. And the fall vibes were in full effect as flames from a large bonfire that served as the centerpiece of their midway rose into the dark, country sky. The atmosphere was exactly what you'd expect from a farm haunt, it was the perfect balance of homey and haunting.

After our drive, we were so excited to be amongst civilization again... and a lot of it! DarkSyde Acres was PACKED!!! Even the ticket line was crazy long, so we decided to go with their VIP offering so we could skip those lines.

DarkSyde Acres offers five... that's right... FIVE attractions! The Catacombs, KlowneTowne, The Rusthole, The Labyrinth, and The Dark Abyss are separately themed haunts that pretty much flow one into the other. These haunts follow a path that is both inside and outside, weaving between the different structures connected by pallet pathways.

Once inside The Catacombs, we came across A LOT of uneven ground. The remnants of the pig farm made a very interesting footprint for the attraction. Grates pretty much dominated the pathways and tended to shift when walking. This kept us on edge and super aware of our footing. The interior spaces were also full of twists and turns as we traveled through the laboratory and then into the catacombs.

Next up was KlowneTowne, and it was exactly what you'd expect from the name - clowns, clowns, and more clowns! KlowneTowne was a blacklight experience with funhouse themed sets.

The Rusthole was the industrial factory Rusthole Industries. This haunt actually used to be a dark maze that they converted a few years ago, and you could tell these sets were newer than the previous. The look was reminiscent of the city of Zion from Matrix Reloaded.

The indoor haunting ended here as we entered the outdoor pallet maze, the Labyrinth. So many pallets... So many chainsaws!!! These actors were relentless with their slashing! We high-stepped our way through those pallets as fast as we could!

Despite being so packed, they were doing a great job with their timing and crowd-control! The group behind us was nowhere to be seen, and we never caught up to the group in front of us... until we got to The Dark Abyss. This is the only place that got a little bottlenecked, but then we got to sail the seas with a group of pirates, some living and some... not so much.

The pirate ship led us out to Madam Mayhem and then to their souvenir shop, The Krow's Nest. The Krow's Nest featured some awesome DarkSyde merch but also local vendors. There were some very cool water bong... er... bottles and the best smelling candles we've ever sniffed!

The rustic, homemade sets coupled with the absence of animatronics make this haunt the epitome of old school! They did utilize lots of pneumatic props like air horns and blasters to provide jump scares but were also super reliant on their actors. The actors at DarkSyde definitely supplied more jump scares than creepy banter and dialogue.

Overall, makeup and costuming were minimal, but the characters in KlowneTowne and The Dark Abyss felt more developed and detailed.

When DarkSyde Acres isn't busy haunting, they are a rescue, rehabilitation, and care center for german shepherds, especially those who have served in the military or with a police department. What a great cause!!! We love all the puppers!

So if you're looking for an old school haunt in a naturally beautiful fall setting, look no further than DarkSyde Acres! It's a lot of Halloween fun for the whole family!