A haunted attraction with a name like The Haunted Farm conjures images of a low tech haunt, full of pallets, tarp, and barns… but that could not be further from the truth for The Haunted Farm in Hendersonville, NC.
The Haunted Farm was the first stop on our 2023 North Carolina haunt tour that, so appropriately, began on Friday the 13th! Plus, it was their 13th year in business! Celebrate 13 years of scares on Friday the 13th? Yes please!
The drive up to The Haunted Farm was exactly what you’d expect in rural North Carolina, a gravel road with long forgotten, dilapidated country homesteads that each could have been a haunted house in their own right.
When we arrived at this real, working cattle farm, the vibe was super chill. Their new midway area was situated in front of one of the farm’s large barns which was framed beautifully against the night sky with string lights, cozy fire pit, and photo ops galore… but what really caught our eye was just to the left of that barn… their newly built Texas Chainsaw Massacre house facade!
Despite getting there right at opening, the general admission line was already packed, so paying extra for their fast pass option was totally worth it! Although, you do have front row seats to live entertainment from the general admission queue line. A large platform was built elevated in the trees, where a band was playing popular songs to keep everyone entertained while they waited. The queue lines are constructed of towering log walls, which makes sense considering that this haunt’s neighbor is basically a logging farm.
The haunt begins as a lantern-lit trail through their forest with trees so tall and dense they almost blocked out the clear night sky. Once we passed through the gaping mouth of a giant, wooden skeleton head, we began entering fully built structures along the trail. The Haunted Farm did an amazing job of strategically placing spooky lighted vignettes and camouflaged actors along the trail to remind us that this wasn’t some leisurely stroll through the woods.
Sets became more and more detailed and varied as we progressed. Some of our favorites were the voodoo shack, hillbilly house, mine, asylum, homicidal dentist, and a sewer complete with running water just to name a few. Chances are, if you think it’s scary, more than likely The Haunted Farm has it. Touching everything (the way we do) we were surprised to constantly be feeling real building materials like solid brick walls instead of faux panels, and real rebar protruding from cement. The sets were super interactive, forcing us to climb up steep inclines, crouch through low ceilinged spaces, feel our way through narrow pitch black spaces, and blindly push through doors into the next room. The set lighting was so well done too, both on the trail and in the structures, they knew exactly what to highlight and when.
The Haunted Farm has a full cast of original characters filling their spaces, although we did see Mr. Vorhees himself, probably to commemorate Friday the 13th. The actors were a perfect blend of jump scares, interactive, and just plain creepy. The clicking contortionist in the bedroom really stands out at being incredibly unnerving without directly interacting with us. There were tons of spaces for actors to hide in until the perfect moment. Megan was the victim of more than a few well-timed scares!
The seamlessly applied masks, super detailed makeup with prosthetics, and costuming that was on point from head-to-toe made these characters become true extensions of their environments and that much more believable.
We read the story of the blood feud between the Lively and Tate families on their website, but it didn’t really play out through the haunt. There were definitely a few references to the story like a long hallway of missing posters, and the asylum for the bride-to-be who went crazy when her groom’s body was discovered. But these sets and actors were so incredible that we became fully immersed in every scene we stepped into. With the variety of themes and effects we experienced it truly felt like an adventure!
The Haunted Farm squeezes a lot of action-packed haunted fun into their 30+ minute walkthrough! They used every tool you’d find in a haunter’s toolbox without it feeling disjointed, too busy, or overdone.
We feel honored to have been able to experience this haunt on their 13th anniversary on Friday the 13th but would highly recommend them any time! This is the type of haunt where you can feel the love in every detail! You definitely do not want to miss The Haunted Farm!
