They’re an OG, they’re massive, and it’s really just not fair to compare them to other haunted attractions. Woods of Terror in Greensboro, NC has been around for 31 years of scares, and it shows! They are located on a massive piece of land called McLaurin Farms that was previously a working farm, but when the McLaurin family decided to focus less on farming and more on fun, Woods of Terror and other seasonal events were born.
In addition to Woods of Terror, McLaurin Farms also has a pumpkin patch during the fall season, and they have really created the quintessential festive fall environment. As we drove in, we were enveloped in the warm colors of the season with string lights crisscrossing overhead and bales of hay, cornstalks, and of course pumpkins everywhere!
Those autumn warm and fuzzies quickly changed into dark and pricklies as we entered the realm of Woods of Terror. Globe string lights still adorned the grounds but now spooky, scary skeletons were hanging from them throughout the… “midway”…??? Woods of Terror’s Monster Midway is its own little town! Tons of concessions, multiple gift shops, bars, side attractions like a hellevator ride, ax throwing and other games, and so much more!
Woods of Terror has so much to keep their massive crowds entertained while they’re waiting, including their own band! The Woods of Terror band’s front man, Bone Daddy, is none other than the owner himself!
In all of our years of visiting haunted attractions, we’ve never attended an opening ceremony before, and let’s just say… the Woods of Terror opening ceremony is definitely one to see! It all begins with the Monster Parade where the Woods of Terror characters flood the streets of the midway while Bone Daddy and the Woods of Terror band perform their rendition of the National Anthem. But the monsters get really fired up when the band plays their very own Woods of Terror theme song, then they have a surprise in store for the spectators. We won’t ruin it for you…
After the opening ceremony we went directly to the queue line, and believe us… if you have it to spend, the VIP pass is a MUST here. Even though you will find plenty to keep you entertained, the lines are crazy! Despite our VIP passes and getting in the line right after the opening ceremony, there was still a line.
With a whopping 15… yes… 15 individually themed haunts, what Woods of Terror offers simply cannot be beat. Phobia House, Jack’s Revenge, Hardwired, 3D Euphoria, Eleven’s Nightmare, The Mortuary, Awakening, Horrorwood Cinema Grande, Pirate’s Cove - The Voodoo Lagoon, Miner’s Massacre, Texas House, The Purge – Inmate processing and reprogramming center, Sensory Overload, Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, and The Scrubber each offer their own different experiences and scares.
The sets at Woods of Terror are freaking out of this world INSANE!!! Floor to ceiling detail, fully themed out, entirely immersing, so much eye candy, so much going on! This review would be 20 pages long if we attempted to even briefly explain to you the level of detail, effects, and theming of each of these 15 haunts, so here’s the Cliff notes of our faves. Hardwired had some seriously twisted human/robot mashup, the pop music in 3D Euphoria was oddly disconcerting, Eleven’s Nightmare was everything a Stranger Things fan has ever dreamed of, The Nightmare on Elm Street portion of Horrorwood Cinema was pure perfection, and the sheer number of chainsaws in the Texas House fueled our gas-powered nightmares!
These movie-quality sets only created a backdrop for the absolute pro actors at Woods of Terror! The midway monsters are improv and interaction specialists while the haunt actors know their roles and play them well… there was literally an actual violinist playing in the Pirate’s Cove! It’s also pretty easy to believe these characters when their costuming and makeup look so good! The demogorgans in Eleven’s Nightmare were straight out of the Upside Down and every other house and the midway featured equally realistic costumes, masks, and sfx makeup.
Did we mention that we ran into the homie Stitches in the midway?! As if Woods of Terror didn’t already have enough entertainment, Stitches’ crew Dead City Circus Sideshow was performing as well! We were going through the haunts during their sideshow, so sadly, we missed it.
Woods of Terror runs like the finely tuned machine you’d expect after over 3 decades of shows. Because of the massive crowds, they have to filter people through their attractions much like Universal Studios Hollywood Horror Nights versus spaced out groups but both the actors and all of the animatronics are timed extremely well to ensure everyone gets to experience a piece of the scares.
Woods of Terror is a MUST SEE!!! Like schedule a trip to Greensboro, NC to visit Woods of Terror as soon as possible! With its 15 houses, the Monster Midway, live music, games, food, and shops, Woods of Terror has something for everyone! Check them out and then make sure to let us know which part was your favorite!