Sandyland Acres 2013 Review

Sandyland Acres: Petersburg, KY (NKY)

Haunted Hayride

Gus
This haunt borrows heavily from horror movies: Halloween, Jeepers Creepers etc., The hayride winds through the woods and stops at each scene allowing the actors to climb up on the wagon to glare at you menacingly. A few girls in our group got so scared they were curled up in the fetal position and many kids were hiding under blankets. This haunt was worth the trip!

Todd
If you want something different, Sandyland Acres is for you. The haunted hayride makes everything feel more like an interactive ride than a traditional haunt. A tractor pulls you through large fields staged with various scenes. My favorite was Camp Crystal Lake where not only we were visited by the Friday the 13th: Part II era Jason Vorhees but his mother as well (head intact).

At each station an actor will board the wagon to threaten the riders, pacing up and down the center aisle between the bails of hay acting as seats. Other actors will jump on the cart from the sides. We also found ourselves chased by numerous vehicles, adding the element of suspense.

Overall, the ride wasn;t the most scary haunt out there but surely entertaining never-the-less. There’s a lot of potential for the hayride to develop more and more each year and it will be fun to watch it grow.

Frightmaster
Sandyland Acres haunted hayride is still one of the best outdoor haunts in the tri-state hands down! Every year Gene and Brenda Webb live, eat and breath this haunted attraction for about 8 months, designing and building their own animatronics, changing scenery and coming up with more ways to terrify and entertain their customers. This year was one of the best yet! The beloved hillbillies are back along with some new scenes that are right out of the movies. There are enough dark areas during the 25 min long ride to keep you constantly looking around to see who will jump out next. This haunt has everything you expect in an outdoor hayride and more! We actually had people on our ride so terrified that they were on the floor curled up in a fetal position screaming! It’s one hell of a ride! Come and see if you dare but bring a friend!

Farmers Revenge

Gus
After the hayride, was a small but well executed haunted barn. Most notable were the fake dead end, excellent Hellraiser scene and a pitch black area where you have to feel your way around on the walls. I’m a big fan of pitch black areas like this, I just wish the haunted barn was longer.

Todd
This indoor haunt feels more like an added bonus to the primary attraction, the haunted hayride. It’s fairly short and actors were fairly sparse within. It did not have a consistent theme which I personally would have like to see since this resides on an authentic farm. I found myself in various, unrelated areas – first a well-decorated creepy kitchen and then later in a scene from Hellraiser (which admittedly was well done!). Towards the end we met a lone clown right before entering a vortex tunnel at the end of the haunt.

One amusing aspect of this haunt was an outdoor TV showing a static night vision camera focused on the darkest part of this haunt. This allowed waiting crowds to witness the scares inflicted on those within.

Overall I found this inside haunt to be a little disappointing but I surely see some promise that better things are sure to come.

Frightmaster
This indoor haunt is a fun and at the same time scary addition to the Sandyland location and adds a different dimension to your visit. It’s located in a large barn and has been extended this year to include a rolling tunnel and some creepy scenes as well. With the longer haunt time and the addition of more actors this year, this haunt has improved significantly and is really coming into the running with other professional indoor haunts around the area. There is a torture room with a hidden door, snake room where you are being attacked by hanging hissing snakes, slamming windows, freaky fuzzy walls, even a head on a platter for dinner!
I would like to see this haunt continue to expand next year and maybe introduce a central theme throughout the haunt. Gene and Brenda have an excellent sense of what it takes to scare people (as shown by their outdoor haunt). I’m confident that they can make this indoor haunt grow into the caliber of haunt that is as good or even better than the hayride. Overall, an excellent haunt and tons of fun to go through!!!

Overall

Gus
Definitely worth the trip. It was a blast. Don’t forget to get some caramel apple popcorn!

Todd
Good for a haunt you can enjoy with the family. The indoor haunt may be too intense for younger children.

Frightmaster
This is the 8th year for the Sandyland Acres haunt and it has grown from a little known haunted hayride through a cornfield in Northern Kentucky to a major Halloween attraction in the tri-state area. Every year the hayride gets longer and more actors and scenes are added. One of the things we love about this haunt is that every year it changes. There are bigger, more expensive haunts out there that have million dollar budgets but for the most part they are the same year after year. Sandyland is like a living, breathing creature. It is constantly morphing into something larger, more terrifying than last year. You never know what’s around the next bend in the spooky road ahead or around the next corner in the old dark barn! Terror in the truest sense is about the unknown. Other haunts try using loud noises or “shock value” in some scenes to make you jump. Gene and Brenda use the dark to their fullest advantage and add in scenes from your worst nightmares and professional grade actors to not just startle you but to make you scream until you are breathless! If you want to go to the one haunt this year that gives you the most scream for the buck – make it Sandyland Acres!!!!

Overall score: 3.00 Skulls (Excellent)

Check out our photos from this visit!

Visit their web site at www.sandylandacres.com