 THE
HAUNTED CASTLE: As pictured above, The
Castle rests right beside an actual cemetery, and is guarded by a shrouded
figure carrying a mysterious-looking staff. Up the steps and through
the double door entrance, a skeleton relates the story of The Black
Knight, as a chandelier flickers, and a bookcase swings open revealing
a secret passage into a hidden room. There, a ghoul speaking with
voice amplification offers some last minute instructions, then following
a startling surprise, the official journey through The Haunted Castle
gets underway through the front of a Grandfather clock. Narrowly
tight, darkened corridors, creaking floors, and low ceilings that at times
force you to duck down in order to proceed characterize the adventure.
Caged prisoners struggle to gain their freedom, while laboratories conjure
up a variety of evil spirits. Upstairs, downstairs, up spooky old
circular staircases, down a trifecta of slides, through shrinking hallways,
low ceilings, and slanted mazes, various levels of the old Castle are explored
one by one. Moans, groans, and other frighteningly loud sounds accompany
numerous surprises, including a body springing forth out of a casket, a
skeleton popping through window shutters directly into your path, and a
zombie-like corpse swinging around and banging loudly on a glass panel
that illuminates right before your face as you approach. Snakes hiss
and lunge forward out of skulls, a lizard charges out of hiding, and monsters
attack from out of nowhere. A disorienting mirror maze leads to more
mechanical surprises shooting out of beds, and from underneath tables.
A button on the wall is accompanied by a sign warning against pushing it.
Whatever you do, resist temptation and DON’T PUSH THAT BUTTON! Chained
caskets thrash about on their own, as whoever or WHATEVER’s inside desperately
attempts to escape, en route to a light vortex that connects a couple of
major surprises, courtesy of actually being placed inside coffins prior
to escaping The Haunted Castle.
Analysis:
LENGTH - 9½, In excess of 20 minutes.
ACTORS - 8, The weakest aspect of the haunt. Could
benefit from additional adult characters, and some dialogue, although the
overall design is so entertaining, that it compensates tremendously for
the deficiency of the cast to such an extent that the lack of intense acting
is hardly missed.
SCARINESS - 9, Great soundtrack throughout. Cramped
corridors and challenging navigation gets downright intimidating at times.
Startling animatronics provide numerous unexpected surprises, while actually
being placed inside coffins is an experience like no other. Confrontations
with more aggressive characters would raise the fright level even more.
DESIGN - 10, Methods of navigation are unequalled, featuring
intimidating, barely manageable stairs, hallways, ramps, and numerous slides.
Slanted maze is one of a kind. Might be able to add to the décor
in places, but for the most part, every inch of space is utilized to its
maximum potential, and every nook and cranny of the Castle is explored
in one way or another.
PROPS – 9+, Coffins and slides are fantastic, and accompanied
by a nice compliment of animatronics. Replacing some of the reptilian
scenes with more traditionally scary counterparts would be a bonus.
Supplementing them with some of the latest technology would also be an
attribute.
VALUE – 10, Quite a bargain by today’s standards, especially
as part of the combo ticket.
RATING: 9+, Sadly, the 2007 season closes
the final chapter in the 28 year history of this really fun haunted house.
We can't overemphasize just how good and unique the design really is.
Development and construction is forcing the attraction to relocate down
the street for 2008 and beyond in a brand new facility. It's most
popular features will surely be retained in the new building, but the authenticity
can never be duplicated or replaced. The spirit and charm of the
original Castle will live forever in the hearts of all who ever
visited perhaps the most entertaining haunted house of all time.
Be sure to grab a slice of delicious pizza, or a chili dog when visiting
the new Haunted Castle, and pick up a souvenir from Lynn and Jerry
in The Goblin Shop. In Memorium: HAUNTED CASTLE 1980 -
2007. |
 BLACK
FOREST: Entering through an old wooden
gate, a deafening horn sounds as blinding lights limit your ability to
see, while seting you up to embark upon the darkened journey through The
Black Forest . Lots of monsters inhabit the woods, and wait to
unleash their surprising tactics as you make your way past. Some
attack from above, armed with knives and alternate weapons of choice, while
others emit sparks, and rev up chainsaws as you trek deeper into the isolated
woods. Low-lying fog fills the area, and illuminated eyes stare you
down as the adventure continue through bloody sheets, and into a short
maze containing secret drop down panels that hide wickedly laughing ghouls,
their voices amplified throughout the surroundings. Eerie, disorienting
sounds accompany navigation through a spinning vortex, en route to cemeteries,
more chainsaws, and encounters with a pirate-like ghost ship christened
The
Black Pearl; a barn containing a giant spider; a skeleton riding a
white horse in a Dodge City saloon, an ore car rolling towards you
out of a mine; The Graveyard Express train blasting fire from it’s
smokestack alongside Deadman’s Depot; and The Black Forest’s
trademark Super Maze, that offers an easy path for "chickens," and
another “fun” route that contains numerous loops and dead ends, misdirecting
signs, as well as a secluded area labeled, “Perfect make-out spot,” that
brings back memories of a previous visit with an ex-girlfriend! Successful
navigation leads to escape from the maze, and into a slanted room, then
a funeral scene that delivers a few surprises just prior to the exit of
The
Black Forest.
Analysis:
LENGTH - 10, 34 minutes, give or take a few minutes depending
on your success with The Super Maze, or perhaps the lack thereof!
ACTORS - 7, Some unique characters, including one riding
a dragon, but could still benefit from an increased workforce, some dialogue,
and a little aggressiveness.
SCARINESS - 8, Fog provides quite a mysterious look to
the woods, and accompanying sounds set a fabulous mood. Additional
confrontations with more threatening characters would elevate the score.
DESIGN - 8, A lengthy trail, but a bit sparse early on
from a decoration standpoint. Detailing picks up as the trail progresses,
with some unusually unique scenes. Mine and train are favorites.
PROPS - 8, Could stand to increase the density on the
beginning sections of the trail. Train is a nice addition since we
last visited in ’05.
VALUE - 10, Can’t beat the price as part of the Castle
combo ticket.
BLACK FOREST RATING: 8,
The secondary attraction at the site serves as a nice compliment to the
main event, and is certainly worth a look when visiting The Haunted
Castle. |
