Haunt Review: The Haunted Hillside
As an fx artist, indie film maker and actress, and general Halloween enthusiast I always try to attend as many haunts as I can every October. From massive scale haunts that have terrorized for years, to smaller operations new to the business I enjoy and absolutely love experiencing the designs, theatrics and of course, the thrills haunted attractions have to offer.
Recently, I checked out one of the newest haunted attractions on the scene, the Haunted Hillside, located in Mount Pleasant, PA.
This new haunted attraction nestled beneath the seemingly harmless hills of a scenic farm offers a unique experience to scare seekers about 20 minutes outside of the city of Pittsburgh. If you’ve been to most haunts, you expect to walk through wooden palette walls painted black, and some sort of inevitable cheesy animatronic, but at the Haunted Hillside you will find none of that! The entire attraction is outside, and spans from a vast corn field, to an apocalyptic trailer park, to a ethereal cursed woodland.
Right off the bat you are informed of the horrors to come by a gate keeper, who warns you of the horrors inside. Upon entering, you are not thrust into a dark handmade room, but immersed in a corn field that seems to stretch on as far as the eye can see. Complete silence follows. You are not guided through the fields and rather left to wander the unnervingly quiet path in the darkness,
wondering when the first phantom will attack from the shroud of the tall stalks. I was surprised at just how frightening the wind can sound in total stillness against a corn field. It seemed as if 100 actors were watching from the field, but of course, it was just a trick of the wind. Possibly it was the knowing that soon I would be screaming, or that ghouls lingered in the darkness, observing. Crows cawed over the uncannily still hills as the first few specters attacked. I was astonished at the sheer detail in the costumes. Demonic scarecrows and horrific pumpkin like figures lunged out from every corner. It was hard to tell what was scenic and what was an actual figure, making the experience even scarier.
When we finally escaped the maze of corn, we came upon what seemed to be an abandoned junkyard/trailer park strewn with old vehicles, tipped vehicles with flashing high beams, and revolting trailers filled with rot. Uncanny oldies music echoed in the distance, informing me that frightening inhabitants were still to be found in this apocalyptic setting. The ghouls thrashed about in their trailers, jumping out of the deep woods when we least expected it. Some of them snickered creepily, telling us to get out while others attacked with weapons. Even a half dog/half man creature leapt out at us from his chain, snarling angrily. We bolted, running and screaming bloody murder as the trailer park inhabitants attacked us with ferocity. We ran into the woods as fast as we could, where the setting changed yet again. This time, it was back to that same strange yet discomforting silence but instead of in the middle of a corn field we stood in a dense forest. This is no fabricated forest area either, it’s actual deep, and dark woodland. Glowing ghosts floated impeccably towards us, while hidden phantoms jumped out from the darkness.
We were instructed that the lands in the area were haunted by a curse, and that this curse was the cause of the horrifying unrest. After about 10 minutes of meandering in the woods through abandoned graveyards and escaping various attacks and onslaughts, we came upon the grand finale of the attraction, which I simply just can’t give away! You’ll have to experience it for yourself! However, I can promise that it’s a site to see, and a fear to experience! The haunted hillside is an immersive, and distinctively detailed completely outdoor haunted attraction full of fearsome delights. From exceptional characters to a very memorable and terrifying environment, this attraction is one of the best I have attended, and one of the most unique! I highly recommend it! You can find out more about the Haunted Hillside here at their website: http://hauntedhillside.com/
Location: 7217 Pennsylvania 819 Mount Pleasant, PA 15666 My Ratings: Detail: 5.0/5.0 Environment: 5.0/5.0 Makeup Designs: 5.0/5.0 Animtronics: 5.0/5.0 Fear Factor: 5.0/5.0 Price: 5.0/5.0 Actors: 5.0/5.0 Length of Haunt: 5.0/5.0
