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HauntedIllinois.com's
2004 Trail of Screams Review
Trail of
Screams
YMCA Camp Winnebago
5804 N. Main Street
Rockford, Illinois 61103
Reviewed:
10/09/04 |
| Visibility/Location: |
I
passed this event's entrance the first time and might have
missed it entirely, had I not known where to look.
Although "Trail of Screams" is spelled out in large
letters, attached to a utility pole, the light up above only
illuminated the very tops of the letters (not the front face of
them), making them hard to see. |
| Wait
Entertainment: |
While
I didn't have to wait in line that long (I arrived shortly
before they opened), there really wasn't much for wait
entertainment. |
| Admission
Price: |
$9.00
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| Length: |
39 Minutes *
*
= Since people move through haunted attractions at different
rates, your time will vary. |
| Scare
Factor: |
Low-Medium.
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| Atmosphere: |
The
atmosphere is established well before you enter the
attraction. The entryway to the YMCA camp is a very
narrow, winding path, surrounded by trees and is very
spooky-looking at night. While you are waiting in line,
there is a nice brick facade and wrought iron gate. The
eerie mood continues throughout the event,
through the story line presented by the actors. |
| Crowd
Control: |
Crowd
control was excellent. Since they are guided tours and
patrons are spaced out appropriately, none of the groups ever
see or run into each other. |
Other
Customer's
Opinions: |
Everyone
liked the value of this attraction. A couple of people who I
spoke with thought that there was a lot of walking involved in
the tour. |
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Summary:
This event is very unique and quite unlike a lot of haunted attractions out there. While their show contains some elements that you would typically see in a traditional haunted house, like chainsaws and strobe lights, an intense shock-type scare is not their forte. This is primarily a theatrical production. A strong plot line is presented at the beginning and continues throughout the rest of the attraction. As you make your way through, scripted scenes are performed, relating the history of the family of a doctor who has gone mad. Many of the scenes that are encountered, like the doctor’s office and the insane asylum, directly correlate with the plot line; however, there are a couple of scenes like the carnival fun house which aren’t as consistent with the main theme. Many of the scenes had some great-looking entrances. The
Insane Asylum had a tall "wrought-iron" gate standing
before it. There was even a five foot deep trench that you had to traverse, where someone from the insane asylum had “tunneled out”.
It should be noted that this event is an outdoor, as well as an
indoor attraction. While the majority of scenes were played out inside shelter buildings, there were a few smaller skits presented outdoors, to keep your attention as you are walking from building to building. Keep in mind that the scenes are quite spread out, so a lot of walking through a wooded area is required. When you attend, be sure to bring comfortable footwear.
In general, everyone put on a strong performance. Although a couple of the younger actors stumbled over their lines a few times, everyone knew their roles and performed very well and very convincingly. Everyone stayed in character at all times, from start to finish.
As stated before, this is one of the more theatrical attractions out
there, with a great deal of entertainment value. This event was a refreshing change of pace
from your typical haunted attraction and is well worth attending.
Click
here to find out more about this event. |
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