Summary:

This year Haunted Trails' attraction was named the "Midway of Terrors", which had a circus theme.  Unlike other Haunted Attractions that have several unrelated scenes, Haunted Trails followed through with their theme, from the beginning to the end of the attraction.  That is one thing that they have consistently done well throughout the years.  Not only did they follow a central theme, they did a good job of adapting generic Haunted House props to fit in with their surroundings.  For example, they used an animated electric chair prop and adapted it to their theme by placing it in a midway sideshow and dressing up the 'victim' as a circus clown.  The exterior of the Haunt was decorated to match the circus motif.  Cloth strips were hung down off a tall pole, down to the roof, to make it resemble a circus tent (see picture above).  

Most of the scenes were moderately detailed.  Many of the scene elements were brought to life as painted artwork on the walls, that glowed under black light.   The Hall of Mirrors was fun and I really liked the huge animated clown Jack-in-the-Box that played the tune "Pop  goes the weasel".  In general, the haunted house was a mixture of scenes and dark hallways.  There was also a polka dot room, along with a polka dot spinning vortex tunnel.  

All of the actors, from the waiting line to the exit, were in appropriate costumes that followed the main theme.  Most of them wore clown outfits and make-up, except for those actors in dark clothing, who hid in dimly lit areas to jump out and surprise you.  While the actors weren't necessarily as energetic as I would have liked, they all seemed to know their roles inside the house.  Generally they did a great job, but the timing was off on some of their scares.  If I had visited on a busy weekend instead of an off-night, maybe they would have been more "in the groove".  To compliment the cast of actors, there were a few animated surprises, as well.   

Since this event wasn't excessively scary, it is appropriate for all ages.  Overall it was a good haunted house, but for the admission price I wish it had lasted a little longer. Since this event is held at a family entertainment center, there are enough activities for an entire evening of fun.   Besides the Haunted House, there are many other attractions, including mini-golf, video games, go-kart track, batting cages and more, to keep you occupied.

Click here to find out more about this event.