HAUNTED HOUSE REVIEWS
HAUNTED ATTRACTION
HANNA HAUNTED ACRES
Ohio Valley Haunts
RATING: 8
Reviewed 10/29/08
Hanna Haunted Acres
LOCATION & ADMISSION INFO:
7383 E. Hanna Ave.
Indianapolis, IN  46239
(317) 357 - 0881
Haunted Hayride $12
Entanglement (Corn Field Maze)  $10
Phantazmagoria (Haunted House) $10
Hell's Half Acre (Haunted House) $10
Acres Manor (Haunted House) $8
Blackout (Haunted House) $8
- ALL Event Combo Ticket - $27 -
click logo (center) to visit their web site
REVIEW
HANNA HAUNTED HAYRIDE:  As the tractor pulled wagon descends into the dark, mystifying woods, nervousness sets in at the thought of whatever uncertainty lies ahead. Coming across some sort of accident scene finds demented medics attending to the injured, one of whom turns his attention toward the ride climbing aboard, chainsaw in hand, tormenting riders. One by one killer clowns, guillotine beheadings, electrocutions, and multiple chainsaw assaults take their turns delivering surprising scares and attacks.  A wicked assembly of mechanical startles is also on tap including an enormous 6 armed behemoth, 13-foot tall Impaler, gigantic pterodactyl, and a multitude of animated skeletons!  Also occupying a portion of the haunted field is the sight of a lonely, horse drawn carriage being pulled by the bony equine remains of a once majestic thoroughbred.  A variety of ghouls are drawn alongside the hay ride, each having a most difficult time resisting the urge to hop on board to terrorize riders while an overhead sign, body hanging in the trees, and a deadly tarantula-like spider all come crashing down as the wagon passes beneath progressing to a fast-paced, elevated combine chase-out of The Hanna Acres Haunted Hayride

Analysis
LENGTH - 7½, Only 13 minutes
ACTORS - 8, Several characters adorned with make-up, although one “monster” twice boarded the wagon seemingly without a costume (no mask or make-up).  The hayride in general would benefit from additional characters, and some dialogue containing interactions.
SCARINESS - 8, Scares materialize quickly out of the dark woods, and the wide varieties of mechanical props provide more than their fair share!  Elevated combine is best and legitimately realistic!
DESIGN - 8, With only a few exceptions, scenes are close enough together to avoid extended dead spots, and cast is utilized to fill in the gaps.  Combine chase is a strongpoint, and additional motorized scares would positively impact the rating.
PROPS - 9, As is the case with many outdoor attractions, additional décor, scenes, skits would augment the experience, although dead zones aren’t really an issue.  The hayride features an ample amount of impressive animatronics, and the most intense combine chase around!  Impaler was on the blink, but an otherwise impressive display!
VALUE - 10,  Less then $5 on the combo ticket is just too great a bargain to pass up!
RATING:  8½, The main event at Hanna is the best attraction at the complex, and rightfully so.  The layout’s been tweaked to provide more plentiful scares, while retaining the enjoyment of the Hayride itself.  The vast array of animated surprises alone is worth the price of admission!

Hell's Half AcreHELL'S HALF ACREScary décor guards the queue line leading up to the entrance of Hells ½ Acre.  Complete darkness sets the stage for the first room, where skeletons piled one upon the other move about and rise up on their own.  Creepy old wooden fences line the route connecting one structure to another.  Flashing strobes serve to illuminate a giant mechanical horned creature propelling forward, as well hidden monsters that arise from obscure hiding places startling all who pass.  Several animated surprises are on the horizon including a large fanged monster that hangs upside down, but suddenly awakens and springs forward with blood running down its mouth, and later a monstrous winged gargoyle quietly watching over a foggy cemetery that begins spewing smoke from its mouth while undead souls walk the mystifying graveyard!  The spooky cemetery leads to a funeral wake scene that finds an open coffin guarded by vampire figures en route to a darkened hallway that ushers in a pentagram room, and a climactic encounter with the Prince of Darkness himself, whose booming, amplified voice reverberates throughout the wicked surroundings as he happily welcomes you into his inferno, and threatens eternal torment, before one of his demons orders you to depart into a chainsaw chase-out of Hell's ½ Acre

Analysis
LENGTH - 6, Only 7 minutes. 
ACTORS - 8, Good costuming and make-up.  Excluding the finish, most confrontations consist of immediate startles from hidden characters without interaction.  Devil is most impressive, and best.  Vampire funeral scene was unoccupied.
SCARINESS - 8½, Tension mounts throughout, culminating with the devil climax, which is the most intense scare at Hanna Haunted Acres.  This one would easily rate even higher with extended duration.
DESIGN - 8, The course is similar to years past showcasing some really unnerving scenes that build to a fantastic encounter with Satan himself!  Hell’s ½ Acre is the most frightening attraction the sight has to offer and possesses even more potential that could easily be recognized with a lengthier experience. 
PROPS - 8, Rooms are decorated with legitimately frightening decor.  Large mechanical monsters leave a lasting impression.  Gargoyle hovering above the cemetery is a sight to behold!
VALUE - 9, Less than $5 on the combo!  Compromised only by length, this is the most extreme haunt at Hanna and houses the single best scare of the night!
RATING:  8, Hells ½ Acre pushes the envelope more than other attraction at Hanna Haunted Acres serving up some of the most fear inducing scares the evening has to offer, and earning its reputation as more than just a secondary attraction complimenting the Hayride.  Check it out!

PHANTAZMAGORIA Loud falling panels expose hidden ghouls, anxious to claw and grab at passersby upon entering the darkness of Phantazmagoria.  Lightlessness joins forces with obscuring fog to form a maze that leads to a wooden walkway accessing an alien encounter, and a poisonous toxic waste area.  Escaping into a large open field brings about chases from more enraged monsters that finds a couple of sewer pipes offering the only refuge, the second of which is so confining that crawling on all fours presents the only chance for salvation!  Fiends strategically positioned on top of the drain pipes inhibit efforts to elude attack that eventually leads into another structure highlighted by more dark corridors, claustrophobic passages, and the Dead Man’s Junkyard inhabited by an irate mechanical monster and a near miss collision with a hit and run driver!  Leatherface and his trusty chainsaw provide chase through blood spattered hallways and into an insane asylum, where fanatical lunatics promise death while aimlessly throwing themselves against walls and floors!  Body parts surround a pair of hungry, animated wolves busy devouring the unfortunate souls that preceded your visit to Phantazmagoria!

Analysis:
LENGTH - 7, 12 minutes.
ACTORS - 8½, Good make-up and a greater than average density in comparison to other Hanna attractions.  Ghoul hiding and jumping off sewer pipe is most memorable, while chainsaw lunatic and loonies did a great job providing scares.
SCARINESS - 8½, Darkness, fog, and soundtrack set a most appropriate mood.  Having to drop down and crawl through second sewer while being harassed non-stop is quite intimidating, as are chainsaw attack, and the many mechanical surprises encountered along the way.
DESIGN - 8, Extended length plays a major role in Phantazmagoria’s improvement.  Multiple buildings are appropriately decorated and outdoor sewer pipes are nicely incorporated into the course.  Some confusion exists upon exiting the first building into the field where the path of progression isn’t clearly marked or evident.
PROPS - 8, Good, scary décor throughout.  Mechanical surprises and the sewers are best. 
VALUE - 8½, This is one of the better attractions at Hanna. Get the combo ticket and enjoy 6 haunts for less than $5 each 
RATING:  8, A lot has changed since we last visited two years ago.  Phantazmagoria has evolved into a major player at Hanna, and one of the stronger supporting attractions on the sight containing numerous surprises both inside and out!

ACRES' MANORSpider webs make up the décor and skeletons occupy the furniture in the decrepit, old Manor, as the excursion visits various areas of the run down house including the laundry room, living room, kitchen, etc.  A little girl’s room finds animated dolls moving about on their own, and a piercing alarm accompanying another bedroom scene that’s highlighted by a corpse thrashing about wildly on a bed.  Loud pounding coincides with a hallway having a ceiling so low it forces you to duck down in order to pass through.  Ghoulish residents sneak up from behind as an old piano having blood on the ivory keys is passed en route to a bathroom surprise just prior to exiting Acres Manor

Analysis
LENGTH - 4, Less than 5 minutes. 
ACTORS - 4, Less than a handful.
SCARINESS - 5, Well decorated, but soundtrack is week and there aren’t nearly enough characters.  Other than the animated corpse on the bed, nothing really memorable happened to rate any higher. 
DESIGN - 5, Appropriate décor, but extremely limited by its length.
PROPS - 7½ , Well decorated with ghoul portraits, a flickering chandelier, and a mechanical surprise or two. 
VALUE - 5, Unable to recommend on its own, but an okay compliment to extend the overall Hanna experience.  Best as part of the combo ticket, or for smaller children and chickens! 
RATING: 5, Tough to rate this one on its own.  It wouldn’t take much to transform Acres Manor into a quality, supporting attraction as this underachiever would potentially score higher by lengthening the duration and supplementing the cast.  Established décor just needs a little polish. 

BLACKOUTThe newest attraction at Hanna consists of a mainly dark maze with occasional flashes of light illuminating the way.   The course is obstructed at times by body bags suspended from above, and a few rare encounters with a monster or two.

Analysis
LENGTH - 5, It took us less than 5 minutes, but can easily last much longer with a little less light, and a bit more intimidation.
ACTORS - 5, Those present did an admirable job resorting to unnerving tactics like repeating, or playing off of what was said by scare seekers, but not a very populated attraction..
SCARINESS - 5, Opportunity is there to score much higher, but falls short due to the length and design flaws discussed below. 
DESIGN - 5, Early on, repeated flashes of light destroy the difficulty of the concept, unfortunately and unnecessarily revealing the course.  Then later, when a little light might come in handy to prevent running head-on into panels that jut out into the path, there’s none to be found.  These obstacles should be removed, or at least padded before someone breaks their nose, and the light source eliminated completely in order to allow the anticipated darkness to take its toll on the emotions.  These simple changes would significantly lengthen the duration, make the experience more frightening, and in turn elevate its overall rating significantly.  In theory, Blackout has expectations of becoming a powerful, uniquely themed part of the Hanna experience. 
PROPS - N/A, It’s a dark maze so this category isn’t applicable, although shock walls and claustrophobic passages in the dark would have major positive impacts.
VALUE - 5, Blackout’s strengths are underutilized rendering it similar in nature to Acers Manor.  Look for vast improvements from future installments.
RATING: 5, This uniquely themed debut attraction needs some minor tweaking in order to live up to its theoretical potential.  The fix here is simple, so look for Blackout to soar in the ratings department.

ENTANGLEMENTThis lengthy walk through a fairly difficult maze cut in a cornfield features winding loops, frustrating dead ends, and confusing paths.  Tall corn impedes navagation, while sporadic monster attacks deliver some startling surprises.  Occasional taunting from beyond the corn adds to the unrest, while fiends armed with knives, and other weapons of choice come rustling out of the cornstalks.  A final chainsaw salute serves as a send-off as the escape route is eventually uncovered leading to the escape of Entanglement

Analysis
LENGTH - 10, Roughly 30 minutes and easily more. 
ACTORS - 8½, Cast was plentiful and all tried hard to deliver quality scares.  Distant taunting made a huge impact as the crew would shout inaccurate directions, and intimidatingly call out names they’d managed to overhear.  Mugger-like character near the end demanding wallets and claiming he didn’t work there was best.
SCARINESS - 8, The level of difficulty brings about frustration that can easily progress to panic and instability.  Characters did a commendable job exploiting fears as discussed above.  A few added scenes and surprises could elevate the score even higher.
DESIGN - 9, This is arguably the best Entanglement has ever been!  Numerous paths comprise several loops and dead ends that make finding the way out most difficult.  Cornstalks are tall and the route winds deep into the field.  Although diverging forks in the road occasionally reunite at some point, at times there are three or four options to choose from.  A soundtrack is absent, but otherwise very well done! 
PROPS – N/A, It’s a maze, so this category isn’t applicable, although an occasional scene or skit would only add to the attraction.
VALUE - 9, Quite a bargain as part of the combo deal.
RATING: 8½ , Entanglement provides a lengthy finish to an enjoyable night of seasonal entertainment.

OVERALL HANNA EXPERIENCE: The strong point here is multiple haunts at a single location providing variety, and an evening's worth of seasonal entertainment.  Obviously, the Hayride is the main event, and it’s supplemented with 5 differently themed, supporting attractions.   It offers a cozy bonfire alongside the queue line to keep you warm on a chilly night while you wait, and it’s a great place to hang out with friends, making the venue more inviting.   The introduction of Blackout only adds to the scare options available, and lengthens the amount of on-sight entertainment.  The extended Phantazmagoria course strengthens its performance, and Hell’s ½ Acre provides Hanna's most intimidating adventure. Entanglement is an outstanding finisher, and while Acres Manor remains the weakest link, it has unrecoginzed potential, and can also be looked at as a more family friendly option.  As is often the case, the aggregate effort at Hanna Acres as a unit outscores many of its independent attractions considered on an individual basis.  Purchasing the combo ticket is definitely the way to go, and the price hasn’t been raised in years! 
OVERALL RATING:  8
.
Read more OHIO VALLEY HAUNTS
REVIEWS