By Erin Hudson
(Knott’s Berry Farm)
By Erin Hudson
Killer clowns, vampires and evil dolls are out and about, and scaring is their specialty.
It’s Halloween time and Knott’s is celebrating by terrifying every victim who walks through its cobwebbed doors.
It seems scarier, foggier, more elaborate and more expensive every year, and this year is no exception. This year’s Haunt features new mazes such as “Quarantine” and Club Blood, playing on the trends and movies of the year.
There are also some returning mazes like the popular 13 Axe Murder Manor, an old Victorian mansion that now houses unruly spirits and the 3D maze, Killer Klown Kollege where the students are actually very similar to Riverside City College students.
Even a couple of the rides are transformed. The Timber Mountain Log Ride is changed into a mountain community where the locals and fire fighters have turned into mutants.
Areas deemed ‘scare zones’ are places in the park heavy with fog where monsters that slide on all fours and chainsaw wielding maniacs lurk.
Not a good place to find yourself alone. Packs of girls are usually the main targets, but don’t think your boyfriend or girlfriend will save you; at some point everyone will become the prey of some creature sneaking up silently from behind.
Not only are there mazes and scare zones to wander through but there are several shows featured at the Haunt.
The most popular is the long running ‘Hanging,’ where look-alikes of the year’s pop culture icons come out and battle. It always draws a big crowd of people who want to see the most obnoxious of the bunch hung as the grand finale of the show.The regular park closes at 4 p.m. to get ready for scaring, and the Haunt opens up at 7 p.m.
All the rides remain open, but lines can get really long, and since you only have a maximum of 6-7 hours you have to budget your time wisely. The best time to go to Halloween Haunt is in the beginning of October.
The closer you get to Oct. 31 the bigger the crowds are and the price of a ticket gets.
Though Knott’s Scary Farm does get a little pricier each year, the scare is well worth it.
There are hundreds of demented souls prowling the park, so be careful, there’s always one more around the corner.
