Trail is filled with chain saws, tight spaces, flashing lights, dread and terror
The Haunted Forest is the main attraction that has been around since the very beginning, with the trail being half a mile with unique locations like an abandoned cabin, hotel and campsites, which include original characters as well as horror villains like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers.
Entering the Haunted Forest: Glennis Woosley, our editor-in-chief, entered the abandoned cabin, followed by Isabella Nelson, our advertising director, then me. This was the first attraction in the forest, and included some of the tightest spaces with a barrage of jump scares and other spooky effects like flickering lights and screaming. This was one of the creepiest parts of the haunted forest due to its claustrophobic atmosphere and flashing lights.
During the forest: As we continued, we came into a lot of open areas, which was a sigh of relief for all of us since we collectively were terrified of the indoor sections. Little did we know this was calm before the storm. In the distance, we hear the loud buzzing sound of chain saws. The dread we three face in anticipation of the chain saws was tense, with every corner and turn, we knew there was a looming threat getting closer and closer. When we got to the chain saws, I saw the fear on both Woosley’s and Nelson’s faces, and they probably saw my scared face as well. When the actor wielding the chain saw came at us, we instantly abandoned our plan of sticking next to each other, and high-tailed it out of there till the actor stopped following behind us.
Leaving the forest: When we reached the end of the forest, we were able to see the main hub area, and as soon as I got my first glimpse of it I made a run for it, then subsequently stopped to let Woosley and Nelson catch up to me. Overall, it was a great experience and absolutely worth it.
Chaos and creepy clowns fill the Coulrophobia circus
Coulrophobia is another attraction at Field of Screams that was introduced in the past couple of years. It is based on the circus, taking advantage of the common fear of clowns.
How it started: When we spoke to the staff about taking photos for this story, they told us a good spot would be the sign over by the circus tent. Once we got over there, three scare actors were standing at the entrance to Coulrophobia. When we asked if they would want to be included in photos, they agreed and were very nice. We explained we were writing an article, and they gave us a secret password to enter Coulrophobia for free even though we didn’t originally plan on going in.
Entering Coulrophobia: Going in, one of the first things I noticed was how much smaller the walkway was compared to the Haunted Forest, which meant we had to go one at a time instead of in a row. Glennis Woosley and I made Jack Edwards go first since we went first in the forest, and he needed to pull his weight.
Chain saws: Walking through the tent was much scarier since the actors were up close. While we were walking through, I ended up at the front. Halfway through the attraction, there’s a room where a man comes out with a chain saw. When he did this, he pushed me into the wall a bit, and I accidentally shoved Woosley since we were holding hands so we wouldn’t lose each other. I felt really bad and kept trying to apologize, but every time I tried to talk, another actor would come out. The actors with chain saws get very close.
Leaving the circus: Towards the end, we started laughing and thought the entire thing was funny. While leaving, a man came out and told us to run. Edwards decided to take it literally, and he started running down the pathway to the main area of the field. Overall, I had a very fun time for my first time going to Field of Screams. The experience was so amazing.
