RECAP:  The experience begins in “The Boneyard,” a lively hub offering countless photo ops; carnival games; a casket ride; psychic readings; Monster Merchandise Shop, a wide variety of food options; drinks ranging from apple cider to “Booz” and “Spirits;” plenty of roaming creatures to keep guests on edge; and most important of all, central access to the 6 haunted attractions that join forces to create the event!

HANNA HAUNTED HAYRIDE:  The main event unfolds aboard a tractor-pulled hay wagon as flickering lights set the tone for terror. Massive Hanna billboards suddenly collapse inward toward the wagon, signaling that the nightmare has begun!  Monsters emerge from two medieval-style buildings, as winged animatronic creatures swoop and lean toward the riders while flames erupt skyward in a fiery spectacle.  The journey deepens into the dark, isolated woods, where a spine-chilling funeral procession moves through a foggy cemetery.  Mourners carry a coffin containing what appears to be an undead corpse, while a towering skeletonized animatronic guards a nearby mausoleum and a witch hangs eerily in the trees nearby. Villains attack as a bloody butcher bursts from a decrepit shanty, revving his chainsaw and threatening to carve humans into cold cuts!  The chaos continues past a 12-foot-tall, red-eyed skeleton, followed by a giant spider that drops from the treetops, hovering just inches above terrified riders’ heads as the adventure pauses for a brief moment to enable its capture! 

An unexpected dinosaur invasion sets the stage for the mysterious appearance of Diablo - a red-eyed, horned demon surrounded by robed disciples and hellfire! Other memorable scenes visit a man-eating pumpkin patch; then conflicts with a giant, hooded figure plotting an attack, an orange-eyed behemoth with ram-like horns up to no good, and a double chainsaw ambush that stems from revisiting the aforementioned butcher now joined by a new partner in crime! A wolf-like creature prowls the outskirt edges of the woods, and several foes climb aboard the wagon threatening with weapons and more chainsaws. Tension escalates to a heart-stopping moment when the hayride stalls briefly while crossing train tracks setting up a deafening, horn-blasting collision with steam locomotive #550, the impact from which launches the cart sideways! 

Thrills mount taking the form of a giant skeleton carrying off its victim’s remains; a deadly pendulum swinging from overhead and descending closer and closer with every swipe, and an elevated assault from the majestic Headless Horseman himself bellowing, “The Reckoning has come!” The finale consists of a vicious combine chase through the field climaxing with an explosion among adjacent farm machinery that sends an inferno shooting high into the night sky!

- 12½ minutes, 19 actors 

CANNIBAL CHAOS begins inside a decrepit shack drenched in blood and gore, and occupied by sharp-toothed flesh eaters! Loud, disorienting music fills the air as dismembered arms and legs dangle from the ceiling and walls grotesquely pointing the way toward a shocking CGI, zombie-splattering surprise!  The trail continues into a dim chamber lined with skeletal remains and animal skulls and skins, and even a life-sized, stuffed moose looming alongside the path. From the shadows, carnivores emerge gnawing on bones and severed limbs as a blaring horn announces an unseen, near-miss, hit-and-run truck that barrels straight toward passersby out of total darkness!

Elsewhere, a deranged butcher grills human cadavers over a smoldering fire, eagerly offering to share some “ribs” with anyone that might happen to be hungry. The gruesome homestead also features a blood-soaked bathroom, a macabre sewing room, and a bedroom where a corpse suddenly springs forth from beneath the covers! Terror peaks with a snarling, two-headed mechanical wolf assault, followed by an old cannibal in a rolling wheelchair who lunges forward, brandishing a machete! A hulking “Mongo” beast bursts through barn doors as an enormous pendulum swings past narrowly missing its mark! A jolting electrocution precedes the narrow escape from Cannibal Chaos.

- 3½ minutes 7 actors

BITTEN takes place in the once-magnificent mansion of Count Zamale, where mysterious portraits line the walls leading into a grand dining area, where a chandelier suddenly comes crashing down from above bringing the collapsing ceiling with it! Rushing away interrupts a funeral wake that discovers a grieving woman sobbing over her late husband whose corpse lies in a nearby coffin with a wooden stake protruding from his heart! 

The kitchen table is set with plates of human remains, and begins to shake violently on its own as a painted picture comes to life, a chair suddenly and mysteriously levitates into the air, cabinets and drawers open and slam shut by unseen forces, and a deranged chef searches for fresh meat wielding a massive sickle and shouting, “I’m hungry!” Escape down a narrow hallway, finds framed, family photographs morphing into grotesque, bloody images in advance of a bedroom that’s highlighted by a sudden surprise that lunges forward off the bed, startling everyone in its path!

Chambers of upright coffins form an arched walkway of caskets that leads into a smoky utility room housing an old water heater leaking clouds of vapor and steam, then into a girl’s bedroom where a ghostly apparition floats in the window and her bed eerily elevates itself up off the ground! More coffins are on the horizon, each containing bodies with stakes driven through their hearts ushering the way into a grand, candle-lit cathedral, where cadavers hang upside down atop a blood-soaked altar! Vampires encircle the shrine drinking from chalices filled with blood and inviting visitors to, “Take a sip and live forever!” Exiting through a library of multiple, tilting bookcases points the way out of Bitten!

- 4½ minutes, 8 actors

FREAKSHOW:  Step right up and enter the big top of terror, where madness begins with a swinging clown marionette welcoming guests to a carnival of chaos. Inside, a snack bar offers not-so-tasty treats before leading into a sinister “Midway” packed with treacherous games, bloody axe throwing, darts at severed heads, a gruesome twist on Whack-a-Mole called Whack-a-Skull, “Shoot-a-Human,” and even a psychic booth where eerie fortunes are foretold. The magic show is a macabre highlight, featuring the classic trick of sawing a body in half, but this time something goes horribly wrong!  Memorable startles abound from a maniacal clown violently kicking against his glass enclosure, toppling barrels, sudden air blasts, and disorienting funhouse mirrors that distort and complicate advancement. Wicked Jesters take full advantage of the ensuing confusion outside a dressing room comprised of the most disturbing performers of all. An adjacent ticket booth marks the final descent into madness, where an unhinged animal trainer unleashes his “tamed” beasts including the monstrous ogre “Bonzo!” and the nightmare concludes with a dizzying spinning vortex that spirals the course out of The Freakshow!

- 4 minutes, 7 actors

DARK ECHOES:  This descent into an isolated cave immediately stumble past a massive skull straight out of The Goonies and through dimly-lit catacombs that disturbs a horned, 15-foot-tall, red-eyed, six-armed creature that becomes enraged and contemplates a retaliatory strike! Skull-lined walls guide the way toward the lair of more horned attackers, as skeletal remains and piles of bones begin to stir and skulls rise up from the ruins on their own! The journey continues into a mine-shaft that gives rise to a sudden cave-in awakening another growling beast before plunging deeper into a swampy, laser-lit underworld where a monstrous figure glides menacingly over the murky water of Dark Echoes!

- 3½ minutes, 9 actors

STALKER FARMS:  The corn grows high on Ma & Pa’s Indiana Farm, and deep within, something wicked stirs! The journey commences when a pig-faced goon lunges from the stalks amid scarecrows and skeletons that have been nailed to crosses alongside the eerie, dirt pathway.  Weaving past an animated skeleton, mulching machine, broken-down bucket truck, rusting car, and through a round, cistern-like pipe angers yet another pig-faced attacker that angrily pounds and makes noise intimidating progression.

The path continues through a string of bizarre encounters including a chainsaw-wielding rabbit, an Alf-like ambush, a mechanical mummy bursting forth from an outhouse, a chicken coop filled with lifeless hens, and a giant, man-eating gator adding to the farmyard madness.  Just when it seems safe, unsure footing wreaks havoc when the ground suddenly tilts and drops delivering an unexpected startle! The trail finishes up by splitting into twisting, dead-end loops mandating blind navigation through the towering corn that hides a number of masked goons striking from the shadows, and delivering an aggressive chainsaw chase-out from this wild, rural nightmare better known as Stalker Farms! 

- 12 minutes, 14  actors

DOA debuts for 2025 and consists of an extreme sensory deprivation experience inside the mysterious Hidden Hospital research facility. The experience gets underway when participants are loaded onto a violently shaking elevator that seemingly plunges deep underground. Unsettling chaos takes charge as subjects are shoved into a confined space and ordered to place hoods over their heads to obscure vision. Completely deprived of sight, pushing and prodding becomes the norm as guests follow a rope to guide them along a series of disturbing challenges that may dictate crawling, having cold water splashed down your back and neck, sensations of heat, and eve electrical shocks — and remember, water and electricity don’t mix!  After enduring the confusion and disorientation of the experiment, the bags are finally removed in a dimly-lit hospital area, where “patients” are hurried back into the elevator, returned to the surface, and instructed to have a, “Follow-up appointment in two weeks!” Exiting through the back of a ambulance returns the course to The Boneyard Midway.

- Approximately 6 minutes and 6 actors. Cost $8.95.

ANALYSIS:   Winner of The Best Haunted Hayride Award consecutively in each of the past two seasons, Hanna Haunted Acres once again states its claim as Indiana Haunt of the Year, while securing its place among OVH’s Top 13 Haunted Attractions!

The Hayride is pure kinetic energy that can only be characterized as a nonstop, cinematic nightmare packed with larger-than-life effects, relentless scares, and a grand finale that guarantees you’ll leave both thrilled and breathless! Every scene bursts with action and creativity, while featuring unique animatronic monsters, pneumatic effects, and actor-driven assaults leaving little to no downtime.  “Dead spots” don’t exist here. Favorite highlights include a near-fatal train crash, a life-threatening combine chase, the Headless Horseman impressively perched atop an underpass, and a nonstop barrage of startling visuals that maintain the ride’s relentless momentum.  The hayride’s production value is bolstered by professional-grade lighting, fog, and a spooky soundtrack that permeates the woods!

The secondary haunts are top-tier in quality, jam-packed with impressive props, décor, and scares, and great while they last, just short in duration. Detailing is fabulous and pneumatic enhancements have noticeably improved over recent years, keeping the overall experience both modern and impressive. The “haunted” aspect of the attractions is second to none with their spooky music, theatrical lighting, and variety of moving objects like levitating beds, tables and chairs, rattling pots and pans, drawers that open and close on their own, tilting bookcases, etc.

Vampires steal the spotlight in Bitten, particularly around the ceremonial altar, and staked corpses serve as ghastly, grisly visual contributions. Addition of a live-action stake-driving sequence or an energetic vampire chase-out finale could push this attraction to the next level and leave guests with a stronger lasting impression.

A looping labyrinth returns towards the end of Stalker Farms this year properly making it more like a traditional corn maze as opposed to just a straight walk-through. More ambient audio would serve to sustain immersion and better the cornfield experience.

DOA is new this year and brings a new level of fear to the site by limiting one’s sense of sight while utilizing a variety of scares to exploit fear and intimidation. Please be advised that you WILL be touched in this attraction, and a separate ticket is required costing an additional $8.95 online.

Expanding cast size while strengthening actor dialogue and character interaction throughout would carry the event to a whole new level. Vampires stand out as the strongest performers and roamers help sustain energy around The Midway. Hanna Haunted Acres excels in mechanical spectacle with signature effects including, collapsing billboards and ceiling, train wreck, use of fire, hovering spider, pendulums, Headless Horseman, combine, chandelier levitations, tilting bookcases, cave, CGI’s, and a multitude of pneumatic monsters. Attractions are accessed stem from the carnival style Boneyard area – a vibrant hub of fun and games, bonfires, photo ops, and seasonal treats.

Hanna Haunted Acres operates weekends in September beginning Sept. 12 (except 9/14) and nightly in October, with additional Blackout events scheduled for Nov. 7 & 8. General Admission starts at $28.95 online ($6.05 more at the door). Unlimited and Fast Pass Access are available for additional charges. Parking is provided free of charge. Please refer to their website for more information.

Indy’s #1 Haunted Event continues to pave the way anchored by its award-winning Haunted Hayride. While secondary attractions would definitely benefit from longer runtimes and stronger actor dialogue, their quality alone defines Hanna as a perennial powerhouse in the haunt industry. Plan on spending an entire evening at Hanna Haunted Acres this Halloween season and enjoy all the fun and exciting seasonal festivities they have to offer.