Railway of Horrors

Chepachet, RI

Website: https://app.hauntpay.com/events/railway-of-horrors

Pricing: $25 ($45 Blood Night)

Type: Ride

Setting: Outdoor

Full Contact Option: Yes, Bloodnight includes contact and fake blood.

Overview

In the pursuit of new haunts to attend, Railway of Horrors popped up on the list of newish things. I hadn't heard of it, but apparently it ran last year as well, perhaps without the marketing that made its way to my eyes. I also perhaps confused it with the Essex trolley museum, which I've written about in the Micros section and also has a Halloween revision for the season.

Connections to the Trolley Museum begin and end with some rideable object that rolls on a track, since Railway is actually a mini train akin to the ones you might see at an amusement park. This doesn't diminish what the overall result is, but don't think enclosed train—you'll be bumping knees with a passenger.

This leaves us with two segments of the experience. There's a midway, of sorts, behind the gift shop. You can pick up some branded swag, or you can play some of the carney games. I've written about my disdain many-a-times about carney games, but there's a twist here—they're free to play. Granted the prize is a small Halloween-themed rubber ducky, but I'd take a lesser prize over getting robbed any day. Continuing the carnival idea, there's a hotdog stand where you can get something to eat that also won't break the budget.

The tickets are times, since there's but the one train, and it does follow a lengthy path, which breaks up sessions quite a bit. The midway helps pass the time, but there's no sense getting in line too early, as it will be a while if you're too early.

The train is more or less analogous to a haunted hayride, just in a rolling car instead of a wagon. It heads off into the woods, where it loops a few times with some themed set pieces, with the main one being a circus. This portion stops and has a lengthy narration that adds detail to the proceedings and doubles back upon the return trip.

Notable Moment

The performance in the middle of the ride was impressive and broke up what would normally be a series of set pieces. As the dialogue progressed, the actors in the arena followed suit and helped advance the experience.

Photos

Ratings

Ambience:

The midway helps make the wait more enjoyable. The food isn't too expensive, and the games are free. The railtrail itself is decorated well, with some impressive set pieces and suitable mood in the forest portions.

Value:

At the mid-range price, it's well suited for what you get. The lack of nickel and diming while you're waiting is a great help, since it's rather annoying to see things to do and have to shell out more. It's understandable that places need to keep the lights on, so kudos for the all-inclusive price.

Scares:

Actors remain far off the path, so aside from the scripted banter, there isn't much in the way of scares. In the midway, everyone is friendly, which isn't a bad thing.