Witch's Woods

Westford, MA

Website: https://witchswoods.com/

Pricing: $48

Type: Haunt/Hayride

Setting: Indoor/Outdoor

Full Contact Option: No

Overview

The journey to Witch's Wood felt familiar, and that was on account of a prior visit over the winter when I went snow tubing. It's hard to beat Granite Gorge up in New Hampshire with its Action Park-esque anarchy, but a fun time was had nonetheless. During the prelude to tubing, skiing, and other sorts of snow fun, the surrounding area is used for what is dubbed a Hayride and Screampark. Unlike Fear on the Farm, the budget allows for an uptick in quality, but the price of admission also relects that.

A total of six attractions are advertised in the ticket bundle, but only four of them get checked off as you experience them. The two remaining are both located in a semi-circle between the indoor haunts and the outdoor path and hayride. The pumpkin display consists of three sheds with dozens of carvings behind glass. Most have recognizable faces, so it almost becomes a game of 'guess the character', with not all of them being horror related. These are next to some historical displays that feature some horror icons of yesteryear and the silver-screen days of film. It's a good refresher for film buffs, and a helpful introduction for those new to pop culture outside the modern era. Since these don't get tracked on you ticket, you actually don't need a proper admission to view this setup. I wouldn't suggest coming just for this, but parents/grandparents might enjoy having something to do while only buying attraction tickets for those who want to go through the remainder of the park.

When you first walk in, you end up at a mid-way of sorts with various food vendors and a few carnie rides that give the location the feel of a lingering country fair. Depending on the weather at the moment, you may or may not want to brave the gravitron, and often it's best to jump right into the first attraction.

The 3D Keeper's Crypt is like several others where prismatic glasses are handed out and the bright neon paint appears to stand out as you traverse the maze. Unsuprisingly, the theme here is clowns, and while there's a lot of yelling and banging, it is a bright passageway and most of the challenge is overcoming disorientation. The next attraction is Castle Morbid. It's a rectangular labyrith made of plywood, where you navigate the maze while actors jump out. There's a bit of detail and the open-top will let more or less light in depending on the time of day.

With these two finished, you can pass by the pumpkins and Horrorwood Chamber of Terrors mentioned earlier, and get in line for the final two attractions. Typically, I go to the hayride first and let the lines die down a bit. They can be lengthy based on the time of night and the proxmity to Halloween, so factor this in as an all-evening event. But I will mention the final walk-through which takes place in a wooded trail. The Vampire Passage is a dimly lit pathway with a mix of props and actors all focused on the undead. Most of it navigates throughout the trees, but the final portion has some indoor structure to go through.

The Hayride is the main feature and most certainly the notable attraction at the woods. Unlike traditional pull-wagons, the carts are not the typical flat-bed, but rather have you sitting around the edge, while the center portion is reserved for the narrator who paces around and tells the story of the Witch's Woods. I can't really spoil it, since I don't remember much in the way of details, but the general gist is that the woods are cursed due to the witches, and it probably has something to do with colonial America. The main point is that rather than several set pieces (of which there still are plenty), the hayride has a purposeful narrative that ties it all together.

Notable Moment

Like any event where you have to share the experience, there's always the young kids who are past the age of being scared, but prior to the point where they have any good sense to shut up and let the rest of us enjoy it. During the hayride, there was near constant harassment towards the actors, as if there's a need to prove that the people being paid to pretend, aren't actually real in the end.

Photos

Ratings

Ambience:

A skii-lift turned scare park has a nice feel. The carnival, even if not participated in, provides some extra flair, and the woods during the final two attractions do give of a spooky vibe.

Value:

At $48 for admission, this is definitely one of the higher priced options. You do get several attractions for the price, but the hayride is the main draw, and if there were an option to buy a ticket only for that, it would have been a better value in my eyes.

Scares:

The two indoor attractions are your standard fare, while the final two outdoors have their own feel. The forest setting does well to set the mood and allow you to avoid the constant distractions of glaring red emergency exit signs. (I know they need to be there, but it never fails to pull me out of the experience)