REVIEW: LOS ANGELES HAUNTED HAYRIDE

NOVEMBER 4, 2023

review: LOS ANGELES HAUNTED HAYRIDE

In Los Angeles it's rare that haunts can maintain long runs. The production complexities and expenses through multiple seasons can become a burden for the people running it and thus they eventually go dark. Yet somehow the LA Haunted Hayride has stuck it out for over a decade and a half, outlasting most of its peers.

A few years ago the Hayride was taken over by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment and moved from its previous location at the Old Zoo into a much larger area of Griffith Park near Interstate 5. The theme of the new Haunted Hayride was an immersive experience taking place in a town named "Midnight Falls", filled with scare actors and a lively Halloween atmosphere. This year, however, the characters were few and far between and there was a lot of empty space that could have been filled with props or decor.

Ironically the past few years have seen its three mazes - Trick or Treat, Midnight Mortuary, and Hellbilly Halloween - outshine the Hayride itself. While we did think the mazes were ok, especially the consistently great Midnight Mortuary, the Hayride itself was a disappointment. The seating in the truck beds has improved, but the content of the ride was lacking. We were surprised by the scarcity of scare actors and sets. While the word dead is welcomed for Halloween theming, we don't think it's good to have dead air.

Another disappointment was the Scary Go Round. Long gone are the days of backwards rides on this undead carousel. Created by artist Albert Cuellar (who passed two years ago), a longtime Tim Burton collaborator and good friend of Haunts of LA, the Scary Go Round deserves a professional refurbishment instead of having cheap advertising embellishments stuck to its surface. The concept of this carousel is unique and very special and should be treated with the appropriate respect and appreciation. 

We know that the Hayride crew has a huge amount of talent and artistry, which is why we can’t understand the current state of this beloved Halloween event. The scare actors are trying their best - and do look great with their styling and make up - but it falls short as a large scale event. If you go, we highly suggest just doing the mazes and skipping the Hayride altogether.

VC

November 04, 2023

Hauntsofla.com

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