Friday Night Picture Show: Pinehaven’s Haunted Dead End Hayride
Posted: October 25, 2013 Filed under: Friday Night Picture Show, Halloween, My Family Album | Tags: FNPS, Friday Night Picture Show, frozen pizza, Halloween, Haunted attraction, HAYRIDES, Minnesota, The Boy 5 CommentsHaunted houses aren’t the best venue for photography, but we caught a few snapshots, before the ride proper started, last night:
This is a FANTASTIC haunted experience, at a pretty good price.
Stop at the Shell gas station, which is across the road from the entrance to the property, to pick up some discount tickets. Depending on which night of the week you go, you’ll get $1 – $3 off off admission. (Our family of four paid $52, on a Thursday night.)
We were disappointed that the cheese curd stand is not operational unless it’s Friday or Saturday. The short line, however, was awesome.
Before and after the hayride, guests are welcome to mill about in the farmyard. There’s a small bonfire, a bull riding machine, a food counter with drinks and simple snacks, and a dance area with pop music playing.
The haunt itself starts when you board a hay wagon drawn by a tractor. There’s a 10-15 minute ride through a haunted wood with several good drive-through scenes and lots of costumed characters popping out, hopping onto the wagon, then disappearing.
The characters throughout WILL touch you; you are not allowed to touch them.
Eventually the wagon stops and guests are told to disembark. For the next 40 minutes or so, guests proceed on foot, through many themed areas. That’s all I’ll reveal above the cut.
If you’ve got the money and the time, go. It really is fun (and not horribly gross or disgusting.)
*****
#FNPS
My favorite parts were:
NOTE: SPOILERS IF YOU CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK
The Western-style Main Street: While still on the hayride, you pass through a wild-west sort of town. Very wild.
The Doll House: Two doll-like characters, both probably female and certainly diminutive, refused to let us move through their exhibit of dolls and doll parts. I think they kept us to themselves for a good 5-6 minutes, even letting others pass through. One was particularly taken with Pooka’s long hair. The other took great joy in showing me all the … modifications she’d made in her treasures.
The White Maze: A simple, strobe-lit maze through what feels like 10 minutes of silky, pure white panels of cloth.
The Swamp: Such a simple fog-filled “pond” exhibit. It’s the antici … pation, that kills me.
The Red Ghoul-Girl: A lovely creature, standing outside a crypt, was pleased by the arrival of The Boy. I wasn’t sure we’d leave the area with him still a part of our party. He tells me she invited him into her garden.
The Squeeze: If there was anything I didn’t enjoy, it was one particular area, at the end of a dark maze, that triggered a claustrophobia button I didn’t even know I had. Prepare to be squished.
Renae Rude - The Paranormalist 
I’ve never done anything like this. Not even a plain old corn maze.
It’s weird how I am insulated in my own little world. I can’t image having never done a haunted house. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to go. I looked forward to it like others look forward to a school dance.
Perhaps my family is too tolerant of my peculiarities.
Oh I’ve done a haunted house… just not any of the fancy outdoor/corn maze types. We have crazy scary haunted houses in St. Louis. I went for the first time in 12 years just a few weeks ago. 🙂 It was fun.
This sounds awesome and terrible all at the same time. I pretty much noped when I saw that photo of the guy that’s all mouth and no face.
It helps to think about the experience as an opportunity to appreciate the quality of the masks/costumes/makeups, and the actors’ efforts.
Being scared (when I know there’s no actual danger) makes me feel very alive. It’s probably the best indicator that I’m not REALLY a believer.
‘Totally different story when I’m confronted with truly terrifying things like winding mountain roads.