REVIEW: the farm haunt

OCTOBER 28, 2021

review: the farm haunt

Years ago we went to The Farm Haunt at its former location in Glendale, California. This haunt, created by Tim Fowler, was one of the first we saw that offered an extremely in-depth maze within the modest confines of a driveway. Its theme was a farm filled with horrific sights, including skeletons decorating eerie passageways and a child pulling out guts from a human carcass. Our experience was awe-inspiring and left a lifelong impression on us.

Eventually the Glendale house was sold and The Farm Haunt moved itself up to the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV). Since then it has mostly focused on being a display, featuring the story of “Dr. Diablo’s Caskets and Curiosities”. This display featured Dr. Diablo’s shop - a dilapidated emporium of curiosities set in the Old West. Surrounding the shop were caskets, skeletons, jack-o’-lanterns, and a life-sized hearse drawn by a skeletonized horse. The display was breathtaking and a testament to the incredible creativity that Fowler possesses. This year, for the first time at its SCV location, Fowler has decided to open up Dr. Diablo’s as a walkthrough maze.

Before entering the maze, you can enjoy the scenes outside the curiosity shop. Women dressed in Western garb are frantically yelling at each other as guests come and go. Featured among the women is top notch scare actor - Gwen of Shiver Haunt. She is pushing a wheelbarrow baby carriage aggressively around, yelling at passerby to get inside of it. These scenes, combined with the missing paperboy (played by Fowler’s son) posters pasted about, help set up this season’s narrative and create a very entertaining atmosphere.

Once you are inside, for the first time in The Farm Haunt history, you are greeted by Dr. Diablo himself from within his office. Inside this dimly illuminated red room - which is decorated with human skulls, taxidermy, and beautifully crafted Western wallpaper - Diablo interacts with his guests and questions why they are there. After a quick scare in the office you are spit out into the maze where you encounter horrifying characters - like a man ripping out guts from a human carcass. You also find the missing paperboy - who now seems to be enjoying the sights of human slaughter. You then exit through a laser swamp which concludes your visit.

While the Farm Haunt is a maze created within a limited space, it achieves the full haunt experience. Fowler's eye for detail is impressive and unmatched among his peers. The Farm Haunt has so many intricate details and Easter eggs that it is well worth multiple visits. If you make it out to Santa Clarita this weekend, please stop by and meet the infamous Dr. Diablo.

VC

October 28, 2021

Hauntsofla.com

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