From a dark atmospheric ambience to salutations with a handful of leaves and dirt to a demon giving you directions, Nightmare Acres is the place to be this Halloween season.
Located in South Windsor, it is an outdoor attraction that will keep you on edge from start to finish. A dark pathway through the woods and a creepy clown following you toward the trail is the least of the fun to come.
Me and two friends took the opportunity to walk the trail recently with Nightmare Acres Operations Manager Frank Colon. We started off walking through a makeshift home for the mentally ill. Instantly, we were greeted with screams and pleas for help. The actors were trapped in cages, running up to us in desperation, and crawling on the floor in pure agony.
Then we encountered several strobe lights, with actors jumping out from behind curtains with chainsaws and leaf blowers, an occasional gunshot, and of course, endless screaming and jump scares.
I was left on edge waiting for the jump scares to occur while passing by dead bodies tied to fences, animal carcasses, and a revving engine every now and then.
Our guide led us along a path that was physically suffocating. It was pitch-black and foggy, eerie music screeched in our ears, and it would be almost impossible to pass through without help.
I do not usually go to haunted houses or Halloween attractions, but if I had the chance to go again to Nightmare Acres, I would. But only with some more friends, of course; I need someone to be in the front.
Enter at your own risk and bring someone to hold your hand, you are going to need it.
The attraction takes about 40 minutes to walk through. Tickets range from $35 to $60.
A visit to the site on 240 Governors Highway includes food vendors, music, tarot card readings and a gift shop. Parking is $5 in cash. They are open weekends only, Friday and Saturday from 7-11 p.m. and Sunday from 7-10 p.m. They also offer a touch optional night – that’s if you want to be touched – on Nov. 4 from 7-11 p.m. That will be the last weekend for this season.
For more information visit https://www.nightmareacresct.com/