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Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses

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The Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses is an outdoor haunted attraction in the Hudson Valley area of New York. It is located in Ulster Park, about 6 miles (9.7 km) from Kingston, New York. This haunted attraction covers 65 acres (260,000 m2) and includes a hay ride, corn maze, and five haunted houses.[1]

Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted Houses
Company typeHaunted attraction
IndustryTheatre
GenreTheatrical/Interactive
FoundedSeptember 20th, 1992
FounderMichael and Nancy Jubie
Headquarters
Ulster Park, New York
,
USA
Area served
National
ServicesEntertainment
OwnerMichael and Nancy Jubie
Number of employees
350+
WebsiteHeadless Horseman Hayrides

Background

The hayride opened for the Halloween season in 1992,[2] stemming from a disguise business Michael Jubie developed during his time as an undercover police officer, as well as the couple's love of Halloween.[3] As of 2015 it featured twelve distinct attractions and employed over 350 people during the season.[3] Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses is located on a 65-acre (260,000 m2), 200-year-old farm.[4]

Attractions

Hayride

 
Storyteller dressing to guide wagon riders on the hayride

Patrons are first taken on a hay ride on a wagon which holds 25–30 customers. Customers are given ample opportunity to be scared by actors during the trip, which is facilitated by a "storyteller," another actor who is on the wagon for the ride. Each year the hayride has a different theme, and the storyteller narrates the tale, interacts with other characters, and sets the mood for customers. The veteran actors along the trail attend regular acting classes to sharpen their scaring skills.[5] There is some debate about the ideal place to sit on the wagon for the most enjoyment,[6] but the hayride is scary enough to cause some customers to jump off the wagon, or knowingly leave valuable possessions behind.[7]

Corn maze

The corn maze is the third stage in the visit. Numerous actors are hidden in a one-way (i.e., customers cannot make a wrong turn and lose their way) maze to scare passersby.

Haunted houses

Several haunted houses, each designed with a new theme annually, are also part of H5.[8][9]

The Creature

Appearing in 2007, the Creature was a 150-foot (46 m)-long inflated attraction that appeared to be a sleeping dinosaur or dragon. Customers passed through the mouth and walked past internal organs on their way through to the back end.

Other activities

H5 includes several other attractions, including four eating establishments (Croaked Crow Cafe, Evil Eatery, Witch Hazel's and Deadly Doughnut), four gift shops (Magic Moon Gifts, Ghoulish Gifts, Phantom Photos, and Scarewear), and other entertainers.

Charity benefits

Frosty Fest

In 2007 relaunched Frosty Fest,[12] a Christmas-themed event that had originally been conceived and attempted early in the attraction's run.

References

  1. ^ Lindsay Pietroluongo (October 2, 2008). "Make Halloween memorable: Hang out at the Headless Horseman". Poughkeepsie Journal. Archived from the original on July 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
  2. ^ Katie Young (September 16, 2006). "The fright stuff: Headless Horseman keeps up its scare tactics". FreemanOnline.com. Daily Freeman. Archived from the original on December 7, 2006. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Kalet, Beth (September–October 2015). "The Monster Maker". Ulster Magazine. Times Herald-Record. pp. 16–19.
  4. ^ Hoevel, Ann (October 31, 2006). "'Haunters' work year-round to scare up Halloween frights". CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  5. ^ Greg Ryan (September 17, 2008). "A Model of Mayhem". Hudson Valley Magazine. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  6. ^ Tomcho, Sandy; George Spohr (October 10, 2008). "Frighteningly fun: Hudson Valley's Haunted Attractions Reviewed". RecordOnline.com. Times Herald Record. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
  7. ^ Haunted houses get really scary by Craig Wilson, USA Today, October 12, 2006, accessed November 2, 2007 at 00:08
  8. ^ Why Is Fear Fun?, Poughkeepsie Journal, October 2, 2007, accessed October 23, 2007 at 00:27
  9. ^ Local Haunts Reviewed by Sandy Tomcho and Kristina Wells, RecordOnline.com, October 5, 2007, accessed November 1, 2007 at 23:58
  10. ^ "Autism Press Release" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
  11. ^ Bonnie Langston (August 29, 2008). "Fall show helps Annex arts". FreemanOnline.com. Daily Freeman. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
  12. ^ Ulster County Tourism Bureau Archived October 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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