It's that Time Again
We hit Pennhurst Asylum again this year. How did it hold up?
Pennhurst Asylum - 4 out of 5
They have the same 4 attractions this year, but there were a few improvements. Lines moved faster, but the place was still crowded. Leaving home at 7PM, we didn't get home until 1AM.
We hadn't been here in a couple of years so it was nice to see what they'd changed. The House of Horror's is a bit different than most other places, as you buy your ticket, get on the hayride, it lets you off at the house, when you're done you get back on the hayride, and that lets you off at the corn maze (and you can't get out without going through it). It's not really separate attractions, but we'll treat them as if they were.
Pennhurst Asylum - 4 out of 5
They have the same 4 attractions this year, but there were a few improvements. Lines moved faster, but the place was still crowded. Leaving home at 7PM, we didn't get home until 1AM.
- Pennhusrt Haunted Attraction - This was still a great attraction. Most of it was the same, but there were a few changes that improved the overall experience. The toilet covered in bugs was a great effect. The actors seemed "on" despite the crowds.
- The Dungeon of Lost Souls - The Dungeon also had some improvements, but I think the best was just that it was better stocked with actors. They have you walk through the boiler room and the ramp up the heat for effect. Make sure you dress in layers. Definitely worth a trip.
- Tunnel of Terror - If any attraction had room for improvement it was this one. And they did a good job with it. Less fog and strobe, more actors, and fewer hazards. They had a host of areas with props and did a very good job with the whole thing. The majority of the people in our party thought this was actually better than the Pennhurst Haunted Attraction, so you can tell they really improved.
- Ghost Hunt - No real changes here. But since we did this one at the end of the night (rather than the first thing last year) so it was more enjoyable. That and I probably knew what I was getting into.
We hadn't been here in a couple of years so it was nice to see what they'd changed. The House of Horror's is a bit different than most other places, as you buy your ticket, get on the hayride, it lets you off at the house, when you're done you get back on the hayride, and that lets you off at the corn maze (and you can't get out without going through it). It's not really separate attractions, but we'll treat them as if they were.
- Hayride - They made some nice updates to the hayride. It's not exceptionally long, but it's broken into 2 parts, which is a nice perk. The actors seemed rather amateur, but they were trying and doing it for a good cause. In general, the costumes, makeup, etc. are middle of the road. Not professional, but they make good use out of what they have.
- Haunted House - The house is small, but you go through half the first floor, then the second, then finish the first. There are some walking hazards that you have to watch for. However, they have some animatronics, some actors, and some good makeup in the house. Not bad for a relatively small budget. They didn't have a whole lot of improvements in here, but they kept things on par with the past.
- Corn Maze - The corn maze is really just the cattle chute for the rodeo, though they tie corn stalks to it to try to mask it some. Last time we were here it was unmanned. This time they had about a half a dozen actors, though they didn't really do much but stagger around.