Headless Horseman Hayride
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted Houses | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Haunted attraction |
| Genre | Theatrical |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Michael and Nancy Jubie |
| Headquarters | Ulster Park, New York, USA |
| Area served | National |
| Industry | Theatre |
| Services | Entertainment |
| Owner | Michael and Nancy Jubie |
| Employees | 150 |
| Website | Headless Horseman.com |
The Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted Houses ("H5") is a Halloween attraction in the Hudson Valley area of New York. It is located in Ulster Park, about 10 miles from Poughkeepsie, New York. This haunted attraction covers 45 acres includes orchards, corn mazes, woods and ponds. According to the HauntWorld magazine, the Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted Houses is rated as the #1 haunted attraction in the United States[1][2].
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[edit] Background
The hayride opened for the Halloween season in 1993. As of 2007 it featured eight distinct attractions and employed over 130 people during the season. Owners Michael and Nancy Jubie started the attraction out of a love of Halloween and experience with disguises[3]. Michael has written articles about safety in outdoor haunted attractions[4].
H5 is located on a 45-acre, 200-year-old farm that some employees report is actually haunted[5].
[edit] Attractions
[edit] The Hayride
The hayride is the first stage in the visit. It is over a mile long trip 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 and interacts with other characters, as well as customers. The hayride is scary enough to cause some customers to jump off the wagon, or knowingly leave valuable possessions behind[6]
[edit] Hayride Themes
- 2007: The Black Spider Sideshow
- 2006: The Night of the Collectors
- 2005: The 13th Sacrifice
- 2004: The Night of the Bogeyman
- 2003: The Season of the Witch
- 2002: The Necromancer
- 2001: Dr. Dark's Evil Carnival
[edit] The Corn Maze
The corn maze is the second 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.
[edit] Corn Maze Themes
- 2007: Dark Harvest
[edit] Haunted Houses
Four haunted houses, each designed with a new theme annually, are also part of H5. They are frequently covered in local media[7][8].
[edit] House Themes
- 2007: Bad Seed Fertilizer Co., The Feeding, and The Mansion of Dahlia Blood
[edit] The Creature
Added in 2007, the Creature is a 150-foot-long inflated attraction that appears to be a sleeping dinosaur or dragon. Customers pass through the mouth and walk past internal organs on their way through to the back end.
[edit] Other Activities
H5 includes several other attractions, including three eating establishments (Croaked Crow Cafe, Evil Eatery, and Witch Hazel's), four gift shops (Magic Moon Gifts, Ghoulish Gifts, Witchy Woman, and Scarewear), and other entertainers including Spray paint artist Lady Galaxy and sideshow performer John Shaw. Various costumed actors and animatronic creatures are found throughout the site.
[edit] Charity Benefits
A behind-the-scenes look at the hayride was used to raise money for The Queen's Galley, a Kingston, New York-based food bank, in 2007.
[edit] Children's Day
Billed as a "Tiny Taste of Terror," Children's Day takes youngsters on a scaled-down daylight hayride and through the corn maze, all of which are modified for a youthful audience.
[edit] Frosty Fest
Plans were announced in 2007 to reprise Frosty Fest[9], a Christmas-themed event that had originally been conceived and attempted early in the attraction's run.
[edit] References
- ^ The Top 13. Haunt World Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Michael Bonasio (2002-10-03). Where screams fill the air. The New Paltz Oracle. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Haunted Houses in New York (2005). Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ Jubie, Michael. Safety! What's Your Definition?. Haunted House Association website. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ 'Haunters' work year-round to scare up Halloween frights, by Ann Hoevel, CNN.com, October 31, 2006; accessed October 29, 2007, at 09:55
- ^ Haunted houses get really scary by Craig Wilson, USA Today, October 12, 2006, accessed November 2, 2007 at 00:08
- ^ Why Is Fear Fun?, Poughkeepsie Journal, October 2, 2007, accessed October 23, 2007 at 00:27
- ^ Local Haunts Reviewed by Sandy Tomcho and Kristina Wells, RecordOnline.com, October 5, 2007, accessed November 1, 2007 at 23:58
- ^ Ulster County Tourism Bureau
