2008 Woodie Awards
The frightmare continues
Christina Voss
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: A&E
- Page 1 of 1
The night sky is dark and gloomy. The only light is from the moon above. Leaves crunch underfoot. The wind wisps through the trees as you feel a presence. You turn to see but nothing is there. No one is around you. You are all alone in the middle of the forest and there is no way out.
This could be the scene out of a horrible nightmare but its really just Frightmare Forest, one of Cedar Rapids' local haunted attractions this Halloween season.
The forest is owned and operated by Frightmare Forest Productions LLC and is one of the most unique haunts in Iowa.
Frightmare Forest is a haunted house constructed in the middle of a forest. Walls were built to give the experience of both an indoor and outdoor haunted attraction.
The entire trail through Frightmare Forest is controlled from one tech booth. Technical director Ian Austin developed most of the software used throughout the trail.
"Much of Frightmare Forest is computer based. It is very high tech. We do what other haunts can't or won't do. We can honestly scare the out of people," said Rick Nelson, a member of Frightmare Forest Productions LLC.
The trail begins with an elevator motion simulator.
"It really feels like an elevator," said Nelson. "Our technology is easily the most fascinating in the United States."
The main haunt this year is titled Rapid Eye Movement (REM). This year will offer more visualization and automation than previous years but will still consist of high impact scaring.
Nelson said the haunt has become as fun for the volunteer workers as it is for the patrons.
"We really want to have fun this year, we have even begun a contest between the first haunt cast and the second haunt cast to see who can scare the most," Nelson said.
The second haunt is called False Awakening and consists of a walk through the woods.
"The area is so wide open that you are able to see actors and other groups," said Nelson. "In the False Awakening, we just let their imagination scare them, many questionable experiences have occurred within this area. People are hard to scare but we are proud to say we can scare them."
Though Frightmare Forest stays away from the usual gore expected in a haunted house, the intensity is still high.
"If I had to give this haunt a rating it would be PG-13 Parents know their kids and if they can handle it. We have had 60-year olds come in here and have a blast and we have had 20-year olds who couldn't handle it," Nelson said. "We just ask parents to take that into consideration when deciding whether or not to bring their kids with them."
Admissions into Frightmare Forest are $7 for the main haunt and $11 for the main haunt plus the False Awakening. Coupons can be printed from their Web site, www.frightmareforest.com and a donation of canned food drops admission $1.
If you really want to have fun though, go for the "dare for a dollar off." Beware the ticket lady though, she's been known to make grown men sing, "I'm a little tea pot."
This could be the scene out of a horrible nightmare but its really just Frightmare Forest, one of Cedar Rapids' local haunted attractions this Halloween season.
The forest is owned and operated by Frightmare Forest Productions LLC and is one of the most unique haunts in Iowa.
Frightmare Forest is a haunted house constructed in the middle of a forest. Walls were built to give the experience of both an indoor and outdoor haunted attraction.
The entire trail through Frightmare Forest is controlled from one tech booth. Technical director Ian Austin developed most of the software used throughout the trail.
"Much of Frightmare Forest is computer based. It is very high tech. We do what other haunts can't or won't do. We can honestly scare the out of people," said Rick Nelson, a member of Frightmare Forest Productions LLC.
The trail begins with an elevator motion simulator.
"It really feels like an elevator," said Nelson. "Our technology is easily the most fascinating in the United States."
The main haunt this year is titled Rapid Eye Movement (REM). This year will offer more visualization and automation than previous years but will still consist of high impact scaring.
Nelson said the haunt has become as fun for the volunteer workers as it is for the patrons.
"We really want to have fun this year, we have even begun a contest between the first haunt cast and the second haunt cast to see who can scare the most," Nelson said.
The second haunt is called False Awakening and consists of a walk through the woods.
"The area is so wide open that you are able to see actors and other groups," said Nelson. "In the False Awakening, we just let their imagination scare them, many questionable experiences have occurred within this area. People are hard to scare but we are proud to say we can scare them."
Though Frightmare Forest stays away from the usual gore expected in a haunted house, the intensity is still high.
"If I had to give this haunt a rating it would be PG-13 Parents know their kids and if they can handle it. We have had 60-year olds come in here and have a blast and we have had 20-year olds who couldn't handle it," Nelson said. "We just ask parents to take that into consideration when deciding whether or not to bring their kids with them."
Admissions into Frightmare Forest are $7 for the main haunt and $11 for the main haunt plus the False Awakening. Coupons can be printed from their Web site, www.frightmareforest.com and a donation of canned food drops admission $1.
If you really want to have fun though, go for the "dare for a dollar off." Beware the ticket lady though, she's been known to make grown men sing, "I'm a little tea pot."