Located inside the Screams Halloween Theme Park (on the Scarborough Fairegrounds), Trail of Terror is a continuation of The Mythical Monster Museum. The atmosphere at Screams is the best in DFW, complete with food, drinks, games, rides, fortune tellers, excellent roaming characters, and other vendors. Screams is the only place in DFW that can actually call themselves a Halloween Theme Park, because there is so much to see and do while you are there, and you can easily spend the whole evening walking around the fairegrounds.
Set Design/Detail/Floor Plan
The Trail of Terror picked a perfect theme this year, and they managed to actually keep everything in the haunt black and white (and shades of grey). This is much trickier than it may sound, but they pulled it off beautifully. Everything from costume, makeup, and surrounding props looks and feels like it came straight out of an old black and white horror film. In fact, the very beginning of the haunt has you walk THROUGH a movie screen displaying one of these classic films, just to reiterate the fact that you are walking into a different world. I was very excited to see the creative theme idea in person, and I was not disappointed… well, except that I did not want this fantasy to end! I wanted to see more! I thought it might have been pretty cool to see some set details actually duplicate one of the movie scenes, and maybe have a poster sized still on the wall showing off the matching details, but then again, that would not have been unique… that would have made it just a copy. So overall, I was pleased with the end result, and would love to see it again. Since this is a truly unique theme and experience, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Live Actors (Performance/Enthusiasm/Costumes)
Everyone portrayed their classic characters very well. However, I would have liked to see actual scenes from the movies acted out in person since I was already surrounded by the carefully constructed black and white world. Just because we did not get a live reenactment of the film sets does not mean it was not enjoyable, because we still loved the idea and loved the experience as a whole. I really did want to see more, though, because it was such a cool theme, and it was very well done and executed. I cannot single anyone out as a favorite, because again, everyone did really well with their character portrayals. But I must say that I always enjoy (every year) Hagatha and her comical tour through the monster museum as she takes you to the beginning of the haunt. She is a constant character every year, and she is a special treat. Make sure you also ask your ticket taker to tell you her cow jokes. Although, she will not promise they are funny jokes, and neither will I… just entertaining.
Admission Price vs. Length (Entertainment Value)
It is a little short, but that is okay because it is only $7 to walk through, and the unique experience is well worth it. Since you are already at Screams, you definitely have to check this place out. Keep in mind that Trail of Terror is a completely separate attraction from Screams, so they do not get any share of Screams admission, and Screams also does not share the Trail of Terror admissions. Yes, that is what SEPARATE means.
Overall Experience/Summary/Misc. Information
The only thing I can say now is, "I love it… gimme MORE!" I would love to see this theme executed even further, adding more scenes, and made into a longer experience. We have seen a lot of different ideas and themes from the Trail of Terror in the past, but I do believe this is the best one yet. Being attached to the Mythical Monster Museum, the classic movie monsters are a wonderful addition that fits really well. Not to mention, how many times can you say that you have seen a whole haunt in black in white? Well, unless you have already seen Trail of Terror, the answer is never… because I don't think anyone else has ever attempted this unique idea. (If someone HAS done this before, my apologies for not having my facts straight). This is an experience that you cannot miss, because I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to get rid of all things color. Great job, guys!
Previous Reviews
See the 2007 Review (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=92)
See the 2006 Review (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=71)
See the 2005 Review (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=43)
Feel free to post your experiences and reviews in the DFWHH Member Reviews Forum (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17)
at Screams Halloween Theme Park
http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/images/banners/classicmovieTrailofTerror.gif (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=116)
Waxahachie, TX
OVERALL SCORE : 8.5
http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/images/stars/big/8_half.gif
Review Date: Saturday, October 11th 2008
Time: 9:00pm
Atmosphere
Located inside the Screams Halloween Theme Park (on the Scarborough Fairegrounds), Trail of Terror is a continuation of The Mythical Monster Museum. The atmosphere at Screams is the best in DFW, complete with food, drinks, games, rides, fortune tellers, excellent roaming characters, and other vendors. Screams is the only place in DFW that can actually call themselves a Halloween Theme Park, because there is so much to see and do while you are there, and you can easily spend the whole evening walking around the fairegrounds.
Set Design/Detail/Floor Plan
The Trail of Terror picked a perfect theme this year, and they managed to actually keep everything in the haunt black and white (and shades of grey). This is much trickier than it may sound, but they pulled it off beautifully. Everything from costume, makeup, and surrounding props looks and feels like it came straight out of an old black and white horror film. In fact, the very beginning of the haunt has you walk THROUGH a movie screen displaying one of these classic films, just to reiterate the fact that you are walking into a different world. I was very excited to see the creative theme idea in person, and I was not disappointed… well, except that I did not want this fantasy to end! I wanted to see more! I thought it might have been pretty cool to see some set details actually duplicate one of the movie scenes, and maybe have a poster sized still on the wall showing off the matching details, but then again, that would not have been unique… that would have made it just a copy. So overall, I was pleased with the end result, and would love to see it again. Since this is a truly unique theme and experience, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Live Actors (Performance/Enthusiasm/Costumes)
Everyone portrayed their classic characters very well. However, I would have liked to see actual scenes from the movies acted out in person since I was already surrounded by the carefully constructed black and white world. Just because we did not get a live reenactment of the film sets does not mean it was not enjoyable, because we still loved the idea and loved the experience as a whole. I really did want to see more, though, because it was such a cool theme, and it was very well done and executed. I cannot single anyone out as a favorite, because again, everyone did really well with their character portrayals. But I must say that I always enjoy (every year) Hagatha and her comical tour through the monster museum as she takes you to the beginning of the haunt. She is a constant character every year, and she is a special treat. Make sure you also ask your ticket taker to tell you her cow jokes. Although, she will not promise they are funny jokes, and neither will I… just entertaining.
Admission Price vs. Length (Entertainment Value)
It is a little short, but that is okay because it is only $7 to walk through, and the unique experience is well worth it. Since you are already at Screams, you definitely have to check this place out. Keep in mind that Trail of Terror is a completely separate attraction from Screams, so they do not get any share of Screams admission, and Screams also does not share the Trail of Terror admissions. Yes, that is what SEPARATE means.
Overall Experience/Summary/Misc. Information
The only thing I can say now is, "I love it… gimme MORE!" I would love to see this theme executed even further, adding more scenes, and made into a longer experience. We have seen a lot of different ideas and themes from the Trail of Terror in the past, but I do believe this is the best one yet. Being attached to the Mythical Monster Museum, the classic movie monsters are a wonderful addition that fits really well. Not to mention, how many times can you say that you have seen a whole haunt in black in white? Well, unless you have already seen Trail of Terror, the answer is never… because I don't think anyone else has ever attempted this unique idea. (If someone HAS done this before, my apologies for not having my facts straight). This is an experience that you cannot miss, because I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to get rid of all things color. Great job, guys!
Previous Reviews
See the 2007 Review (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=92)
See the 2006 Review (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=71)
See the 2005 Review (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=43)
Feel free to post your experiences and reviews in the DFWHH Member Reviews Forum (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17)