Haunted Attraction Reviewed: Crawford School of Terror
Website: www.crawfordschoolofterror.com
Location of Attraction: Connellsville, PA
Date of Review: 9/25/2021
Total Number of Attractions Available: 1 - w/3 themes
Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 9/10
Entertainment & Food Rating: 6.5/10
Atmosphere Rating: 9/10
Overall Costume & Makeup Rating: 9.5/10
Overall Cast & Crew Rating: 10/10
Overall Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 9/10
Overall Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 9/10
Overall Feedback: Arriving at Crawford School of Terror on a dreary afternoon, our group met in the parking area conveniently located directly across the street from the attraction. As darkness set in, our schoolhouse destination seemed to grow creepier in appearance - little did we know the insanity that lies within the schoolhouse walls would eventually have us trembling in fear. The decrepit appearing two story schoolhouse creates an ominous atmosphere, instantly provoking a rush of anxiety. The old abandoned schoolhouse was once utilized as an elementary school, and of course has documented accounts of paranormal activity - SPOOKY! We made our way past jack-o-lanterns adorning the trees, creepy booming sounds setting the evening's tone, and crackling bonfires. Just around the left corner of the schoolhouse we approached a ticket booth to make our purchase for the evening's festivities. At just $20 per person, this event is a tough value to beat! Tickets are sold "cash only" on-site. For other payment methods, purchase your tickets in advance online. Also offered at the ticket booth are very reasonably priced t-shirts, if you need a souvenir of your evening - we certainly did! Crawford School of Terror features three different themed areas to allow for a solid 20 minute journey!
Once your group has made your ticket and merchandise purchases, the staff will request a phone number. This will be used to alert your group when it is your turn to enter the attraction. The wait time can be quickly passed by relaxing near the bonfires, grabbing a snack, utilizing some of the photo ops, or being terrorized by one of the roaming scare actors out front of the schoolhouse. Axe throwing is even available (at an additional cost) if you really need an exciting way to pass the time. Escape Crawford, a 60-minute escape room experience, along with axe throwing, can be experienced nearly year-round at Crawford School of Terror. We’d love to see Crawford School of Terror continue to expand their midway offerings to feature things like other games/activities, food vendors/trucks, and a larger merchandise stand with more fright-tastic options.
Crawford School of Terror features realistic set design, relentless & intimidating characters, and an unnerving atmosphere which makes for an immersive and downright spine-chilling adventure that's sure to leave a long-lasting and nightmarish impression. Grab your fellow "classmates", hop onto the school bus, and head on over to the Crawford School of Terror. Trust us, you'll be glad you joined along for this horrifyingly fun field trip! Not to worry, the principal will be around to check on everyone!
Classic Crawford - We ascended to the second floor of the schoolhouse, where the first, and unanimous group favorite, portion of our adventure began. Be prepared to relive your worst nightmares from your school days as you venture through Classic Crawford. Realistic theming and visually stunning set designs were utilized to create an immersive experience that sent chills down our spines! We encountered a teacher demanding our hall passes as she violently thrashed around on a school desk, a prom queen with a blood curdling scream & a daunting secret, a twisted vomiting cheerleader with the abilities of a contortionist, a nurse you wouldn't want checking your temperature, lunch lady demanding we eat, and a librarian whispering in the shadows. Our character encounters were delivered with an intensity that left a lasting impression on every one of us. Several of these spooks were cleverly hidden, and appeared out of nowhere to deliver a spine-tingling startle! The backdrop for these amazing characters was second to none, extremely detailed and realistic, often leaving us questioning what was and wasn’t alive! With unsavory food offerings, a huge library, chairs bizarrely stacked around a room and to the ceiling, some unpleasant restrooms, and much more, our delightful characters were at no shortage of scenery in which to work their magic.
Demented Daycare - The Demented Daycare, housed on the first floor, was the second section of our haunted evening. Here we were dazzled by additional memorable characters and twisted scenes. One of these was a gender-bouncing actor with amazing skills and improvisational dialogue. We also encountered a child (or perhaps the lost soul of one) beheading their teacher! The scenery included a creepy playroom filled with games, a stuffed animals room, and sleeping babies in a nursery you'd never want to leave your child in. How do you close such a creepy, unsettling atmosphere? With Big Bird, of course! We don't know if he was a guest speaker or if he took a wrong turn to Sesame Street, but we hope he never leaves! He was a bizarre and hilarious closing act to an incredibly dark floor of the building.
Ritual - As we descended into the basement, an unnerving chill overcame us. It’s in the dark depths of the basement where we closed this visit at Crawford School of Terror… or did we exit to some haunted land? Although never leaving the building, it certainly looked like our gang had stumbled into a cemetery that would leave Scooby Doo shivering in fear. We felt immersed into an eerie outdoor stroll, passing by massive mausoleums, tombstones and catacombs, all of which possessed a great attention to detail. With massive 20 foot ceilings, the scenes within Ritual were enormous and menacing. Complete with a creepy grave-digger, this was surely not great grandma's peaceful resting place down the road. After concluding our journey with a stroll through a dark and eerie catacomb-like passageway, one final startle sent us running through the exit. This final stroll was short but sweet and packed a creepy punch!
We would encourage you to gather your "classmates" for a field trip to Crawford School of Terror, no matter how long it's been since you last saw the inside of a classroom. The young actors here are professionally trained and are more skillful than many seasoned veterans of the haunt industry. Not one person broke character during our visit. Not to mention, these spooks possessed high-quality & graphic costuming and makeup that flawlessly tied with the overall theming. Overall, Crawford School of Terror possesses an old-school style haunt vibe with a modern haunt twist. Minimal animatronics will be encountered, as they rely heavily on their scream team to bring the haunt to life! Audio and visual special effects were elegantly and effectively utilized to make for an immersive and stunning quest. It's hard to believe this haunt is only in its 6th year of operation, as they’ve quickly mastered the craft of providing an unnerving and blood-curdling experience! We're certain this one has a creepy-bright future and highly recommend you make them part of your fall festivities.
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