Haunted Attraction Reviewed: The Asylum on Pine Knoll Dr
Website: www.asylumonpineknolldr.com
Location of Attraction: Easley South Carolina
Date of Review: 10/7/2022
Total Number of Attractions Available: 1
Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 6.5/10
Entertainment & Food Rating: 7/10
Atmosphere Rating: 7/10
Overall Costume & Makeup Rating: 6/10
Overall Cast & Crew Rating: 7/10
Overall Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 7.5/10
Overall Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 6/10
Overall Feedback: In just their 3rd year of operation, The Asylum on Pine Knoll Dr has crafted a spooky fun experience suitable for the entire family! When we received word that the visionary & owner of the haunt, Luke, was only 19 years old this further fueled our interest in visiting. We arrived on-site around 9pm on what was a rather pleasantly warm evening. Due to crummy weather conditions the prior weekend from Hurricane Ian, the evening we attended ended up being their opening night for the 2022 season. As you pull into the parking lot your attention is immediately drawn to the massive laughing clown head that made for a rather spooktacular facade!
The Asylum on Pine Knoll Dr features one solid length walkthrough attraction, roughly 20-25 minutes. General admission tickets run a bit on the high side in our opinion ($30) with a FastPass upgrade available for an additional $10. These folks are open Fridays & Saturdays from now through Sunday October 30th, so be sure to pencil them into your schedule! At the ticket booth we were greeted by Jeff, the owner’s father, who engaged with our crew for a bit & provided us with some backstory insight on the haunt. It was neat to hear how Jeff had helped his 17 year old son & high-school student at the time successfully open a full scale pro-haunt! After snagging our tickets we proceeded forth to the clown head, where we took an exhilarating ride down the clown mouth & slid into the midway!
The Asylum’s midway area featured such a fun & chill ambiance. Elegant string lighting was draped overhead. Music of all varieties was blasting from a nearby DJ booth. Amble picnic table seating was available if you wished to kick back & relax for a bit. Roaming spooks were engaging with guests, keeping them entertained and startled while outside the attractions - shout-out to “Momo”, clowns, & pumpkin-head guy! Get your blood pumping by participating in axe throwing! Or snag a group photo at one of the several photos - the hearse was one of our favorite backdrops! Don’t forget to visit the snack stand for light refreshments or to snag your Asylum merch. After perusing the midway we headed for the queue line, eager to experience The Asylum!
A vibrantly glowing 2-story facade effectively hid behind it a spooky fun adventure. A drunken clown prop laid right outside the entry door, creating a comical photo worthy moment before entering. Once inside, things kicked off with several sections of a blackout maze of sorts, with simple yet effective set design & a few spooks sprinkled in. In one portion of the blackout maze, we were in near total darkness when a well timed animatronic began thrashing around providing a quick startle scare! A heavily fogged out scene made for a disorienting journey as we could barely see our way through. At one point an elderly lady came barreling out of a shack nearly bulldozing us with her walker as she warned us of her granddaughter who was lurking in the shadows. We eventually stumbled into “The Midway”, which featured all sorts of carnival style booths. It was in “The Midway” where we’d encounter the character highlight of the evening, The RingMaster! This fellow controlled this massive scene as he narrated & navigated us through his freakshow of carnival spooks! A 3D fun-house featured eye-popping artwork that was truly visually mesmerizing. A near deafeningly loud foghorn of sorts delivered a hair-raising startle as we ventured through the disorienting world of 3D. A large-scale graveyard featured a creepy vibe & snake-like paths as we weaved in & out of massive crypts, tombstones, & mausoleums. Several zombie creatures lurked in the graveyard, providing a few startling engagements. Our journey concluded with one final moment of disorientation as we traversed through the vortex tunnel which had us stumbling back into the midway.
After exiting the attraction we had the pleasure of chatting with owners Luke & Jeff once more. Both Jeff & Luke are extremely passionate about providing a spooky fun experience, but it’s truly Luke who runs the show here! This kid has got passion for days & we have no doubt that with time he’ll grow this place into one of South Carolina’s finest. We enjoyed hearing Luke speak on his growth in regards to constructing a haunt (design & theming skills) over the past few years. All the while also being a full-time college student several hours from home base. Luke credited Joe, owner of nearby Sweet Dreams Scare House, for being a valuable mentor to him. Luke also gave a shout-out to Bradley from The Dead End Hayride for sharing his creative talent & assisting with some of the scenes at The Asylum. The Asylum on Pine Knoll Dr definitely has lots of room for continued growth & improvement, but they are certainly off to a great start.
The Asylum on Pine Knoll Dr may not feature incredibly immersive sets, or high-tech animatronics & special effects, nor an abundance of experienced scare actors. But what they do possess is passion and the drive to entertain their patrons! The current old school style vibe with minimal animatronics & special effects is few & far between in this area, so it provided a refreshing haunt experience. With time, more resources, & more experience we’re certain The Asylum on Pine Knoll Dr will blossom into something special. Grab your friends + family & be sure to pay The Asylum on Pine Knoll Dr a visit! They’ll be very appreciative of your support & you’ll certainly have a frightfully fun experience!
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