Woods of Terror - 2025

Woods of Terror - 2025

Date: Saturday, August 23rd (preview night)

Location: Greensboro, North Carolina

Website: www.woodsofterror.com

Overall Rating: 10 / 10

60 minutes of immersive horror awaits you at the Woods of Terror—relentless characters, flawlessly crafted sets, thrilling atmosphere, & endless heart-pounding scares! Truly a dark Disneyland for adults—mind-blowing, larger-than-life, and absolutely unforgettable!

Entertainment Value: 10 / 10

The midway at Woods of Terror is a full-scale spooky festival all on its own. Bone Daddy (Eddie) and crew fuel a high-energy party vibe with live music, roaming spooks, and impressive crowd engagement that never lets up. Guests can enjoy axe throwing, themed photo ops, concessions, & more before hitting the trail. Themed drinks like the Baba Yaga cocktails at the Cyclone Bar add a creative flair, while plentiful merch options give fans a chance to take the night home. And of course, the iconic Monster Parade remains one of the best haunt intros in the country — an explosive, theatrical kickoff that transforms the midway into pure chaos.

Costume & Makeup: 10 / 10

When it comes to costuming & makeup, not a single character looked out of place. Many characters throughout the midway and haunt featured impressive air brushed FX makeup. Those donning masks were incredibly realistic and the same could be said for the costumes across the board. The insane level of detail & consistency kept every character encounter immersive and believable.

Cast & Crew: 9.5 / 10

The actors gave it their all, from the crazed asylum inhabitants to the cave dwellers in the mines to Hopper in Eleven’s Nightmare. The miner at the beginning of the shaft delivered engaging dialogue, and the movie ticket taker added interactive “charm”.

Several standouts deserve special mention: the oddly disgusting fellow in Texas House who dug in his butt, sniffed his fingers, picked boogers, and licked them — stomach-turning in the best way. The pants-less patient running wild outside the asylum kept guests laughing with witty, unhinged energy. Freddy Krueger was a force all his own, animated and charismatic as he brought nightmares to life. And in Hardwired, an actor missing the bottom half of his leg clung to a metal fence so convincingly that we questioned if he was real — until he delivered a perfectly timed scare.

Opening night left room for more improvisational acting—this’ll come with time as the season progresses. One thing for certain, the passion and energy was undeniable across the entire crew!

Set Design & Special Effects: 10 / 10

14 larger-than-life attractions combine to create a massive, 60-minute, non-stop horror adventure! The projection mapping work on display in several attractions deserves special recognition (Shout-out to Todd). The pirate ship, church, Michael Myers house, and Baba Yaga house came alive in ways that traditional paint and lighting could never achieve. Attention to detail across the board was jaw-dropping — from large set pieces like the vintage horse-drawn hearse, down to small authentic touches like photos from Stranger Things in Eleven’s Nightmare to period-correct magazines and 1980s campground props. The towering Baba Yaga house itself is a masterpiece, intimidating and unforgettable—not-to-mention elegantly decorated top to bottom in every imaginable way! The vibrant, eye-catching 3D work in Neon Nightmare is among some of the best we’ve seen. It’s legitimately impossible to catch even half of the details on display in each attraction, it’s just that well executed!

Fright & Thrill Factor: 9 / 10

Woods of Terror consistently delivers effective scares of all varieties—including jump scares & the always unsettling psychological scares. Miner’s Massacre does an exceptional job of creating unsettling suspense & then capitalizing on that suspense with several well timed jump scares. The intense audio & visual special effects certainly keep you on your toes, adding to the thrilling atmosphere! The only thing holding this back from a perfect score is the sheer volume of attendees — when groups are tightly packed, it’s harder to feel isolated or truly “in danger.”

Fright Night MVP:

We struggled mightily with this one, as there was so many deserving recipients! Ranging from Bone Daddy to Hopper to Calypso to The Twins! But after the dust settled, we landed on one of the more bizarre characters we encountered… Mama Bird — the midway’s unstoppable ball of energy. Full commitment, hilarious presence, and impossible to ignore. Mama Bird owned the midway & sure knows how to rock out! 🤘🏼

Sharpening the Scare:

Woods of Terror is already elite and with a few refinements could elevate their experience even further. The Necropolis church scene needs a pacing adjustment so guests can fully appreciate the transition from beautiful chapel to bombed-out ruins — stationing an actor to hold groups would make the reveal more impactful. Certain scenes would benefit from louder, more overwhelming audio to intensify the chaos, particularly Sensory Overload, Neon Nightmare, & Baba Yaga. We want the subwoofers in Baba Yaga to rattle the bones of those brave enough to ascend into that unnerving witch house. The Michael Myers set was a bit less immersive than years past, where you previously had a front row seat to a gloriously executed Michael Myers takedown! Finally, a smoother way for guests to flow directly back into the midway after the haunt would not only improve the experience but also potentially drive sales in food, drinks, and merch. Given McLaurin Farms’ roots, incorporating something unique like fresh cider would be a natural, standout midway addition.

Jeff’s Haunted Hot Take:

"So when you’re all done with the high-pitch rat & the duck with no pants, come to Woods of Terror! This is like a dark Disneyland for adults."