Hayrides to haunted trail: Eerie Acres boasts fall fun

By Carrie A. Mizell

Looking for a scare this October? Eerie Acres Haunted Attraction will open its 2011 season on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.
Admission to Eerie Acres hayride, corn maze and haunted woods trail will be half-price this Saturday.
Levy County residents Phillip and Susan Watson began offering Halloween fun and fright for all ages last year. Eerie Acres, which is located on the Watsons’ farm, initially offered visitors a haunted woods trail and hayride. This year the Halloween enthusiasts added a nine-acre corn field that will test one’s navigational skills at Eerie Acres, which is located at 14372 NW 50th Avenue in Chiefland.
“We planted the corn for the corn maze to appeal to a broader audience,” Susan Watson explained. “Not everyone is into scary.”

You can’t, however, prove that by the 1,700 visitors who flocked to Eerie Acres in October 2010. Those visitors rated Eerie Acres five stars last year and Susan Watson explained that neighbors to the farm reported hearing screams up to four miles away.
Open 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. all Friday and Saturday nights in October, Eerie Acres boasts a haunted woods trail based on a story that the site was once a booming sawmill town cursed by a voodoo priestess and thereafter plagued by bizarre events and heinous residents. The Watsons utilize a combination of animatronics, actors and actresses, creative lighting and other special effects to bring its characters and scenarios to life.
The haunted woods trail, which takes 20 to 30 minutes to walk through, was designed to scare adults and older teens; therefore, it is not recommended for children under the age of 13, explained Susan Watson. The haunted woods trail is dimly lit, so visitors are encouraged to bring along a flashlight, or they can rent one before entering the haunted woods trail.
From slippery snakes to nomadic spiders that jump out onto the trail, the ½ mile spooktacular haunted woods trail promises visitors 23 frightening scares. Visitors will wind their way through a dimly lit, fog filled forest inhabited by notorious characters and creatures of the night.
“Last year our best scare was the old school bus, but the story has changed this year, so the scares will be completely different,” Susan Watson said. “A woman who was 80 something went through the haunted woods trail on a walker last year, but it’s mostly teenagers and young adults who walk through.”
After walking through the haunted woods trail, visitors can calm their heart rates by climbing aboard a hay wagon for a leisurely ¾ mile hayride that boasts a variety of fall decorations set up beneath the starry sky.
The Watsons are farmers who do custom combine work each summer; therefore, planting nine acres of corn in June for a corn maze was not a new feat for the couple. Cutting the corn into a maze that from an aerial photograph looks like the Eerie Acres logo was a new task.
“The corn maze is filled with twists, turns and dead ends,” Susan Watson said.
Eerie Acres offers something for the entire family. Children love playing in the kids’ zone, which includes a number of fun activities such as a bounce house, corn box, and hay bales set up in a kid size maze, all set to festive lighting and music.
A concession stand maintained by Chiefland FFA Alumni is set up on-site each night selling refreshments. All proceeds from refreshment sales are retained by the FFA Alumni to support scholarship funds and other FFA activities.
According to Susan Watson, no alcohol, narcotics, or firearms are allowed at Eerie Acres. On-site security is provided by the Levy County Sheriff’s Office, and trained medical personnel are also on-site each night the attraction is open.
Visitors will have nine opportunities to visit Eerie Acres this year on October 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29. Daytime hours for the maze and hayride are available for groups of 25 or more who make prior arrangements.
Regular gate admission is: Children, ages 5 and under are free. Other prices are broken down by attraction: Hayride is $3 per person, Corn Maze is $7 per person, Haunted Woods Trail is $15 per person, and a Combo package that includes all attractions is $20 per person. Kids ages 6 to 13 can play in the Kid Zone free with paid admission to any other attraction. Cash is the only accepted form of payment at the gate, but online tickets are available through TicketLeap, or from the Eerie Acres website.
Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information on tickets, directions and all things Eerie, visit the attraction’s website: www.eerieacres.com or call (352) 535-7197.