Late Night ‘SC and LA Haunted Hayride
Sophia Pei ‘22
Courtesy of Late Night SC and ResEd, I was finally able to attend LA’s Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park. Here’s an honest review of the Hayride and Purgatory (the theme park).
Be prepared for long lines.
Half the time we were there was occupied by us waiting in line. To be fair, it was Friday night so perhaps it’s less crowded on weeknights. Sounds pretty unexciting except scarers come up to you while you’re in line. Overall the entire park is really well-decorated. Warning: Beware of the dark turn after the photo-op…
Really friendly Scare Actors
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that the people dressed in costume are people too. While the costumes and makeup are amazing, the staff are genuinely wonderful people. They’re more than happy to take pictures with you and converse. One guy dressed as a clown even went out of his way to show my friends and I a “magic trick” (which involved me twisting his arm completely around).
Eh food.
The sign unfortunately had it right… the food was pretty miserable. Fried mac n’ cheese balls and other over-priced things. But hey, what can you expect? It’s a fair… typical fair food quality. Eat beforehand.
Be prepared for strobing lights.
Seizure risk? Don’t go on this ride. One of the sets involved a 2 minutes of nonstop strobing lights. It does create a super cool effect, making the performers seem to teleport around. One second they’re posed on stage, the next they’re hovering over you with a chainsaw.
Not that scary.
If you’re looking for nightmare fuel this probably isn’t the place to go. As a horror movie fan, I was looking for some more excitement. Perhaps it comes from being in a wagon with 20 or so other people or simply because the scarers are too damn nice but I didn’t have a single moment of paranoia after the ride (which knowing me, was for the best). My favorite part of the night was when a zombie jumped onto our wagon, right between my friend and I. Whether he was pretending to be less scared that he was or if he was making small talk I wasn’t sure, but he asked the scarer how he was doing. The guy responded with. “Hey. I’m stuck” (Like actually his costume was stuck to the cart). Oops? It was good comedic relief from the other red-eyed demon breathing way too close to my face.
In summary…
The hayride lasts for 15 minutes. The driver takes you through several different sets at the end of which the scarers rush at you. The performances were genuinely good. My favorite was probably the simulation of a chapel. The scarers definitely target the people who look susceptible and scared… so put on that confidence façade. They often jump and cling onto the cart. Though they technically aren’t supposed to touch you (nor you them), contact does (accidentally) happen. Overall, the LA haunted hayride may not be the as terrifying as some thrill-seekers may want, but it’s still a great time. I highly recommend checking it out while it’s still in town this 2018 season! Find more about tickets here.
Definitely also check out other Late Night ‘SC and ResEd events! It’s a great way to see LA attractions (and have the school cover the cost) and make new friends!
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