Scratches on the old wooden railings, shrills and shrieks in the night, and a thick layer of fog that envelopes Ghost Town. These are the images, sights and memories that fans of Knott's Berry Farm's world famous Halloween Haunt call up year after year. These are the memories that keep them coming back for more. These are the memories that thousands of Southern California teenagers, adults, and families wait for annually. Halloween Haunt 2007 delivered fuel for such memories, and locked down even more terrifying images into the hearts and minds of the thousands that excitedly came through the gates of the old Berry Farm in Buena Park.
Halloween Haunt 2007 was my 13th Halloween Haunt. Time moves on and life changes. In my case family life took over, so although 2007 was my 13th Haunt, it was also my last. I might go again one day. But for now, the responsibilities of work, family, and other realities factor into how I spend the cool, crisp nights of October.
That being said, I wanted to republish some of the pictures I took over the years, starting with Halloween Haunt 2007. I wasn’t able to take pictures inside of each maze, or cover every segment of Haunt the way fan sites are able to do today. My goal was to capture the atmosphere of the Haunt, and I think I succeeded.
Every Haunt fan knows what this is. The sight of Haunt smoke billowing over the walls of Camp Snoopy brings a strong mix of fear and excitement.
Main gate decorations and sparse crowds on opening night.
The monsters are ready. Who's first?
The horseman was new in 2007. His presence was impressive and really added to the atmosphere.
The street monsters often create their own characters. This monster's four heads were spinning around, and he spun as he walked. No one knew quite what to expect.
The Doll Factory was new in 2007 and it premiered with very high expectations. Expectations were met and even exceeded. From the animated sign and all throughout the maze, everything was top notch. Congratulations to the designers and all the talent involved!
The monsters will gladly pause to pose for a picture.
The continuing saga of the vampire mazes continued in 2007 with Lore of the Vampire.
After visiting Haunt as a guest for years, this was Ryan's first year as a monster, something he applied for on a whim. He loved the event and told me how great not only his maze crew was, but everyone he ran into at the Haunt. Haunt is a family, and the bond that the crew has year after year translates into a fantastic event for the guests. Haunt is truly a team effort, and it shows.
Red Beard's Revenge was a few years old in 2007 and was consistently one of my favorite mazes. I love the detailed theming throughout, and the talent always did a good job.
And then there are the monsters. A few kids got themselves into Ghost Town and were confronted by some cowboys of the past. It made for great fun, and good pictures too!
So scared they couldn't even stand up.
This kid was terrified. Not even the picnic tables are safe. Good stuff!
13 Axe Murder Manor had another strong year in 2007. The detail in this maze made it another one not to miss.
Attractions are hard to theme because of the size of the show space and restrictions placed on monsters. Such was the case with the Mine Train's transformation to Black Widow's Cavern. There is only so much you can do with plastic spiders, and unfortunately, it showed. The cavernous Mine Train is so large that it would take a massive budget to do it up correctly.
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