Halloween Haunt from the Past

"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."

This quote openned my coverage of Halloween Haunt 2007 back in the bear-ytales.net days. Life changes and 2007 was the last Haunt I've been able to attend. However, some great pictures and fantastic memories are contained in the images of those days, images that haven't been online for a few years.

Over the next short while, I'll be revisiting my coverage of the Haunt from 2007 back to 1997 or so. Image quality will deteriorate noticeably as I go back in time, but such is the case of digital photography. Haunt is a tough monster to photograph, and when digital photography was in its infancy, the quality of images were nothing like what we have today.

That said, I thought it better to revisit what I have, no matter what the quality. Not all coverage is equal. Some years I was able to do more than others. But at the end of the day, something is better than nothing. I hope you agree.

I'll start with Halloween Haunt 2007. Other years will be posted as I get the opportunity. I hope you enjoy!

Halloween Haunt 2007 – Page 3

Besides the scares, the Haunt is a visual masterpiece. Show lighting and special atmosphere are showcased throughout the park.


Boothill at night.




School's out for the night.


Ghost Town has the best lighting and the best "look".




But all of this is secondary to the Haunt's world famous street monsters.




Looking into Ghost Town.


The Haunt is designed for a PG-13 crowd, and kids under 12 are not encouraged to come. However, occasionally a younger child is mature enough to have a good time. This girl was holding her own better than many adults I saw that night.


The Green Goblin is a Ghost Town classic!


Sliders!

The Bride of Frankenstein is another Haunt classic.


One last picture before heading home for the night.

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Halloween Haunt 2007 – Page 2

Off to Carnevil and the clowns.


Killer Clown College was the new clown maze this year. The clowns have always done well at Haunt, and this year was no exception. This very entertaining maze had it all - screams, laughs, great props and fantastic sight gags.


Haunt isn't just for the teens. This lady finished her game, and walked right into the waiting clown. Her expression is priceless!

The Hanging! For those of you who have never experienced The Hanging, it is a satire on the year's political and social stories done up in a style that’s irreverent and in-your-face. The crowd loves it year after year, and it’s one of the most known Haunt staples.


2007’s show was set in a post-apocalyptic world, and the Hanging crew took us back to find out at what point the world was set down its disastrous path.


I'm a Mac. I'm a PC.


Was it the movie 300?


What about Harry Potter or Hermione?


Lindsey Lohan or Britney Spears?


Jack Sparrow?


Or Keith Richards?


The demise of the modern world was brought on by none other than Sanjaya, the hair-styled wonder from this year's American Idol. There was only one thing left to do...Hang 'em!

See you in your screams!

If you bring young kids to the Haunt (which isn’t recommended), please think twice about exposing them to The Hanging. As fun and campy as the show can be, its violence and sexual overtones make it a show more appropriate for older teens and adults.

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Halloween Haunt 2007

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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