If you’re a fan of Halloween, horror movies and monsters, then who wouldn’t check out a Halloween haunt this month? There’s nothing like the creepy chills you get while watching a scary flick but it’s even better doing it in person during the season. And thankfully, you’ve got several Halloween haunts in the area and one of my faves is the Woods of Terror out in Greensboro! I have been to Woods of Terror several times as a paying customer and recently got to re-visit during a media preview event. And I can tell you that it’s still filled with thrills, chills, frights and bumps in the dark to get your heart racing!
Located on a lonely stretch of Church Street north of downtown Greensboro, the Woods of Terror is about an hour-plus ride from Chapel Hill or Durham, about 90 minutes from Raleigh. If you wanted to, you could stop in Mebane on the way out to do some shopping and make it a day trip. Use your GPS to get out here, you’ll roll into the Woods of Terror parking lot and it seems pretty innocuous out front. Tickets can be purchased online and run from $17 to $42 for general admission or a Fast Pass, parking is another $5 per car. Woods of Terror is primarily open from Thursday to Sunday but will also be open on Halloween Monday for your spooky pleasure!
Eddie McLaurin is the owner and creator of Woods of Terror and has been the creative force behind all the scares and chills. Loosely aligned around a variety of horror movie themes, you’ll walk through a series of haunts and vignettes along a 45 minute trip of spookiness and creepy crawler actors! We had a chance to chat with Eddie who had the land for Woods of Terror passed on to him by his grandfather. He tells us about the history of the Woods of Terror and how it’s become a top haunt in the country requiring a year-long commitment of construction, props and costume prep. There’s actually even a cemetery on the property but it’s not part of Woods of Terror, at least not yet…
During the media visit, we get a chance to visit backstage and watch the make-up being put on. It’s a herculean effort with the Woods of Terror actors helping each other out into costume, makeup and more. It’s a young crew as you can guess, but they’re so enthusiastic and excited to make your Woods of Terror a fun and frightful experience. And the actors are the key differentiator at Woods of Terror in my opinion. I’ve been to other haunts and they are well-trained here. The Woods of Terror “monsters” are not allowed to touch you but yeah, they will get as close as possible to keep you on your toes and the hair on the back of your neck, standing.
Woods of Terror typically has 150 or so actors onsite to scare you during your visit. Every evening, they start off with a parade of terror led by a silver casket-mobile. The owner Eddie gets into the act, sporting skeletal face-paint, a spiked mohawk (it’s real) along with a beautiful albino python draped on his shoulder. It’s a fun start to the evening and great way to get the crowd and actors excited. After the parade and national anthem is played, the ghouls, monsters and creepers head on out into the Woods of Terror and lie in wait for you.
Now the Woods of Terror can get intense at times so if you’re bringing kids along, make sure they are ready. My guess is 14 and up would be best but it all depends on the maturity of your son or daughter. In all honesty, I know plenty of adults who are too scared to go to Woods of Terror but isn’t that the whole point of going to a haunt? The Woods of Terror can get pretty busy during the season and anticipates over 30,000 visitors over the course of October. I’d suggest coming early on a Thursday or Sunday night to minimize wait times. But it’s worth it in my opinion and a great way to get into the mood for Halloween! If you’re up for a scare and got the gumption to take on the Woods of Terror, it’s a fun evening and worth the ride out from the Triangle….
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