Haunted Plantation celebrates its 10th year of fear

Oahu might not have falling orange leaves or sweater weather, but no matter what, Halloween is just around the corner. Pumpkin patches and hayrides might be scarce on the island. Instead gather with some friends, walk through a real-life horror story and explore Haunted Plantation at Hawaii’s Plantation Village.

Haunted Plantation opened its doors last weekend for the first time this season and is planned to be open every Friday and Saturday leading up to Halloween with the last show on Oct. 31st. General admission tickets are $15, but I would recommend getting the fast pass for $5 more, people can purchase the fast pass to avoid the lines. My group and I ended up waiting about 10 minutes in the fast pass line rather than waiting in the wrapping around lines for general admission.

While waiting in line, the friendly workers organize people into groups of 12 and line up the group in front of a very dark and long tunnel. Starting out single file, everyone makes their way through the tunnel and into the first house. Old abandoned houses create the course for the maze, and each group anxiously wait to see the scary characters waiting in the next house.

“I was the shortest one and was always pushed to the back! It was terrifying walking with your group and another monster or zombie pops out of nowhere,” said Paula Untalan, a junior at Chaminade.

Several actors hid inside each house, and each had their own role. Some would pop out and surprise you while others crawled on the ground appearing to have broken and dislocated limbs. Another scary aspect is the character that followed the group, and they were only noticeable by the heavy breathing down your neck. Once someone noticed, most screamed and fled to the middle of the pack, hoping to lose the scary character.

“I’ve never heard my boyfriend yell like that!” Said Mari Alvarez, junior at Chaminade.

Some actors were suspended above the doorframes, forcing the group walk under them as you entered the house. Fog machines and flashing lights also made visibility hard, making it easy for the actor to be in great position to scare you. However, the low visibility also makes it hard to see steps, so make sure to watch your step out of the old houses.

The creepiest part of the night was when one of my friends told a deranged clown with blood spilling out of his mouth my name. I was walking a little behind the group, and all of the sudden, one of the clowns whispered my name. As I walked closer he said it louder and louder. The clown just followed me and kept whispering my name in my ear as we walked.

At the end of the tour, the group is guided off a deck and released into a big open grass field. Men with chainsaws chase after you while your group is running for the finish. It was a creepy end, and even though everyone knew that there isn’t a chain connected to the chainsaw, adrenaline was still pumping through everyone’s veins.

Haunted Plantation was far from the scariest haunted theme I have ever experienced (a haunted corn maze as a 14-year-old high school freshman), but the actors really resemble horrible, gross, and dead monsters. If you want a sneak preview, visit the website and watch the 2015 trailers. This maze will get your blood pumping and is the perfect way to start off the Halloween season.