Haunt Review: The Haunted Mines

The Mining Museum, Colorado Springs
http://hauntedmines.org/



This one didn’t get off to a very good start. We arrived just after opening time and got a spot close to the front of the line – maybe fifteen, twenty people ahead of us. Then. . . we waited. And waited. And waited. They didn’t actually start up the haunt until more than an hour after the advertised start time. Fortunately, there were Simpsons’ Halloween Specials playing on a projector to help pass the time, and an amusing security guard/Jason Vorhees who did a good job of freaking out the little kids. He was also surprisingly limber, skittering up walls and across rooftops. The waiting area was pretty well designed in general, with a tunnel and some graveyard areas, so it really wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Plus, about halfway through, they got the fog machine hooked up. When I got my first whiff of chemical fog, a warm wave of happiness rolled over me, as if I had just smelled cookies baking in mother’s oven or somesuch.

Once we actually got into the haunt, I was very impressed with the layout and set design. It began with an elevator descent into the mines, followed by a twisting, turning trail on uneven ground, up and down stairs, through tunnels with crawling room only, and down slides. The main strength was definitely the use of physical discomfort – and I don’t mean discomfort as in pain, but discomfort as a removal from the comfort zone, more disconcerting. There were also several points where two pathways are presented (usually a crawling one and a walking one), which certainly would up the value of a return visit. There were also a few small mazes, which made for the best use of actors, as they would circle around and come at you from different directions.

Unfortunately, I don’t think they were up and running at full strength (even ignoring the delayed start). There were several lengthy dead spaces, and they failed to capitalize on some of their terrific set design. When I’m on my knees crawling through a dark tunnel, I’m a perfect target for a scare – but nothing happened. I spotted a few hiding places for actors that were unoccupied, and a few props that seemed to be deactivated.

Finally, I also have to give them credit for sticking the obligatory chainsaw smack in the middle of the haunt, rather than at the end. Not only that, but it was in a maze, which made escape. . . . well, difficult. Sadly, there was a side effect of this placement: The end just kind of petered out. Overall, it was a decent start, and I suspect that late in the season it might be very good. It’s just not there yet.

6/10