Hysteria at Connors Farm Has a Spooky Woods Walk (4 stars)
I love the Halloween attraction at Connors Farm on Boston’s North Shore, which is close to the Topsfield Fair if you want to see both. I gave it 5 stars in 2013 and 2015, and in 2016 and 2017 I called it the Best Halloween Attraction in Massachusetts.
First, you’ll find a farm store and a small midway with a fire pit where you can warm your hands, and you can ride a mechanical bull. Then you can explore a nighttime walk through the woods where actors in costume scare you with staging and special effects. Finally, go to the flashlight maze, a corn maze to explore at night.
I appreciated the benches to sit on while waiting in line, and the woods walk is extensive, 30 minutes. The settings are sometimes theatrical, with actors having real scenes to act out, but sometimes the settings were “filler” plywood with actors just grunting to startle you. I personally don’t like the dangling cloth separators between some rooms. A separator is unnecessary for the scare, and the cloth gets moldy and picks up germs from the hundreds of attendees, so it’s gross to be required to push through it.
You’ll find plenty of animatronics and sound effects, but nothing overwhelming. There are fog effects and one laser effect.
So the attraction is at a 4-star level of theatrics, but it’s so extensive that I bumped it up to 4.5 stars. Unfortunately, I then bumped it down to 4 stars because of walking hazards.
Although the forest trail has been carefully groomed of small rocks, with most tree roots properly lit so you don’t trip on them, some tree roots were not lit. And, sometimes the trail sloped sideways. Even in the scary buildings that you’ll find throughout the trail, the floor at times did not seem not level. Watch out as you exit the cult building, for a tiny but unlit step down from the building onto the path. And watch out in the wooden lean-top with the smiling girl, after the clowns, after the antique clock, and elsewhere.
Also, the paths through the corn maze are too tight. At times I felt I had to crab walk, shuffling sideways instead of walking forwards normally, to avoid tripping hazards. I stubbed my left foot on either a corn stalk or a pole near the alien in the exit cornfield and again next to the 2nd chainsaw actor.
I am sorry. I really loved this attraction back in the hayride / zombie paintball days, but this year, a solid but not unique 4 stars. Just before opening night they had to recover from storm damage, so perhaps that explains it. I’m sure that 2027 will see a return to greatness.
For more, see hysteriaatconnorsfarm.com.