Skully's Terror Haunted House — Local services in Jefferson

Best This Year: I am a haunted house fanatic—and have been for over a decade. I have been to Burial Chambers, Screaming Acres, The Haunted Forest, Dr. Scary's (now closed), etc.. One year I went to more than 10 haunted houses during the October season. I'm preluding my review with this because I want to make it clear that I've had many experiences with haunted attractions and can spot a gem from the coal (subjectively, of course). My experience at this location was unique and the best I've had so far this year. Their tickets are reasonably price, the staff are incredibly friendly, the makeup and acting in the haunted house was on point, it had a reasonable length, and we regretted not buying a double pass because we wanted to go through a second time right after finishing the walk through. This haunted house epiphanized me as to what more established haunted houses have begun to lack. Burial Chambers, for instance, which I love (no hate), had a multi-hour wait, lacked actors, I was forced to enter with around 20 people we didn't know, and was $80 for two people. The attraction was too dark, so an individual couldn't quite enjoy the setting in the manner one would may have liked. When I arrived to Skully's, it looked tiny, me and my fiancée were legitimately the only customers there besides two other people, and I had LOW expectations. From the outside it looked tacky, it wasn't loud and flashy, and was just overall low-key. But MY GOD, on the inside it had the perfect amount of lighting were you could see things just enough while also feeling vulnerable. Each of the many rooms had at least one actor. You could really engulf yourself into each rooms theme without an actor quickly pushing you out. The rooms were unique, and there was a swamp room which contained elements I have never seen anywhere else -- ever. Because this is an unrecognized gem, they waited to send us through the haunt (10 minute wait -- which felt like 2 minutes because the worker at the door was talkative and personable), and it was just the two of us. It felt like the haunted house was built for just us, which I don't think I could experience anywhere else in this state. I value my time as I have been a busy premed for many years. This was well worth every second and penny. I am grateful for this experience and I wish this attraction the best luck moving forward. I know I will be back soon.

PS: It is a blessing when they limit how many can enter an attraction as it creates a more vulnerable and less rushed...

I really don’t understand the one star reviews. It just shows that those people don’t take the time to talk to any of the actors or the owner, WHO ALL APPROACH YOU AND TALK TO YOU while you wait. If they just took a second to interact with the actors instead of just laugh and move on, they’d learn that Skully’s is literally funded exclusively by himself, and all the ticket money goes right back into the haunt. Skully works two jobs just to afford to keep this place going, because it’s his passion. Yeah there are plenty of haunted houses that are much bigger, but that’s also because the owner already has a farm, or they’re been around for 15+ years and have plenty of sponsors. My girlfriend and I usually go to around 15 haunted houses each year during October, and Skully’s has the most passion out of any of them. Trust me, I love Schuster’s, screamin acres, the realm of darkness, etc, but aside from the realm of darkness, all other haunts you either catch up to the group in front of you or have a group catch up to you, so it inevitably turns into a conga line. Skully’s sends two people at a time through so you have a more immersive experience, and CLEARLY STATE THAT ONLINE AND ON SIGNS AT THE HAUNT. Skully also hand makes 80% of his own props and they are phenomenal quality. The actors also have the best timing with their scares out of any haunt I’ve been to. Every time I’ve come here and talked with skully, he’s so down to earth and passionate about his haunt and love for giving people a good time. There are so many factors that limit what he can do, and one that sticks out is because of the location of the haunt, he only has 4 days to transport, set up, and test the entire haunted house. The ignorance of some peoples reviews on this place really piss me off, because this really is something special, and given proper funding and promotion, this could EASILY be the best haunted house in the state if not even better. Thank you Skully for sharing your passion and I wish you only the best, and continuous growth in...

Skully’s is an absolutely amazing experience. I’ve heard about it for quite some time, and finally I got the chance to go this past weekend. The setup is amazing; you arrive at the Jefferson County fair grounds and park in a crowded parking area, full of people anxious to go inside and see everything Skully’s has in store. You see where the scaring takes place — a few trailers, side by side — and think to yourself that nothing in that closed an area could frighten you. You pay, and you wait in line. They’ve got an amazing playlist playing, full of songs that distract you from the cold of an October night. As you wait in line, perhaps you talk to the people in line around you. Then, all of a sudden, one jumps and hides behind their friend. You turn your head, ever so slightly, and right at your shoulder is someone who looks like WWE Star Bray Wyatt — the mask is almost devilish, and the actor inside the costume is built like a brick wall. You jump, startled.

Before you know it, you’re at the front of the line. You’ve seen the rules — mostly that there’s no cameras allowed, it’s only for those 13 and older, and that it’s only two people at a time. The creator behind the show — lovingly known and referred to as Skully himself — is an absolute mastermind. He takes the disadvantage of a small space and turns it to his advantage. He puts scares in unexpected places, plays with your senses, and completely and utterly fools you into thinking you know what’s next. I personally have become desensitized to frightening actors, due to the fact that my father used to work for Fright Fest. Even so, these actors at Skully’s startled me and made my partner scream their head off. It is truly a remarkable experience. And if you’re lucky, you can get your picture taken with Skully at the very end, as a souvenir of...