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Those crazy farm boys sure do know how to throw a haunt...  

Once again, we left the boundaries of Lancaster County PA shaking our heads, that single thought rolling thru our minds. What is it about them? Is it just that mischevious nature of "good old boys" as seen in the Dukes Of Hazzard? An effect of too much fresh air? Or maybe it's a little bit of both, combined with the necessity of today's farmer to keep the homestead going. Such is the case with Bob Hershey and Jason's Woods.
Faced with the prospect of losing the farm, which had been in his family for 160 years, in 1986 he opened the gates for the first time as Jason's Woods and has not looked back since. Not only did he save the land, but he was so successful that the "farming" is almost an afterthought...

The event offers multitudes of entertainment, beginning earlier in the day and lasting late into the night. By day, the land is host to Truck and Car Shows, and other such events. By night, as the sunsets, those things that go bump in the night begin to.... well, "bump."

Arriving at the attraction, we were graciously taken back to the actor's area where make up preparation was taking place, and were escorted around the property through the hayride, an opportunity we do not often get in daylight. Later that night, it would be a different scene as balls of flame would shoot high into the air and with enough heat to warm us briefly against the cool night air.

It's 18 years in the business was evident in the light of day, seeing props that had once been utilized in one manner, now used as merely backpieces as they had outgrown their usefulness. An interesting twist to the hayride was the "Wizard of Oz" theme... but after all, they were looking for a heart and a brain weren't they?

Upon exiting the hayride, we were left with 2 options, to proceed right to the next attraction, or to go thru their small haunted maze to get to the next attraction. Well, for those of us with no sense of direction, this serves well to break up the crowd let loose from the wagons, as it took us several minutes to find our way out.

Probably most well known at the haunt would be the "Barn of Terror." The building itself is an old barn, and that simply adds to the atmosphere, real cobwebs intermingling with "new" ones, and it was here that we found ourselves once again on hands and knees crawling thru part of an attraction. We had heard after our experience in Field of Screams "Oh, Jason's Woods did that" and the folks there just take it with the grain of salt that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Outside of the Barn of Terror, we met...... Almar. The Professional Idiot. WHAT does a professional idiot DO, you might ask? More like, what DOESN'T he do. Chained to a post, so as not to hurt himself or others, with his sidekick Twinkles, he entertains the crowd with humor, magic, and feats of fire. We have seen many sideshows in our travels, and this is one that is hard to forget. You can learn more about Almar by visiting his site, www.professionalidiot.com.

The 3D Carnival of Fear mixed darkened hallways and brilliant colors and plenty of twists and turns. Small features such as mirrors inviting you to "touch your tongue to your nose" while passers by looked on from the other side added thei own unique twist to the house, reminding visitors that it IS all in fun... sure they want to scare you, but they want to make you laugh too.

As if this were not already enough entertainment, we moved on to the Macabre Museum whre John Franklin of Children of the Corn was signing autographs. The charming actor signed our poster and allowed us a photograph, and we moved on to see the goodies that Bob had collected. A genuine antique horse drawn hearse was the center of attention, drawing eyes away from the popular movie props. Original embalming tools of the time had been found with the hearse, as well as a preserved human skeleten. Amazing what you can find in some of those old barns...

For a complete day of fun, head out to the hills of Lancaster County... more then enough entertainment for young and old, you will not be disappointed.

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