Insane, packed with monsters, and best of all, free!
So when there’s any kind of Halloween attraction, driving out of my way to get to it is no big deal (like driving 1 hr to Sinister Pointe from Burbank in rush hour traffic, yikes!) Because the end result is that they all usually end up being awesome. So obviously when the attraction is within walking distance of my own home it’s a clear given that I must visit it!
On Friday Oct. 16, the opening night of THE BACKWOODS maze in Burbank, CA I visited with a friend and we ended up leaving because it looked like all the talent was just hanging out in front (found out they were just on a break). I tried visiting again on Saturday only to find out I had food poisoning and couldn’t stand up for more than 10 min without wanting to…ugh well you can guess! SO ON SUNDAY I WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE IT! I grabbed my friends and I made my 3rd attempt and might I say that the 3rd time was definitely a charm!
BACKWOODS was insane!
The maze is located behind an average appearing suburban home. I hate to use the term “backyard haunt” because it felt more like a “theme-park haunt”.
They set up a small queue and a very impressive maze entrance (for all you haunt nerds it was like a mash up of Blood Bayou and the Doll Factory). They let you enter with only your group which is always awesome and waiting behind the rope we could hear piercing screams from far beyond the house. So when it was our turn to enter the maze we finally made our way through the hanging intestines to the back of the house- that’s when the chaos ensued!
This maze was perhaps one of my all time faves. It’s long, claustrophobic, detailed, packed with monsters, and surpasses all expectations. I didn’t have a chance to take pictures inside but let me tell you the level of detail was on par with the likes of Universal. I have no idea how they fit this maze behind some body’s home.
You walk across bridges, maneuver through endless gut-soaked sheets, in and out of butcher shops, all leading up to the frozen meat locker (cold air and all). It’s so cramped at points you don’t even know where to go, and the talent was always in your face. The layout made it impossible not to encounter them even when there’s nothing but centimeters separating you and them. Everything felt original and unsettling, their costumes alone were scary enough to keep you from entering. It was like a catacomb of rural cannibalistic madness! It’s pure horror and gore from start to finish.
The best part about THE BACKWOODS is that it is a FREE attraction. The friends that I brought along were all saying that they felt guilty not paying. I will definitely be back next weekend.
THE BACKWOODS is located at 1912 N Pepper St. Burbank, CA and will be operating OCT. 23, 24, 25, 29,30, & 31 from 6.30 to 10pm (11pm on Halloween).
