Screams Halloween Theme Park
Score-10 out of 10
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Tickets here. Remember that tickets and fast passes are online only, and Screams sells a limited number of tickets per night!
Phone (972) 938-3247
Location: Screams is on FM 66, 1.6 miles east of I-35, in Waxahachie. The address is 2511 FM 66 Waxahachie TX, 75167. Screams is about 30 minutes south of downtown Dallas and downtown Ft Worth. Directions to Screams are here.
Screams Halloween Theme Park began it’s 2022 season with a great opening weekend and will be open Fridays and Saturdays through October 29, from 7pm-1am. The opening time is a half hour earlier than in the past, so you have more time to enjoy the park. Tickets and fast passes will be available online only, and are on sale! It’s important to remember that there will be a limited number of tickets on sale for each night, so it’s a good idea to buy your tickets ASAP, if you know which night you want to go to Screams. Tickets and fast passes will be date specific, except for the VIP combo tickets. Ticket info is here. You can buy your tickets with your phone, if you forget to purchase them before you leave home. Keep in mind that busier nights can sell out. The final two weekends of the season are the most likely to sell out, especially on Saturday nights.
Screams has five haunted houses: Cursed: The Witches of Terra Mythica Castle, the brand new Bootlegger’s Bayou, Klownz in 3D, the Zombie Wasteland Apocalypse Trail, and the Time’s Up Maze. In addition to the haunted houses, Screams has additional attractions, such as the all new Cool Ghoul Boolevard, Rottingwood Cemetery, entertainment on the main stage, and Scary-Oke. Cool Ghoul Boolevard and Rottingwood Cemetery are walk through attractions. Don’t forget about DJs spinning at Taboo Tavern stage nightly. New to Screams this year are the Hell Dolls, an act that combines aerials and fire! Hell Dolls will be on the main stage. You can go through the haunted houses and all attractions as many times as you want. Fast passes are available online and cut the wait time in line for the haunted houses significantly on crowded nights. Fast passes can be purchased here. Parking is free.
Walk through time-10-15 minutes per main attraction, except for the maze, which can take over 20 minutes. The combined total walk through time for all five main attractions is over an hour.
The new stage act, Hell Dolls, is around 30 minutes of acrobatics, fiery hula hoops, fire swallowing, and fire twirling. The Hell Dolls are made up of three stage performers, and much of the act involves synched routines with all three performers working with fire simultaneously. I’ve never seen anything like the Hell Dolls and you have two to three chances to see them nightly. Check their schedule in front of the main stage early as it varies some from night to night. They typically have their first show at 8.
Screams has increased the number of actors roaming the park through the night. The stilt walkers get the biggest reactions from crowds, but they all do a good job of entertaining guests and livening the mood.
Full Moon Bar and Cafe, 6 pubs (including the all new Headless Horseman Tavern and the all new Jack O’Lantern Pub), a large food court, a souvenir shop, games (including test of strength, paintball, axe, knife, star, and dart throwing). Halloween related merchants, tarot card and palm readings, and Henna tattoos are also on the Screams grounds.
Full Moon Bar and Cafe is a well decorated, full service bar and café, with great bartenders and first rate service. Food available at Full Moon includes cheeseburgers, street tacos, buffalo chicken wings, bacon cheese fries, and toasted ravioli. The bartenders, Cheltsey and Michael, create a menu of specialty, Halloween themed drinks every year. This year, Poison Apple, The Werewolf, Dracula’s Kiss, Witches’ Brew and It are among the drinks on offer at Full Moon. The Werewolf is a mixture of six types of alcohol and yet it tastes great. Poison Apple tastes like cinnamon apple, and Witches’ Brew tastes like a root beer float. I tried most of the food over opening weekend. My favorite was toasted ravioli, followed by the cheese fries, but it was all good. In addition to Cheltsey and Michael behind the bar, Jessica will be waiting tables on Saturdays.
The food court and pubs now accept credit cards, which is a welcome addition to Screams. The new 13th Hour Bakery will be cash only. There are four ATMs onsite, and are located in the souvenir shop and by the food court.
Food court offerings include: nachos, fajitas, hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken tenders, pretzel bites, pizza, fries, chili cheese fries, hand pies, mini donuts, butter beer, Snapple, slushies, energy drinks, coffee, hot cocoa, and Dr Pepper products. Hand pies are available in a wide variety of flavors, but the more popular flavors can sell out, so stop by the food court (hand pies are in the part of the food court across from the games) early and pick up your pies. Try the salted caramel apple and bourbon vanilla peach. Mini donuts, butter beer, caramel apples, and chocolate milk are available in the food court, between hand made pies, and Taboo Tavern.
13th Hour Bakery will have freshly baked cookies, pecan sticky buns, pesto rolls, Zombie Fingers (specialty sausage rolls), pastries, fruit turnovers, parfaits, cupcakes, cakes, brownies, hot coffee, cold brew coffee, iced chai tea latte, hot tea, hot chocolate with specialty flavors, white hot chocolate, and iced green tea. I tried the sausage roll and caramel brownies, and both were great. 13th Hour Bakery is the bakery at Scarborough, and it has some seating available. 13th Hour Bakery, The Headless Horseman Tavern, and Cool Ghoul Boolevard are in a part of the park that was just opened for Screams. When you enter Screams, take a right to get to this area. Screams did a wonderful job of decorating the new zone, and it doesn’t have as large of a crowd as the rest of the park, so it’s a good place to go for a break. I went to 13th Hour for food, then to Headless Horseman to drink and relax. Headless Horseman overlooks the stream that runs through the park, and has plenty of covered seating. The stream and woods next to the tavern are both serene and creepy at night. Cool Ghoul Boolevard is across a bridge that leads to the Pecan Grove part of Scarborough and has a canopy that you walk under with Halloween lights that are synched to music. Cool Ghoul Boulevard leads to the new Jack O’Lantern Pub, so you can get more refreshments as you walk back to the main part of Screams.
The full list of pubs and taverns at Screams is: Full Moon Bar and Cafe (food court), Taboo Tavern (food court), Morgue Tavern (food court), Spider’s Web Bar (great jello shots, next to Taboo Tavern), Bag O’ Bones (close to Terra Mythica Castle), Headless Horseman Tavern, and the Jack O’Lantern Pub. When you go to Taboo Tavern, Captain Jack and Bill will be behind the bar.
Alcohol available at the pubs includes:
Ace Pear Cider, Bishop Crackberry Cider, Bud Light, Budweiser, Deep Ellum Dallas Blonde, Deep
Ellum IPA, Guinness Stout, Left Hand Milk Stout, Michelob Ultra, Obsidian Stout (tastes like strong coffee), Paulaner Oktoberfest, White Claw Black Cherry, and Ziegenbock.
Wines: Alexander Valley Chardonnay, Brut Champagne, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Cupcake
Moscato, Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc, Rebellious Red, Sangria, White Zinfandel, and White Zinfandel Peach
Jell-O Shots: Cherry (my favorite), Lemon Lime, and Coconut Lime
Remember that last call for alcohol at Screams is 11:30!
This year, Screams has expanded the size of it’s park, so arrive as early as possible, so that you don’t have to rush through everything. It’s a huge haunt park, with lots to do and see. I spent two nights reviewing Screams, to give you an idea of how much there at this park. If you know that you will arrive after 9, you may want to consider buying a fast pass online, especially if you want to go through the haunted houses multiple times. I’ve been going to Screams since the night that it opened in 1996, and I always see the haunted houses first, then I go to eat and drink. Screams is on the Scarborough Faire grounds and is natural terrain, so remember to wear comfortable shoes, and don’t wear high heels. If the weather cools down, you may want to take along a light jacket, just in case. Wearing costumes, Halloween type masks, or face paint into Screams is not allowed.
Restrooms can be found close to the entrance to the park, between Scary-oke and the entrance to Terra Mythica Castle, and on the walk to Cool Ghoul Boolevard, just over the bridge. Porta potties are located close to the exit for Terra Mythica Castle and the main row of games, as well as close to the Jack O’Lantern Pub, and the exit for Cool Ghoul Boolevard.
Prices: General admission tickets are $42 (all ages) for Friday nights, and $52 (all ages) for Saturday nights. Fast passes are $30 (all ages) for Friday nights and $40 (all ages) for Saturday nights. Remember that all tickets and fast passes are date specific, except for the $125 VIP Combo package with one ticket and one fast pass that are valid for any one night of the season. Group discounts are for parties of 15 or more (all ages). Group tickets are $40 for Friday nights, and $50 for Saturday nights. Tickets are available here. For tax exempt groups, or consignment tickets, contact the Screams sales department here.
Haunted Attractions:
Klownz in 3D
Klownz is the 3D funhouse at Screams. Funhouses are usually secondary attractions, but the actors in Klownz startled me more often than actors in any other attraction at Screams. I was very surprised by how good they were at finding hiding places, and using props for misdirection, to set up guests. Their timing was impeccable. I went through Klownz several times last weekend, and at first I thought that Screams had hired a massive number of actors for Klownz, but then I realized that the actors were just doing a great job of pursuing guests. The same actors were scaring people several times every time that I went through. My favorite was one clown who saw me examining strands of neon fabric that were hanging from the ceiling (they look like long, neon dog leashes) and leapt out at me while I was holding a strand in my hand, trying to figure out what it was made of. These actors are opportunistic, to say the least. Another actor looked like part of a wall of skeletons, and waited until the perfect moment to reach out for me. Even though I went through five times over the weekend, I was still scared a few times on my last visit.
Of course, no 3D house would be complete without neon paint, and Klownz had a great paint job in the off season. The skeletal faces were my favorite paint effect, but the detail throughout Klownz was outstanding. Lights were used effectively to create a disorienting feeling that didn’t end until I was out of the house. The vortex tunnel was fast, and I had a little problem with balance at first, due to being disoriented by lights. That was the first time since the mid 2000’s that a vortex tunnel has had that effect on me. There is another fun part of Klownz with green lasers and fog that create the illusion of walking through water. It’s been there before, but I’ve never become tired of it. This year, one of the actors startled me while I was waving my hand through the fog, by jumping out as I rounded a bend. Another cool effect is the shaking hallway, and actors were present there too, which was a first for me. Klownz is a fast moving house, with either an actor, or an animatronic in every part of the place.
Make sure that you take the time to go through Klownz in 3D at least once on your visit, and really, to appreciate all of the work that has gone into the house, you should see it twice.
Zombie Wasteland Apocalypse
This is the haunted trail at Screams, and it’s as fun as any trail I’ve been on in 20 years of reviewing. To begin with, it looks great from the outside. It’s in the back of Screams, behind the food court and Taboo Tavern, so it feels a little isolated. Then you have the green sign and creepy looking entrance. The greeter at the entrance must be an actor at Scarborough, because she gives a fantastic performance. She is so into her character that her drinking water is dyed to make it look like she is drinking toxic water. Her outfit is perfect for a post apocalyptic trail. She is the master of setting the mood.
I sometimes avoid spoilers in reviews, but I have to say that the first actor in this trail scared me every time that I went through. I knew more or less where he would be, but he got me every time. I love it when a trail gets off to a strong start. Zombie Apocalypse seemed a little darker this year, a little spookier. The decor is spot on for a disaster area, overrun by zombies, but this time, everything seemed more urgent. Maybe it was the actors who made the trail more intense this year, or maybe it was the lighting and sound effects? The answer is probably that everything improved in the off season, and 2021 was a hell of a year in it’s own right.
One thing that I noticed about Screams 2022 in general, is that actors are getting in lots of extra scares this season. Zombie Apocalypse is no exception. The actors on this trail were persistent and always made an extra effort to give the best performance possible. There are some large sets through the trail, and the actors took advantage of the cover provided by the props to scare the hell out of customers.
Close to the end of the trail, the area with burnt out cars and trucks was a favorite of mine. The music in this area created a dismal feeling that is rare in haunted attractions today. Fog and chainsaws at the end of haunts are a new staple at Screams, and they were a high energy finale to Zombie Apocalypse Wasteland.
Bootlegger’s Bayou
This is a first year attraction, but you wouldn’t know that by walking through. The Bayou is rustic, very rustic. From the music playing through the haunt, to the clothes and accents of the actors, this is very Old South. The Gutt family has a true nightmare of a house. The outside of the place looks like a cross between Texas Chainsaw Nightmare and Deliverance, and the greeters are creepy as hell. I use the plural for a reason. There are two greeters, one on the outside (sometimes Dirty Ernie, God love him) and one on the inside, who appears to be the Gutt matriarch. After being told the story of the house, you are on your way in.
I mentioned the music, which is ideal for the setting. The decor isn’t Southern Gothic, it’s more like Southern pig sty. It takes a lot of work to make a place look this nasty, and Bootlegger’s put in the effort. The Gutt family abode is filthy, and the actors look the part. I enjoyed the family slaughterhouse, but the kid’s room was the nastiest part of all.
There are some very good animatronics in Bootlegger’s, but the haunt relies mostly on the skill of the actors, which is outstanding. Total immersion is the best way to describe the actors’ approach here, unless Screams managed to recruit a bunch of inbred hillbilly cannibals. You’ll enjoy everything about the Bayou, the music, the lights, the props, but the actors bring it home.
Make a point of visiting Bootlegger’s Bayou, and ask Dirty Ernie to give you a special tour.
Cursed: The Witches of Terra Mythica Castle
I love the approach to the Castle. However you go, it’s a good walk, and the castle is illuminated in red, and drenched in fog. The greeter is creepy, looking like a swamp witch. She sets the stage well, before sending you off into what has to be described as a foreboding entryway.
The Castle’s decor is the finest at Screams, and the first few scenes are beautifully done. This is a large haunt, but the corridor you travel through is narrow, and the atmosphere is claustrophobic.
The Castle has a story that you will want to examine. The King had three daughters, who became witches. He grew to realize that they were evil, and expelled them from the Castle. The witches were not happy about their banishment, and what you see in the castle is the result of the King’s decision.
Attention to detail is consistent throughout the Castle. There are no blank spaces, everything is well decorated. The paintings of the witches that are found through the Castle were probably my favorites, but the evil creatures in the halls were a close second. Lighting and sound effects are used to set the mood in each room and area. Lighting is dim, but there is enough light to read the printed story of the King and witches, which is found in various parts of the Castle. It may not be easy, but try to take the time to read the story. It explains what is going on in each part of your journey.
As you descend deeper into the Castle, you’ll pass through a library, and a room with wine casks, before entering the haunted forest. I loved the decor along the bridge leading to the forest. It seemed like actors were everywhere in this part of the haunt. I’m not easy to surprise me, but actors in each of the Screams attractions did a great job of finding good hiding places, and had their timing down perfectly. The swamp creature in the forest did a great job of scaring the guests since he was able to blend in with the background. The halls in Terra Mythica have hidden doors the actors use to come and go, so they can always find a way to get in front of you, or behind you. The effect is that you feel like someone is watching you the entire time.
Once you get to the dungeon it seems like you are well below ground (you may well be), the air is thick, and you’re already tense due to actors startling you from the beginning of the path. The dungeon looks great, and the haunt becomes more intense as you pass into the catacombs. It must have taken a lot of work to get the walls and celling of the catacombs to look as old and decrepit as they do. It looks like decades of dripping water have ruined this area. It’s as creepy as anything you’ll find in a haunted house.
Eventually, you will come across the three witches, close to the end of your trip, but you’ll still have a bonus waiting for you outside the Castle.
If you have time, it’s worth going through Terra Mythica a second, or third time. There is so much going on that you will miss some details on your first trip through, or even on the second. I went to the Castle five times this weekend and noticed some new things on my fifth trip. Great actors, great art and decor, and genuinely creepy lighting and sound effects make the Terra Mythica Castle a must see!
Time’s Up Maze
I’ll be up front about mazes, they tend to piss me off. Mazes are generally afterthoughts to occupy customers, and are used to keep the line down in other attractions. The maze at Screams is the exception to that rule. A considerable amount of planning and time was put into making Time’s Up a real haunted attraction. It does take some time to make your way through the wire fences and actors who are always giving you inaccurate directions, but this maze has a payoff in the quality of the actors. They may be annoying (intentionally) but they somehow manage to surprise people with nothing more than wire fencing as cover.
There are well made props and interesting decor inside the maze, but the lights really make this special. I was always off kilter due to those lights, and I was never able to to figure out where I was going since actors kept popping out at every bend. Customers were teaming up to find a way out of Time’s Up, but most kept going through the maze, over and over. I suppose that the best compliment that can be paid to a maze is that it’s difficult to solve, but Time’s Up is enjoyable enough that it’s almost too fun to solve.
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Screams. There truly is something for everyone here. I have a friend who doesn’t like haunted houses, and she enjoyed Screams, because of the park, the food, the drinks, and the Halloween atmosphere. I’ve been reviewing haunted attractions for almost 20 years, and I’m usually happy, but ready to go once I exit a haunt. Screams is the one place where I hang around until closing time, and I still want more when I leave.