REVIEW: wildwood’s haunted farmhouse
OCTOBER 30, 2022
review: wildwood’s haunted farmhouse
Deep in the depths of Santa Clarita's community of Newhall lies Wildwood's Haunted Farmhouse - a haunt we hadn't heard of until yesterday. We were tipped off by our friend Albert of Westcoaster who said that this was a place up our alley worth visiting. We quickly added this new pitstop and made the trek down the dark, dirt roads that led to a series of Craftsman homes where, down the street, we saw the reflections on the trees of a bold, blue hue. As we approached the Wildwood's Haunted Farmhouse we were quickly charmed by its exterior- a pumpkin farm in the front yard with an abandoned farmhouse in the corner. Candles flickered off of bales of hay and rotten boards, as an invisible ghost rocked in the porch’s rocking chair. Instantly we were charmed and knew this would be a maze we would love.
Inside the haunt, the pacing was methodical and slowly built tension, which we appreciated. The dim lighting and steady wind sound effects echoed a forlorn and unsettling feeling. Each room of the farmhouse was crammed with details - real vintage wallpaper, dusty torn curtains, rusty farm tools, and more. The slow, suspenseful burn was perfectly executed and made us take our time so that we could soak in all the details of the rooms. In place of the expected scare actors, there were carefully constructed scenes with still skeleton protagonists who told the story of the Haunted Farmhouse.
As we walked through the scenes, like the deceased peering into candlelit rooms through cobweb filled windows or quietly contemplating at the end of a dining room table, our imagination carried us through a world of possibilities. Were these the farmers or squatters? What did they do at night when they lived here? Did they die happily or with a tragic death? The gaps are yours to fill in - making it a very creative and fulfilling experience.
Wildwood’s Haunted Farmhouse was built by Chad and Savannah (no last names given) - a married couple who have been doing this haunt for years without advertising their work. What impressed us was that Chad works at a church and Savannah at a nonprofit - and we had assumed that they were artists from Calarts due to their talent for building and their home’s proximity to the school. They told us that Wildwood's, built within their garage and yard, is a constantly evolving maze and that their inspiration for building it was an impulse based on their love of Halloween. They lack any social media and said they don't plan on ever getting on it. Two truly unique and interesting people who have made a one of a kind haunt well worth visiting.
VC
October 30, 2022
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