Ready to get your scare on?
Depending on the time of year, your local theme park may be doing a seasonal event. More and more parks are opening up during Christmas time, decking the park out in lights. But for many, that must go to event occurs during the month of October. What better way to get the ultimate theme park experience than getting an adrenaline rush by day, and scared by night?
You may have heard of legendary Halloween events such as Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights or Knott’s Scary Farm. These are both are excellent events, but let’s not discuss what we already know. Today we’re giving a little love to Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho, just north of Couer d’Alene.
When I visited the park for my first time this past weekend, I did not know what to expect. I’d heard great things about the park, but knew absolutely nothing about their Halloween event “Scarywood.” Is it actually scary? How much of the park is open for it? Are there many mazes or scare zones?
Let me just say I did not realize what I was getting myself into. As someone who loves a good haunt, I was absolutely blown away by the quality and level of detail. Every scare zone used tons of scare actors who did an excellent job at terrifying visitors. The mazes impressed even more -- long and spooky, with amazing detail. For an event I knew nothing about, I was asking myself why aren’t more people talking about it?
Upon entering Scarywood, the first thing I noticed was how they set the mood before you even walk in the front gate. Fog clouded the entrance while eerie music played subtly in the background. Once inside, the mood continues with a new element. Scare actors hide, awaiting your arrival, sending you into a state of fear before you’ve even reached a ride. Now you’re apprehensive — someone could be behind you at this very minute, waiting to jump you at just the right moment. It’s here that you realize that this is only the beginning, and it only gets better!
After you’ve walked down past the entrance, you’re greeted by the first scare zone — ClownTown. This demented area not only has dozens of dead clowns dangling from the trees above, but more clowns hide and wait for the perfect scare. ClownTown was my personal favorite zone of the night, but there were plenty of other good scare opportunities the further back you go, such as people with chainsaws, creepy scarecrows that you don’t know are real or not, and even an entire zone made to look as if it were woven by a giant spider!
At any point you can walk through these scare zones, but the real thrill comes from one of Scarywood’s mazes. Total Darkness, Blood Bayou, Caved In, 3Dementia FunHouse, and the parks newest maze, Planet Zombie. Planet Zombie was a favorite of mine, ranking as one of the best mazes I’ve ever been through.
I was amazed at not only the length of the maze, but how immersive it was. We had entered a post apocalyptic world where zombies came at us from every corner. Additionally, actors stationed at various locations wielded what looked and sounded like heavy artillery, gunning down zombies in an effort to help us escape. The experience absorbed us, like a true zombie movie!
So you get around to all the mazes and scare zones. What’s next?
This is Timber Terror. The wooden coaster opened in 1996, and is all about the airtime. Each and every hill sends riders flying up out of their seats. Now imagine all that airtime while seated in reverse — because that’s exactly how it is during Scarywood. This was a first for me, as I’d never experienced a backwards wooden coaster before. Plus, since I had never ridden Timber Terror before, I was unsure what to expect. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. By far one of the coolest things I’ve experienced on a roller coaster.
Overall, Scarywood exceeded my expectations. Two of the mazes alone were on par with something you’d find at Universal. Going in, I knew they’d be good, but I didn’t think they’d be that good!
Next time you’re planning a trip out to a park, consider trying some place new, and paying Silverwood Theme Park a visit during the most frightening time of year. It truly is one of the hidden gems in the amusement industry, and as a lover of roller coasters and haunt events, I can’t recommend it enough.
-Taylor
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