The Haunted Fortress (Stanfordville, NY): After a fun trip to Lake George, it was soon time to get the evenings festivities underway. So we began the southern trip back towards the PA border. Lots of haunted attractions in the lower corner of New York-most of which Id never done. The first stop was in the extremely small, rustic town of Stanfordville, home of a legendary haunted attraction once called Frankensteins Fortress, but now simply called the Haunted Fortress. We were way early-it was still light out and no one was at the ticket booth yet. So I took the liberty of snapping some pictures around the property, which is a Halloween wonderland pretty much. Finally a large group of others appeared, and the ticket booth opened up promptly at 6:30pm. The one guy from the group even let us in on their discount pass that they had. What luck! Needless to say we were the first ones to go through. Unfortunately, it was still pretty light out. The sun had only just begun to set, so we did not get the full effect of what this place must be like at night-which must be pretty awesome if it looked this good in the day. We wound around a leaf-covered outdoor path through a sparsely wooded area. Along the way we passed some neat decorations and props, along with a few actors that stayed concealed in anticipation of the giant group behind us-apparently getting them pretty good by the sounds of things in the distance. The path eventually led us to an amazing stone path with an archway that led into the fortress portion of the attraction. There we were met by a cloaked guide with a big walking stick that spoke not a word the entire time. Very effective. We had no idea it was a woman until the end. This cloaked individual led us slowly along a winding outdoor path around this amazingly crafted property that was probably about as authentic as you were going to get with one of these haunted attractions. Tons of fog and interesting props adorned the grounds as we gradually made our way along the path. Very effective soundtrack music was piped into various portions as well. Chanting monks in one of the buildings was the most effective. I did notice that there was nothing but school kids staffed at this place,that really didnt do much for me, but it didnt matter. They were secondary to the awesome environment around us. We entered into various small buildings that led us back outside and around to other small buildings. Lavish sets and detailed scenery lay in all directions. There was so much to take in. At some point I came to the conclusion that this was the ultimate Halloween environment out here. Total authenticity. The giant windmill at the end was pretty damn amazing. That along with the amazing laboratory room with the really high ceiling, the rickety bridge over what looked like a deep chasm (done with mirrors), and the one over the bubbling swamp that led into the small village area. Like I said-so many cool and unique things that you just wont find elsewhere. I was sad when it ended. I could live in a place like this. While it could definitely use a team of good actors (which I believe it once had-but due to budget consolidations...), the actual fortress itself is truly a thing to behold. You simply have to see it for yourself. My words wont do it justice. I learned that the man, Peter Wing, that had designed this place way back when, had just died in a car accident just 2 weeks prior. What a shame-but I can only hope his legacy of craftsmanship and Halloween spirit live on forever in this amazing place. I will totally come back here again one day-next time when its dark to get the total effect. But the memories I took with me from my visit there will certainly stick with me for many years in any case. Also, many thanks to the super friendly staff there that took us behind the scenes and sold us some cool merchandise. This sort of hospitality goes a long way with me. In closing, I just want to stress how super cool this place is, and if youre EVER in this area around this time of year-go to this place. You will not regret it. At $10 admission (I paid $8), and about 20 minutes long, its the best bang for your buck youre liable to find anywhere. Especially if you like your Halloween attractions old school and authentic like me. Recommended! Hauntfinder Rating: * * * (out of 4)
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 00:15:50 +0000
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