Coffin Creek 2019 Review

Once again haunting the eerie farm roads of Corona, Coffin Creek offers multiple haunted attractions, including mazes, a trail, and a hayride. They have become a mainstay for folks in Riverside County who are too afraid to make the trek to Knott’s Berry Farm Halloween Haunt and other Halloween theme parks. For Los Angeles haunt-seekers grasping for one last thrill after the end of October, they offer a final weekend of horror, continuing until November 3.

Coffin Creek 2019 Review: Mazes

Brimstone Asylum is a modified version of Coffin Creek’s longest-running haunted maze, previous known as “Coffin Creek Asylum.” It’s the 10th anniversary of the burned down institution. Now, a deranged helper welcomes you to the rechristened Brimstone Asylum for the criminally insane. He guides you about one-eighth of the way in and then completely disappears leaving you at the mercy of the inmates. Through each twist and turn, you encounter residents, including the medical staff who are also way too far gone. These deranged doctors may come back to haunt you when you least expect. This maze has definitely improved over the years thanks to the talent of the cast.

The Catacombs, another returning favorite, also implements a modified story line. You follow a monk halfway through in search of his brother Alex, who needs to be saved from evil forces within the labyrinth. Unfortunately, the monk gets attacked, and you must complete the quest without his assistance. The interior is so quiet and dark that you really can’t tell where the scares are hiding. The maze reaches its conclusion in a chapel, where a little girl sits in her nursery riddled with bloody plush toys. How this ties in with the intriguing story line of the search for Alex is not clear.

In Dark Realms, a noble knight leads you through caverns to evade evil forces and sorcery plaguing a cursed village. Like guides in the other mazes, the brave knight disappears midway through the maze, in this case sacrificing himself so you can live. After heeding his cries to continue without him, you enter a cavern where you meet a witch conjuring a spell (in Japanese!); then you emerge into the village and encounter the demented residents. Clearly, it is too late to save them. Though the sets are impressive (predominantly caves filled with evil wonders), the scene with the witch fails to deliver. Her conjuring spell seems to go on forever, but with no result.  It would’ve be great to see some sort of climax: a demon or explosion or something.

The Prado Witch Trail is longer, tighter, and better than before. Using an actual outdoor trail really helps the theming of the maze. The crazy family residing in the woods seems to have expanded their numbers since since last Halloween. They invite guests to stay for dinner, but it’s probably best to opt out of the offer and continue to brave the trail with its fog-laden darkness. With a lot more jump scares than the last time we were there, the trail is now one of the top walk-throughs at Coffin Creek.

Coffin Creek 2019 Review: Conclusion

Being a multi-haunt attraction with vendor booths and a hayride, Coffin Creek makes is like a mini-major destination for haunt-seekers. The all-attraction pass delivers all five haunts for a price tag lower than the major Halloween theme parks. Because Coffin Creek is situated in a location that is mainly dirt roads and pathways, the surroundings definitely help with the immersive illusion of the attractions (though trekking through the unpaved paths can be tricky). We were confused by the little girl/nursery scene in The Catacombs and expected more from the witch inside Dark Realms. However, for the most part, Coffin Creek is still an enjoyably haunting experience.

Catacombs

Catacombs

Asylum

Prado Trail

Path toward the second half of Coffin Creek

This evening’s movie

The House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Toys