If you only make it to one haunted attraction this spooky season — and we do think you should visit more haunted houses — make it one that easily becomes a whole night of frights and fun. Hundred Acres Manor, the sprawling haunted house nestled within South Park, offers drinks, games, added attractions and food. And, of course, about a mile of terror.
Hundred Acres Manor Pittsburgh: A Five-in-One Haunted Attraction
Hundred Acres Manor just keeps going and going. The haunted attraction is billed as five houses in one, but it’s better thought of as one impressively long and shockingly detailed walk-through experience with five different themes. By the time you make it to the final exit, you’ll have walked nearly a mile.
Your journey takes you through a quintet of themed areas, beginning with “The Sisterhood,” a stroll through a dystopian London plagued by an evil cult. “South Valley Hospital,” where unnecessary surgery is the norm, follows, before the experience transitions into “Vodou,” a bayou-themed area that has always been my personal favorite. After you make it through the swamp, you’ll find yourself in “Folklore,” a northern vacation interrupted by a series of yeti attacks; the experience concludes with “Hallows’ Eve,” a Halloween party gone terribly wrong.
Through all of these areas, the winding terrain of the attraction serves to repeatedly disorient and confuse your senses. Hundred Acres Manor makes brilliant use of its part-indoor, part-outdoor setting; one moment you’re in the bowels of an infernal hospital, the next you’re under tree cover, hearing sinister voices in the wind. It’s a memorable effect — perfectly deployed in the early stage of “Vodou,” where you’ll wander beneath the stars and between the crypts of a New Orleans cemetery while a plaintive voice sings an off-key When the Saints Go Marching In.
Hundred Acres Manor spares no expense on animatronics and special effects — watch for the Kong-sized yeti head — but many of the most effective scares are beautifully simple. There’s nothing quite like the darkened hallway that demands you climb uphill into the darkness, illuminated only by occasional heartbeats of flashing light. In the pitch blackness between those flashes, you’ll be utterly — and delightfully — convinced that you’re trapped forever.
Is Hundred Acres Manor Too Scary for Kids? (Or Adults?)
While Hundred Acres Manor packs more than enough scares to satisfy thrill-seekers, this isn’t one of those haunted houses that’s determined to leave you traumatized. Anyone who has been through an average Halloween attraction can probably handle it without much trouble — though it should be noted that many of the animatronics and sets are rather gruesome, on the order of something you’d see in the Saw films. If you have a big problem with gore, discretion is advised.
As for younger guests: The actors at Hundred Acres Manor lean more into fun than intimidation, so any teen with an appetite for the macabre should be able to make it through the attraction.
Hundred Acres Manor recommends that anyone under the age of 13 be accompanied by an adult, but does not deny entry based on age. They do, however, note that an early exit from the attraction — which is always possible, via clearly marked doors in most rooms — does not result in a refund. If your young one is on the fence, then, just know that finding out they’re too scared might be an expensive lesson.
A note on accessibility: The main path is wheelchair accessible (with some tight turns), but for those walking, the terrain is long and includes some uneven patches and steep grades. Ask the staff for more information if you have concerns.
How Long is Hundred Acres Manor — and How Long Are the Lines?
The attraction is long — about 40 minutes at a reasonable pace — and the staff does a good job of making sure there’s a moment between you and the guests behind you. That means, however, that you’ll be waiting in line for a while.
If you don’t want to spend most of your night in the queue, you can opt for V.I.P. admission to skip-the-line; general tickets are $30, while a skip-the-line pass is $50. (Higher price tiers offer added perks, merch and experiences, but do not further reduce wait times.) Even an average wait in the general-admission line can be an hour or more; the V.I.P. is usually about 15-20 minutes.
In all, plan to spend between an hour (with V.I.P.) and two hours (without V.I.P.) between the line and the main attraction.
What Else Is There to Do at Hundred Acres Manor?
The night doesn’t end when you’ve made it through the main attraction — particularly if you’re looking for a drink.
Head to the Scream Bar after your experience — or before it, for a little liquid courage — and enjoy beer and cider from Cinderlands Beer Company. No ticket is required to access the Scream Bar, so if you have a friend without the courage for the main attraction, they’re free to wait for you at the bar.
If you’re looking for food, the Frankenfried food truck — offering flavorful, horror-themed burgers, chicken and fries — is parked near the main entrance to the attraction.
For more thrills, add on a ticket for The Maze, a twisting walk-through attraction separate from the main haunt. Originally part of the featured attraction, it’s a dark (if not quite pitch-black) search for the exit while actors lurk around certain corridors, ready to scare you the other way. (A word of advice: Don’t try too hard, or you’ll escape in seconds and not really get your money’s worth.)
Finally, a series of midway-style games offers challenges similar (but perhaps a bit easier) than those you’d find at Kennywood or other theme parks.
How Do You Get to Hundred Acres Manor? Where Do You Park?
If you arrive early in the evening or on a slower night, you can point your GPS directly to Hundred Acres Manor and park across the street from the attraction itself. Note that this lot is on grass — and it will fill up on busier evenings.
If it’s full or you’d prefer a proper lot, head to 30 Corrigan Drive (near the South Park ice rink), where you can leave your car and climb aboard a free shuttle to the haunt.
And a reminder: Hundred Acres Manor is inside a county park. Go slow to keep an eye out for deer and other critters… and because the speed limit inside the park is strictly enforced.
Since you’re in the area, explore what else there is to do in the South Hills and beyond either before or after your trip to Hundred Acres Manor.
About the Author/Photographer
Sean Collier is the editor-in-chief of Shady Ave and the arts and culture editor of TABLE Magazine. Before joining the TABLE Media team, he spent nearly 15 years as a writer, editor and columnist at Pittsburgh Magazine. As the in-house film critic for the top-rated WDVE Morning Show since 2009, he’s been Pittsburgh’s most widely heard voice on movies for nearly two decades. A Pittsburgh native, Sean has since 2020 appeared weekly on KDKA-TV’s popular Pittsburgh Today Live talk show. He’s the co-founder of Vigilance Theater Group and an active stand-up comedian and event host. He can be found on Instagram and Twitter at @seancollierpgh.
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