2023 Question and Answer With Granville Haunt Farm

Our cast photo from last season

NorthCarolinaHauntedHouses.com recently sat down with Grey Blackwell of Granville Haunt Farm, to discuss what's new at Granville Haunt Farm for the 2023 Halloween Season!

What's new at Granville Haunt Farm for 2023? Do you have any new rides, attractions, or special features that Haunt Seekers should know about?

We have many new scenes and characters featured this season, while also bringing back the fan favorites from year's past that everyone knows and loves. It's a great mix of old and new.

What are you most excited about for the 2023 Halloween Season?

Without giving anything away, I'm super excited about our new scenes featured this season. They look amazing!

What differentiates Granville Haunt Farm from other local haunts in North Carolina?

In 2020 we transitioned into a drive-through haunt format as a result of the pandemic lockdowns. At first we thought it would just be something we'd do to get through that season, but it actually turned out to be extremely popular! This will be our fourth season as a drive-through event and attendance continues to grow in popularity. As far as we know, we're the only drive-through haunt in North Carolina and one of only a few in the country, so we are truly a unique haunt experience.

How long has Granville Haunt Farm been in business? Can you tell us a bit more about Granville Haunt Farm's history?

We started as a traditional outdoor haunt back in 2015, where we offered a corn maze, zombie paintball hayride, walk-through haunted trail and escape room. We transitioned to a drive-through event in 2020 as a result of the pandemic lockdowns. This is our 9th year altogether as a haunt, and our 4th year as a drive-through event.

What's your favorite experience since opening Granville Haunt Farm?

My favorite experience each season is always when I finally have that moment to sit back and take a breather after the haunt is in operation and hear the laughter from our customers and see the smiles on their faces as they go through our haunt. That's when I know all that work I did during the off-season was worth every bead of sweat, every sun burn, every bug bite, every sleepless night, every penny spent. Totally worth it.

How long is a typical haunt experience at Granville Haunt Farm from start to finish?

Depends on traffic, but usually around 30-45 minutes from start to finish.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how scary would you say Granville Haunt Farm is? Why?

That's a loaded question! : ) One thing we pride ourselves on is the fact that we are developing a reputation as a "family-friendly" haunted attraction. I've heard many customers tell me that they wouldn't normally go to a haunt, but if they can stay in their car they'll give us a try. This has lead to an increase in families coming through our haunt - parents with small children, or even grandparents with grandkids. When parents ask if our haunt is appropriate for their children to attend, I tell them "think of our haunt as like a PG-13 movie. If you're okay with your child watching those, then you'll be okay with taking them here."

Does Granville Haunt Farm's property have any real haunted history? Do you have a spooky encounter you'd like to share?

Our farm has tons of history, going back as far as 1760 when Captain Andrew Hampton bought the property from the Earl of Granville. His son died in the Revolutionary War and it seems as if the property has been cursed ever since. This property has passed through multiple owners since then before my family settled here in 1940. We've heard many stories of the previous owners over the years but my favorite is the one my grandmother told me about a poker game getting out of control in what is now my dining room and one player shot the other. This property is littered with multiple grave sites. I've often wished I could spend a day with those people and hear their stories. Our place is truly a "haunted farm."

What inspired you to open up a haunted attraction? What's your favorite part of the business?

I've been producing haunts in one form or another since I was a child going back to when my brother and I created a haunted house in our basement for our friends to visit. Then as a teenager we converted on old house on a neighbor's property into a "free" haunted house. In my 20s as a member of the Jaycees I helped produce haunted house fundraisers. So it was only natural that I eventually turned the family farm into an outdoor haunt. As a former illustrator and graphic designer, my favorite part of the business is definitely the creative side. I love designing the sets, signage, merchandise, anything that requires a creative eye. I love diving into a creative challenge and seeing it come to fruition. As Hannibal used to say on the old A-Team TV show, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

How has new technology (i.e. animatronics, special props, etc) helped you to enhance Granville Haunt Farm?

I collect animatronics of popular movie characters, so I built a structure to house them all and display it at the entrance to my haunt each season. Each one has it's own step pad so customers can activate them as they're waiting in line to enter. It's a crowd-pleaser for sure.

Can Granville Haunt Farm accommodate large groups? How many people can experience Granville Haunt Farm together as a group?

We allow buses to drive through our haunt with as many people as they can fit inside. Local farmers bring their tractors hauling a larger trailer carrying many people riding on hay. It's become popular for people to arrive in separate vehicles then all pile into the back of one pickup so they can all ride together. The more the merrier!

Does Granville Haunt Farm offer any special deals, discounts, or coupons?

The more people that are in a vehicle reduces the price per person. So for example, one person in the vehicle is $10, 2 people is $20, for 3-4 people is a flat rate of $25 for the entire vehicle. Anyone rider over the fourth person is just an additional $5 per person.

Anything else you'd like to let us know about Granville Haunt Farm?

We call ourselves the "Drive-Thru Drive-In" where you "Drive through our giant movie screen and watch your favorite movies come to life on the other side!" Stay safe inside your car the entire time. It's truly a unique haunt experience. Come see us!