The Cemetery. It’s written on the wall, like some page out of a fairy tale. Two Jack O Lanterns smile from their perch atop matching gateposts. I step into the graveyard, a yellow moon illuminating my path. I walk among the grave markers, towards a massive mausoleum at the end of the cemetery. The night is quiet—almost too quiet. Then the moss adorning the gravestones, the ground under me, and the sky above me is illuminated in a brilliant white as the sound of thunder rolls over me. The mausoleum doors are thrown open and out saunters out a skeleton, dressed to the nines in a suit. He’s dancing to the sound of the thunder, and the screams of our group. This is just one of the tales found in Corona Haunt’s Tales of Halloween maze.

Corona Haunt has been in operation for over a decade now, providing home haunt scares to their neighborhood. Yet, like Pirates Cave, this home haunt feels nothing like the small offerings that other home haunts provide, but rather is a full ten-minute maze, feeling more akin to something out of Knott’s Scary Farm. This year, Corona Haunt brings to life Tales of Halloween, an exploration of approximately eight themed and decorated rooms/hallways that each provide a small celebration of the Halloween season. This is a massive undertaking, and the sets, scares, and length all work great together, fully deserving of your time and a trip to Corona Haunt this year.

In 2020, Corona Haunt produced Shadow Mountain, which focused on a more linear narrative of a brutal creature lurking in the mountains, killing of campers and rangers alike. This year, Mason Legerski and his team have opted for multiple themed vignettes, each surrounding the titular holiday of Halloween in the aptly named, Tales of Halloween. Any haunt-goer will recognize most of these as they are commonplace among all haunted houses, creating a sense of nostalgia and familiarity in the space, but with changes that occur quickly enough to leave audiences excited to see what lies beyond the next curtain.

These tales of Halloween range from a cemetery lined with gravestones, a witch’s cottage with bubbling cauldron, a spider’s den overflowing with webs, a scarecrow’s field with hanging curtains, a pumpkin patch with a monstrous surprise at the end, a trick-or-treat home with the smell of candy, a long gothic-styled hallway with candles ablaze, and a curtained room with a doll and a mirror waiting for you at it’s end. This is all contained in a single home haunt, just showcasing the breadth and range of Corona Haunt.

These sets are the true highlight of Tales of Halloween, often leaving our group thoroughly surprised at the detail and intricacies of a given room. One of these sets would be impressive for a home haunt—let alone all eight of these themed rooms. I often found myself just marveling at the details in the rooms, allowing an unexpected scare to land effectively.

Each room or section usually contains a singular scare, either originating from a drop panel or a hidden crevice in a wall. While some of the scares worked and elicited scares, others felt less scary, and almost whimsical—such as the dancing skeleton in the cemetery. If whimsy is the theme that Corona Haunt is aiming to achieve, I wish that some scenes were more interactive. A witch standing over a cauldron offering guests to name an item they would cast into the pot would be more fun and engaging, compared to the momentary appearance she makes from behind the wall. Further, the pumpkin-faced man at the end could offer a small bit of candy from his guts, leaving participants with a take home item, further connecting them to the experience and leaving a long-lasting impression.

Finally, to further immerse guests in Tales of Halloween, Corona Haunt uses scents in multiple rooms throughout the experience. In the early rooms, a sweet popcorn scent permeated the space and was clearly identifiable, recalling sweets on Halloween night. The pumpkin spaces smelled of pumpkin, and the witch’s room smelled of fog, potions, and spices. Scent is a sense that haunts often forget to engage—or simply use potty humor for a gag—but Corona Haunt utilizes it perfectly here, and I wish more would follow suit.

Corona Haunt has fully elevated their home haunt status, proving that they are capable of creating something on par with any theme park maze. Their attention to detail and care for the craft is on full display here. With eight separate themes, all woven together into one mosaic, paying homage to a holiday we all love, Tales of Halloween is a perfect way to spend your Halloween. We highly recommend it.

Tales of Halloween by Corona Haunt runs Thursdays-Sundays through Halloween. Combine this haunt with Pirates of Cindy Court yard display for even more Halloween fun. For more information on Corona Haunt, check out their website, Facebook and Instagram pages. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.

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Corona Haunt’s Tales of Halloween is a walk-through home haunt in Corona, CA.