Haunted Overload Daytime Walkthrough

So you might have seen this posted over at Pumpkinrot's blog (does anybody still visit his site?? wink, wink), but this video is just too gorgeous not to share and share again. 

In 2016, Mrs. Highbury and I took an October trip to Salem, Massachusetts. But the true highlight was driving over to experience Haunted Overload, a personal bucket list haunt in Lee, New Hampshire.

To this day, Haunted Overload is still at the top of my all-time favorite haunts list. And it's not even close. The design and scale is unlike anything else you have seen, and the organic decay throughout the outdoor wooded haunt gives a truly creepy feel as you walk from one absolutely stunning scene to the next.

And watching Grimm-Life Collective's amazing daytime walkthough video only pushes Haunted Overload further to the top. So much intricate detail on such a grand scale. And with a daytime walkthrough, you can stop and appreciate every little detail and take your time to really absorb each scene.

After seeing this one, I realize that it's probably time for me to head back up for another Haunted Overload experience.

Who's coming with me??

Haunted Overload, 2016

This past weekend, Mrs. Highbury and I snuck away for a mid-October weekend trip to Salem, Massachusetts (more on that coming soon!). We couldn't think of a better place to go to celebrate all things Halloween. And while we were in the planning stages for the trip, a strange thought popped into my head: how far was it from Salem to Lee, New Hampshire?

A quick check on Google Maps revealed that it was only an hour's drive. BINGO. We're going!!

I was about to make the journey that would enable me to cross off the absolute number one on my haunt bucket list... Haunted Overload.

After spending the morning roaming the streets (and cemeteries) of Salem, we hopped into our rental car and headed north. Lee was just over an hour away and the trip felt like three hours, due to my haunt-induced giddiness. I had seen the photos and videos, watched The Great Halloween Fright Fight, and listened to owner Eric Lowther intently when he was on an episode of Haunters Hangout. I was ready.

When we arrived at the DeMeritt Hill Apple Farm, I sprang from the car with camera in hand. Of course, photography was prohibited past the cue line, but I snapped what I could...

It was all there. The giant timber skulls, the giant jack-o-lanterns, the giant train, the giant house, the giant pumpkin figures and the brand new giant circus tent. I could barely contain my excitement as we made our way through the haunt. Without a doubt, this was the greatest haunted attraction that I had ever been through (for the haunt bucket list record, I had been through the original House of Shock in New Orleans, so Netherworld, The Dent Schoolhouse and the 13th Gate now top my list). The warm and calm weather even made the fog settle ominously throughout the entire haunt, giving it an added sense of unsettling creepiness. It was perfect. Every scene was richly staged with absolutely gorgeous lighting. The atmosphere for each scene was off the charts. It was unlike other haunts, which relied on actor-based scares. I could have walked that haunt for hours...

After finishing the haunt, I was completely blown away. It really was a feast for the eyes and had such a different feel from other haunts that I had been to. Everything was built on such an immense scale and the attention to detail was incredible. As someone who is a home haunter, I really appreciated the care that was given to every inch of this haunt.

As we walked back to the car, Mrs. Highbury and I only half-joked about getting back in line and going through it again. It really was that good. I don't want to give away too much more, because I want everyone to go experience this haunt for themselves. Haunted Overload deservedly sat at number one on my haunt bucket list, and after grabbing an Overload t-shirt and a surprisingly delicious, homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Covered Twinkie, I was the happiest man in Lee...

Haunted Overload 2016 Time Lapse Trailer from Artifact Images on Vimeo.

So There's This...

It's now official...

Number one on my haunted house bucket list will be getting crossed off this October! Mrs. Highbury and I will be taking a trip to Salem, Massachusetts (right in the middle of build season, I know), and seeing as though Lee, New Hampshire is ONLY and hour away, how could we NOT go!?

And now I just have to wait until October... Good luck with that. I'll be sure to snap as many photos as I can and post them up for everyone to drool over. Is it October yet??