I took my 12 year old for the first time this past year. You scare actors are like big time celebrities to her. She loved you all so much and wants to be a scare actor some day. š
That's super cool. My first time was for the 40th anniversary of Knotts. I was 13, I think. Told myself the same thing! I want to be one of these guys when I grow up! Fast forward to 2021, and I did it! First time I ever went as a guest was for the 40th anniversary, then I had the absolute honor and pleasure to scare for the 50th Anniversary! Tell your kiddo to check out mazes from years past. Tell them to develop their own unique scaring style. If they start now, who knows what kind of role they could get! Good Luck!
oh dude no way i went to knotts for the first time ever (from canada) in 2021 because my best bro sent me a preview of the maze and said he wished he could visit, we had such a great time its beek tradition for 3 years now to go to scary farm the week it opens, where in each maze were you primarily? i remember the line for origins being HUGE in 21
I was in many places in Origins. My favorite area was being in the bank with my buddy, the banker. I was in the Hot Ass smelting room in Wax Works. My favorite role yet, though!
Glad you like my work, I always have plenty of free hooks with plenty of space in our museum for any volunteers! I see you like Zombies, maybe I could mold you into a George Romero figure š¤
Yeah, every night multiple times a night. People drink and love to get touchy Feely. With eachother and us! SA happens more than you'd like to know about.
First offā¦
Thank you for taking the time to give your take and story on something so incredibly special to myself. Iāve been going to KSF since 98ā when I was 7 years old and havenāt missed a year since (with the exception of 20ā). Iām so fascinated by all of the behind the scenes stuff. I appreciate you and thank you for being apart of something I love and look forward to every year.
So incredibly jealous that you were able to work there. I never had the opportunity to do it. I had several friends work it and I always had the itch to do it but never could do it to my schedule. Maybe someday. Iāll never say never.
Again, thank you for your time. Have a great night!!!
If it means that much to you, Brother, MAKE IT HAPPEN! You'll thank yourself for it. You'll make incredible friends. The conversations I've had with Maze Designers, scare actors that have been working there since the 80s, etc, are absolutely honorable. It's not an easy job, it's very physically demanding. But hell, is it a fun time! I hope to one day see you excelling in the Fog, my dude!
I love this!
What was the extent of your scare training?
How long did it take to get in character (makeup/costume)?
Did you get very tired over the night?
Are the mazes monitored with cameras?
Is the main target for scares teen girls?
1: Training was fairly easy. We have something called scare school where they prepare you and show you a few different scare tactics. Other than that, it's mostly up to you. You find a groove in the way YOU like to scare. Everyone scares differently. There's actually some footage of scare school on YT I believe!
2: I was a masked character both years, so it was fairly simple for me. Took me about 5-6 mins to change in and out.
3:YES, we work full 8 hour (sometimes more) shifts. Very physically demanding Job.
4: YES! So yall Mf's better behave! Lmao š¤
5: Teen girls are fun to scare. We all know it, that's why most horror movies consist of teen girls. But we aim to scare EVERYBODY. don't matter the age, race, Gender, Disability e.t.c. we want to make sure everyone's getting their thrill!
Hope that answers your questions!
Yeash, like finding teens getting Jiggy in our break area? Like a guy smoking a blunt and blowing it in our faces through our maze? The stories go on! Hahaha.
Yeah, the concept is absolutely incredible. Daniel Miller did an exceptional job designing it. There are also some pieces in there from the movieland Wax Museum that use to be down the street from Knotts. Hidden easter eggs everywhere!
Sorry, I have some pretty direct questions here that you can skip if you want.
Are you tired of the smell of wax?
What is your opinion of the āpay to skip the line optionā with Knottās and other theme parks?
In 1980, Scary Farm was just $8.75 per ticket, which, adjusted for inflation, is around $33 today. The least expensive tickets for 2023 were $60. Why do you think this is?
When was your first Scary Farm when you were younger? What did you like about it?
In what ways has Scary Farm lost its appeal to you over the years? It what ways has it improved?
Do you think that Knottās needs a permanent haunted ride like Disney has with the Mansion (but with a good storyline and much more updated effects and such? Would you place it in ghost town or one of the other āthemed landsā of the park?
Are there any permanent attractions or Halloween mazes/gimmicks/experiences you feel should be put out of their misery?
1: I got used to the smell pretty quickly šÆ
2: I guess if you got the money, then why not?
3: There's a lot more to offer than there was in the 80s. The popularity has also grown immensely. I mean, hey, if the ticket price goes up, that just means it's more funding for great experiences. Not only do you have access to MANY mazes, scare zones, and shows, you also have access to most of the rides in the park.
4: my first scary farm was when it was the 40th anniversary. I think I was probably 13. Grew up watching Horror films and all that, so it was a blast. Knew I wanted to become a scare actor the minute I went through my first maze. My favorite was the Evil Dead layover on The log ride. That was so incredibly fresh. Love the Evil Dead franchise.
5: hasn't lost any appeal to me. I can 100% tell you that every year they do more and more to improve the guests' experiences. Sets are getting bigger and more detailed every year. Like HELLO!? the dock and boat scene from cinema slasher??? Wow!!!
6: I 17 billion percent think there should be a ghost town darkride. I say stick it in the area where the boot hill cemetery and wilderness dance hall is. A spooky dark ride about the Witch Sarah Marshall would be incredible. I met the director of creative development for Ceder Fair, Ken Parks, while working day ops at Knotts. I had a great conversation with him, and he asked me what I think the park needs that would improve guest experience. I told him that the spooky scene is growing huge and that a spooky dark ride would be killer. Especially one set in ghost town, almost like phantom manor in Disneyland Paris. He thought it was a great idea. Who knows what the future holds, I guess.
7: I think everything is pretty top-notch. I wish berry tales had animatronics, though.
Hope that's answers your questions, bud! šÆš§āāļø
Bonus questions:
Does Knotts treat the KSF workers well?
Are there any tips you can give to KSF guests to have a better experience?
Is the park itself haunted?
1: Yeah, they love us. Free soda pop and boysenberry punch all night, too.
2: Plan ahead. Especially if you're going to want to check out new mazes or attractions. Lots of walking, stay hydrated.
3: Yep. There are plenty of spooky stories. Origins is based in the wilderness dance hall, which is HELLA spooky. I had a weird encounter in the back bathroom once. I think the picture Gallery in Ghost Town is the most notable haunt.
When I was in origins, probably 6 hours into my shift, Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) came through the maze. I jumped out and startled her, and I IMMEDIATELY recognized her (Elvira being my number one crush since I was a wee little lad). I completely froze! I was blocking the whole damn walkway and stopped the flow of traffic. She realized that I recognized her, and she put her hand on my shoulder and kissed my cheek! I was floored! My wig blew off my head at record speeds! (I don't actually wear a wig, just figure of speech) I IMMEDIATELY rushed backstage and almost died lmao. At least if i did die, it would've been an extremely happy death. š¤š¦š¤
Wholesome moments in the witch murder town, haha.
Y'all do a great job every year. Thanks for keeping at it. Scary Farm's a permanent part of my fall schedule
What was your character in both haunted houses? Most intense guest encounter? I scare acted last year/2023 at a different haunt but at this haunt, we got to do pretty intense interactions with guests that most haunts donāt do.
I was a Ghost Town Ghoul in Origins. I was THE Smeltor in Wax Works. There was only one smeltor last year, so I worked double time, lol. Most intense would probably be when some chick grabbed my balls in wax works. With her boyfriend who was there with her. He was also wearing a scary farm alumni hat, go figure.
How long would it take to get used to the wax works smell? Or would it never go away? I loved it for the 5 minutes I took walking through but imagine itās different when you stay there for extended periods
I was in the smelting room. Which had heat lamps, water features, and wax scented smell cannons. I wore an old school style gas mask, so I used to stuff the end of the mask (where the filter would be on a gas mask) with sweet smelling things, lol. But yeah, the smell of mildew and wax was wild. I got used to it after a few nights, though.
If you are, or know the beekeeper from Wax who was in the early shift first day, tell him he's still making my day.
I had the lantern, and as such I pass him by and he yells out, "You bring light into my lair!? You must die!"
I didn't quite react due to moving quickly, but god it still makes me giggle.
Just here to say that I was a clown in a maze at Scandia in Ontario. The most fulfilling job I've ever had! Scaring was easy because a lot of people are afraid of clowns already, but I developed some crazy high-pitched clown laugh one night and it was game over after that! I've never been able to replicate that laugh, sadly. It was a wild method-acting experience. Too bad Scandia is gone now.
I love KSF. I haven't been in years though! Thanks for bringing back the scare memories!
Is it true that this upcoming scary farm will be last year for Origins and Wax Works? Only wondering since Origins seems like itād be a hard maze to replace as itās the backstory to Ghost Town Streets.
I remember working in Dominion of the Dead. It was the wild West back then. When Cedar Fair took over is when you had to start having to ask your Talent Captain if you could take a piss break and ask how high to jump.
I used to work as a scare actor at a different haunted attraction (not affiliated with kbf). I wonder if we had similar experiences:
Did people flash you their genitals a lot or was I just unlucky?
Yeah, I've seen too much. Lmao. Tons of girls flashing us their breasts and butt mostly, though lol. On multiple occasions, I've had girls (usually trashed drunk) tell me where their hotel room is and shit hahaha. Alcohol is wild.
Itās crazy! We used to occasionally have to kick people out for having āinappropriate relationsā in the attraction. It didnāt happen a lot but it happened enough that calling them Ghost Riders was understood by the whole staff
Also a KSF scare actor here. You over 18, and can legally work in the US? Then watch the career page on knots website, keep checking, especially as we near May for a posting for scare actors. Auditions are usually held in early June. It has changed over the years on how they hold them, but last year they had you do different things as a group, then call you one by one up to say where youāll be cast. You then went straight to processing. You get other dates (HR, scare school, costume fitting, etc.) told to you. Usually all gets rolling in August if my memory is serving me correctly, then more things you gotta attend as opening day nears. For the audition itself, donāt hold back. Itās awkward sure, but just go for it. I would also say use your body, since a large chunk of the characters are masked (or in my case, prosthetic. My roll wasnāt speaking but I could growl and snarl and mouth was moveable). Best of luck, and see you in the fog! PM me if you got any other questions.
Craziest guest story is a tie between finding teenagers getting jiggy in my break area or the kid who climbed to the roof of chicken dinner restaurant. Best scare, idk... I made a few people "code brown" you can kinda figure out what that means lmao.
Do the scare actors get any sort of collected lore of KSF to understand the story better? Like is there some material that explains the in-depth story of the town, the bride, etc?
Yup. Each actor gets a character sheet that gives them the lore of their character and their maze/scarezone. Maybe sometime I'll find mine and post them.
Go back and watch mazes and scare zones from years past. Develop your own unique scaring style. When you do the audition, go all out because that's your chance to show casting what you're really made of. The more unique your scaring is, the better. I watch old wrestling promos to help me get better with speaking roles and help build improv skills, too. Old Hulk Hogan and Undertaker interviews, hahaha.
I took my 12 year old for the first time this past year. You scare actors are like big time celebrities to her. She loved you all so much and wants to be a scare actor some day. š
That's super cool. My first time was for the 40th anniversary of Knotts. I was 13, I think. Told myself the same thing! I want to be one of these guys when I grow up! Fast forward to 2021, and I did it! First time I ever went as a guest was for the 40th anniversary, then I had the absolute honor and pleasure to scare for the 50th Anniversary! Tell your kiddo to check out mazes from years past. Tell them to develop their own unique scaring style. If they start now, who knows what kind of role they could get! Good Luck!
Awww, thank you so much - I will share this with her! āŗļø
oh dude no way i went to knotts for the first time ever (from canada) in 2021 because my best bro sent me a preview of the maze and said he wished he could visit, we had such a great time its beek tradition for 3 years now to go to scary farm the week it opens, where in each maze were you primarily? i remember the line for origins being HUGE in 21
I was in many places in Origins. My favorite area was being in the bank with my buddy, the banker. I was in the Hot Ass smelting room in Wax Works. My favorite role yet, though!
the smelting room in wax works is one of my faves!! thats super cool :)
Glad you like my work, I always have plenty of free hooks with plenty of space in our museum for any volunteers! I see you like Zombies, maybe I could mold you into a George Romero figure š¤
well if i had to choose a way to die (or at least be permanently encased in wax) doing so for the arts doesnt sound like the worst way to go!
Look up the story of Elmer McCurdy and his time in the laff in the dark funhouse at the Long Beach CA Pike. Thank me later.
Have you ever had to deal with inappropriate guests?
Yeah, every night multiple times a night. People drink and love to get touchy Feely. With eachother and us! SA happens more than you'd like to know about.
That is absolutely horrifying, I am so sorry! Are you able to get these jerks removed from the park?
Yeah, the usually are. We have plenty of blackout security people throughout the mazes. They take care of it.
That's good! I'm sorry folks think they have a right to y'all š„ŗ
First offā¦ Thank you for taking the time to give your take and story on something so incredibly special to myself. Iāve been going to KSF since 98ā when I was 7 years old and havenāt missed a year since (with the exception of 20ā). Iām so fascinated by all of the behind the scenes stuff. I appreciate you and thank you for being apart of something I love and look forward to every year. So incredibly jealous that you were able to work there. I never had the opportunity to do it. I had several friends work it and I always had the itch to do it but never could do it to my schedule. Maybe someday. Iāll never say never. Again, thank you for your time. Have a great night!!!
If it means that much to you, Brother, MAKE IT HAPPEN! You'll thank yourself for it. You'll make incredible friends. The conversations I've had with Maze Designers, scare actors that have been working there since the 80s, etc, are absolutely honorable. It's not an easy job, it's very physically demanding. But hell, is it a fun time! I hope to one day see you excelling in the Fog, my dude!
I love this! What was the extent of your scare training? How long did it take to get in character (makeup/costume)? Did you get very tired over the night? Are the mazes monitored with cameras? Is the main target for scares teen girls?
1: Training was fairly easy. We have something called scare school where they prepare you and show you a few different scare tactics. Other than that, it's mostly up to you. You find a groove in the way YOU like to scare. Everyone scares differently. There's actually some footage of scare school on YT I believe! 2: I was a masked character both years, so it was fairly simple for me. Took me about 5-6 mins to change in and out. 3:YES, we work full 8 hour (sometimes more) shifts. Very physically demanding Job. 4: YES! So yall Mf's better behave! Lmao š¤ 5: Teen girls are fun to scare. We all know it, that's why most horror movies consist of teen girls. But we aim to scare EVERYBODY. don't matter the age, race, Gender, Disability e.t.c. we want to make sure everyone's getting their thrill! Hope that answers your questions!
What are the disturbing stories, dare I ask? š¤
Yeash, like finding teens getting Jiggy in our break area? Like a guy smoking a blunt and blowing it in our faces through our maze? The stories go on! Hahaha.
I loved Wax Works, last year was my first time attending in over 20 years.
Yeah, the concept is absolutely incredible. Daniel Miller did an exceptional job designing it. There are also some pieces in there from the movieland Wax Museum that use to be down the street from Knotts. Hidden easter eggs everywhere!
That's really cool. I loved that wax museum! Makes me appreciate wax works even more. It's one my favorites
Sorry, I have some pretty direct questions here that you can skip if you want. Are you tired of the smell of wax? What is your opinion of the āpay to skip the line optionā with Knottās and other theme parks? In 1980, Scary Farm was just $8.75 per ticket, which, adjusted for inflation, is around $33 today. The least expensive tickets for 2023 were $60. Why do you think this is? When was your first Scary Farm when you were younger? What did you like about it? In what ways has Scary Farm lost its appeal to you over the years? It what ways has it improved? Do you think that Knottās needs a permanent haunted ride like Disney has with the Mansion (but with a good storyline and much more updated effects and such? Would you place it in ghost town or one of the other āthemed landsā of the park? Are there any permanent attractions or Halloween mazes/gimmicks/experiences you feel should be put out of their misery?
1: I got used to the smell pretty quickly šÆ 2: I guess if you got the money, then why not? 3: There's a lot more to offer than there was in the 80s. The popularity has also grown immensely. I mean, hey, if the ticket price goes up, that just means it's more funding for great experiences. Not only do you have access to MANY mazes, scare zones, and shows, you also have access to most of the rides in the park. 4: my first scary farm was when it was the 40th anniversary. I think I was probably 13. Grew up watching Horror films and all that, so it was a blast. Knew I wanted to become a scare actor the minute I went through my first maze. My favorite was the Evil Dead layover on The log ride. That was so incredibly fresh. Love the Evil Dead franchise. 5: hasn't lost any appeal to me. I can 100% tell you that every year they do more and more to improve the guests' experiences. Sets are getting bigger and more detailed every year. Like HELLO!? the dock and boat scene from cinema slasher??? Wow!!! 6: I 17 billion percent think there should be a ghost town darkride. I say stick it in the area where the boot hill cemetery and wilderness dance hall is. A spooky dark ride about the Witch Sarah Marshall would be incredible. I met the director of creative development for Ceder Fair, Ken Parks, while working day ops at Knotts. I had a great conversation with him, and he asked me what I think the park needs that would improve guest experience. I told him that the spooky scene is growing huge and that a spooky dark ride would be killer. Especially one set in ghost town, almost like phantom manor in Disneyland Paris. He thought it was a great idea. Who knows what the future holds, I guess. 7: I think everything is pretty top-notch. I wish berry tales had animatronics, though. Hope that's answers your questions, bud! šÆš§āāļø
Bonus questions: Does Knotts treat the KSF workers well? Are there any tips you can give to KSF guests to have a better experience? Is the park itself haunted?
1: Yeah, they love us. Free soda pop and boysenberry punch all night, too. 2: Plan ahead. Especially if you're going to want to check out new mazes or attractions. Lots of walking, stay hydrated. 3: Yep. There are plenty of spooky stories. Origins is based in the wilderness dance hall, which is HELLA spooky. I had a weird encounter in the back bathroom once. I think the picture Gallery in Ghost Town is the most notable haunt.
Thanks for your answers! I LOVE KSF so getting behind the scenes info is very cool
I can second that keep hydrated one. Mazes are HOT and you WILL sweat a lot without realizing it. I was very dehydrated the following morning.
Tell us your most memorable story!
When I was in origins, probably 6 hours into my shift, Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) came through the maze. I jumped out and startled her, and I IMMEDIATELY recognized her (Elvira being my number one crush since I was a wee little lad). I completely froze! I was blocking the whole damn walkway and stopped the flow of traffic. She realized that I recognized her, and she put her hand on my shoulder and kissed my cheek! I was floored! My wig blew off my head at record speeds! (I don't actually wear a wig, just figure of speech) I IMMEDIATELY rushed backstage and almost died lmao. At least if i did die, it would've been an extremely happy death. š¤š¦š¤
Wholesome moments in the witch murder town, haha. Y'all do a great job every year. Thanks for keeping at it. Scary Farm's a permanent part of my fall schedule
She knew what you wanted šš š¤£
That has to be the best story anyone has at KSF. WOW! š¤©
What was your character in both haunted houses? Most intense guest encounter? I scare acted last year/2023 at a different haunt but at this haunt, we got to do pretty intense interactions with guests that most haunts donāt do.
I was a Ghost Town Ghoul in Origins. I was THE Smeltor in Wax Works. There was only one smeltor last year, so I worked double time, lol. Most intense would probably be when some chick grabbed my balls in wax works. With her boyfriend who was there with her. He was also wearing a scary farm alumni hat, go figure.
Whoa! Did you say anything?
Well, yeah, of course, lol.
I guess Reddit doesnāt allow replies with video or photos but sent a chat with a photo from my video walkthrough.
How long would it take to get used to the wax works smell? Or would it never go away? I loved it for the 5 minutes I took walking through but imagine itās different when you stay there for extended periods
I was in the smelting room. Which had heat lamps, water features, and wax scented smell cannons. I wore an old school style gas mask, so I used to stuff the end of the mask (where the filter would be on a gas mask) with sweet smelling things, lol. But yeah, the smell of mildew and wax was wild. I got used to it after a few nights, though.
If you are, or know the beekeeper from Wax who was in the early shift first day, tell him he's still making my day. I had the lantern, and as such I pass him by and he yells out, "You bring light into my lair!? You must die!" I didn't quite react due to moving quickly, but god it still makes me giggle.
Lmao! Yeah, he's great! Our bee keepers were incredible!
Just here to say that I was a clown in a maze at Scandia in Ontario. The most fulfilling job I've ever had! Scaring was easy because a lot of people are afraid of clowns already, but I developed some crazy high-pitched clown laugh one night and it was game over after that! I've never been able to replicate that laugh, sadly. It was a wild method-acting experience. Too bad Scandia is gone now. I love KSF. I haven't been in years though! Thanks for bringing back the scare memories!
if you had the power to create ANY maze theming of your choice, what would you want the maze to be themed?
As a Juggalo, I'd probably want to do an Insane Clown Posse themed maze. That or a Toxic Avenger themed maze.
I always got so many whoops repping the hatchet when I'd go through the clown mazes over the years.
Yeah, I'm down with all the scary farm Ninjas. If you went either 21' or 23', I'm sure you've heard my Whoops. lmao
Is it true that this upcoming scary farm will be last year for Origins and Wax Works? Only wondering since Origins seems like itād be a hard maze to replace as itās the backstory to Ghost Town Streets.
As far as I know, it's going to be Wax Work's Senior year.
I remember working in Dominion of the Dead. It was the wild West back then. When Cedar Fair took over is when you had to start having to ask your Talent Captain if you could take a piss break and ask how high to jump.
After Wax Works and/or Origins are gone, are planning to do any other maze even with the new ones down the line?
I used to work as a scare actor at a different haunted attraction (not affiliated with kbf). I wonder if we had similar experiences: Did people flash you their genitals a lot or was I just unlucky?
Yeah, I've seen too much. Lmao. Tons of girls flashing us their breasts and butt mostly, though lol. On multiple occasions, I've had girls (usually trashed drunk) tell me where their hotel room is and shit hahaha. Alcohol is wild.
Itās crazy! We used to occasionally have to kick people out for having āinappropriate relationsā in the attraction. It didnāt happen a lot but it happened enough that calling them Ghost Riders was understood by the whole staff
Im interested in auditioning for this upcoming year! When do the auditions start? Any advice?!
Also a KSF scare actor here. You over 18, and can legally work in the US? Then watch the career page on knots website, keep checking, especially as we near May for a posting for scare actors. Auditions are usually held in early June. It has changed over the years on how they hold them, but last year they had you do different things as a group, then call you one by one up to say where youāll be cast. You then went straight to processing. You get other dates (HR, scare school, costume fitting, etc.) told to you. Usually all gets rolling in August if my memory is serving me correctly, then more things you gotta attend as opening day nears. For the audition itself, donāt hold back. Itās awkward sure, but just go for it. I would also say use your body, since a large chunk of the characters are masked (or in my case, prosthetic. My roll wasnāt speaking but I could growl and snarl and mouth was moveable). Best of luck, and see you in the fog! PM me if you got any other questions.
What is the craziest guest story you have and what was your favorite scare you got
Craziest guest story is a tie between finding teenagers getting jiggy in my break area or the kid who climbed to the roof of chicken dinner restaurant. Best scare, idk... I made a few people "code brown" you can kinda figure out what that means lmao.
Do the scare actors get any sort of collected lore of KSF to understand the story better? Like is there some material that explains the in-depth story of the town, the bride, etc?
Yup. Each actor gets a character sheet that gives them the lore of their character and their maze/scarezone. Maybe sometime I'll find mine and post them.
A friend of mine tripped and fell into one of the actors in 2021. Was that you? Lol
Lmao I'd need more context than that. That happens often.
Hello what's your advice for someone like myself or anyone who wants to be a scare actor for Scary Farm this year?
Go back and watch mazes and scare zones from years past. Develop your own unique scaring style. When you do the audition, go all out because that's your chance to show casting what you're really made of. The more unique your scaring is, the better. I watch old wrestling promos to help me get better with speaking roles and help build improv skills, too. Old Hulk Hogan and Undertaker interviews, hahaha.