Kersey Valley Spookywoods (commonly known as Spookywoods or Spooky Woods) is a seasonal haunted attraction located in Archdale, North Carolina.[2] It is one of the oldest and largest haunted attractions in the Southeastern United States.[3]
Spookywoods was founded in 1985 as a small Halloween attraction on a family farm in southeastern Guilford County, near the Randolph County line. It was created by Tony Wohlgemuth and a group of friends after they explored an abandoned 1920s farmhouse on the property and were startled by bats inside. Inspired by the experience, the group staged a one-night haunted house using homemade props and costumes.[4] The attraction, initially intended as a single event, grew quickly in popularity as word spread throughout the Piedmont Triad.[5] By the late 1980s, it was drawing thousands of visitors annually and became one of the earliest large-scale haunted attractions in the state of North Carolina.[6]
The original farmhouse built in 1925
The farm where Spookywoods operates had been purchased by the Wohlgemuth family in 1979. After farming efforts struggled, the land was eventually left in Tony's care in the early 1980s. Originally, the attraction was called "The House of Death," with each subsequent year adding a Roman numeral. After "The House of Death IV," Tony drew inspiration from the pine trees on the property—originally planted to be sold as Christmas trees but left to grow wild—which helped create the wooded setting that ultimately gave rise to the attraction's permanent name.[7][8] In the early 1990s, Tony's wife, Donna, joined the team and began contributing her skills to the business's marketing and growth.[7]
During the 1990s and 2000s, Spookywoods expanded with more elaborate set designs, professional special effects, and theatrical-style costuming. Its growing reputation earned regional and national coverage, including features on the Travel Channel and recognition in listings of top haunted attractions in the United States.[9][10] Today, approximately 180 seasonal scare actors are employed each year, with a permanent staff maintaining and developing sets during the off-season. Scare actors must be at least 16 years old to work at Spookywoods.[11][12]
The attraction's success led to the establishment of Kersey Valley, Inc., the company that now manages the broader property. By the 2010s, the business had expanded into a multi-attraction destination offering year-round activities such as a zip line, laser tag, escape rooms, axe throwing, and seasonal family events.[13][14] Despite this diversification, Spookywoods has remained the flagship attraction and continues to draw tens of thousands of visitors each Halloween season.[15]
Attractions
Walkway to the Bates Motel and No Vacancy sets
Spookywoods incorporates a range of horror-themed scenes.[16] The attraction begins with a midway, which features a live DJ, lighting effects, food and beverage vendors, and scare actors who interact with guests.[17]
Among its most notable sets are No Vacancy and Norman's Nightmare, both of which are walk-through scenes influenced by the Psycho film franchise and the popular television series Bates Motel.[18] Other sections include Icons, which presents characters and settings inspired by classic horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,[19] and Strike!, a scene in which scare actors slide across paved surfaces using metal pads to create sparks.[16]
Guests are transported across the property by tractor-drawn hayrides.[16]
Reception and media coverage
Two scare actors during the 2023 season
Since the 1990s, Spookywoods has received attention from regional and national media. It has been featured in television specials on the Travel Channel showcasing Halloween attractions in the United States,[9] and has been included in industry rankings of top haunted attractions published by outlets such as USA Today and HauntWorld Magazine.[10][20][21]
Local and regional media have chronicled the growth of Spookywoods from a modest farm-based event into one of North Carolina's most prominent seasonal attractions.[22] The Greensboro News & Record noted in 2017 that "over 4,500 thrill seekers now visit the attraction each night" during the Halloween season.[23] In 2021, USA Today placed Spookywoods 8th in its ranking of the best haunted attractions in the United States.[24] More recently, Spectacular Magazine described Spookywoods as "one of America's most prominent haunted destinations."[25]
Our State, a monthly North Carolinian magazine, described Spookywoods as an "adventure park in the Triad... By day... a fall festival to die for. By night, the undead come alive for Halloween tricks."[26]
Spookywoods has been featured in walkthrough videos and interviews by various media personalities and online content creators on sites like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, showcasing both the attraction's sets and its performers.
Kersey Valley
One of the zip line towers at Kersey Valley, with a food and beverage vendor shop in the foreground
Beyond Spookywoods, Kersey Valley has expanded into a multi-attraction destination operating year-round on its 92-acre (37 ha) property.[27] Among its most prominent offerings is an aviation-themed zip lining adventure.[28] The site also hosts an outdoor tactical laser tag facility,[29] along with several escape rooms.[30][31][32][33]
Additional attractions include both indoor and outdoor axe throwing ranges,[34] as well as "bomb bowling," a hybrid group activity that combines aspects of American football, bowling, horseshoes, and cornhole.[35] Each December, the property transforms into Kersey Valley Christmas, showcasing large-scale holiday light displays and festive wagon rides. During the fall months, Maize Adventure offers family-oriented activities such as a corn maze, pumpkin patch, train rides, and other agritourism experiences.[36]
In 2025, Kersey Valley qualified as a bona fide farm under North Carolina law and subsequently rezoned.[37] Under N.C.G.S. §160D-903, buildings and structures used for agritourism on bona fide farms are classified as farm purposes for zoning regulation. This designation allows attractions at Kersey Valley to operate within agricultural zoning classifications while maintaining their status as entertainment venues.[38][39][40]
Location
The business office for Spookywoods is located at 1615 Kersey Valley Road, Archdale, North Carolina, with additional land used for parking and various other purposes located at neighboring Cecil Farm Road. The attraction is accessible from Interstate 85, drawing visitors from Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, with many also traveling from the Charlotte and Raleigh–Durham areas. While the majority of visitors come from the surrounding Piedmont Triad and nearby North Carolina metro areas, the attraction also draws occasional visitors from other states and abroad, according to online reviews and local tourism promotions.[41][42][43]
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