Screams from children and adults alike echoed down NE Highway 20, leading us to the notorious Melon Shack.
Once we arrived, hidden under the shadow of night, soft moon beams laid a path for us until we came across the bright red admissions shack. We arrived with the moon overhead, the Melon Shack sat in increasing darkness, patiently waiting for the sun to rise.
The rest of the farm was lit up, with two food trucks connected by string lights beside a covered sitting area lined with picnic tables. The parking lot stretched out, calling our attention to the red glow of the haunted corn maze nearby.
The Melon Shack farmstand has been in business since 2011, with Tim Wynn being the owner and face of the farm. Its iconic displays of horror return this year for more haunts.
Wynn is joined by the brain of the business, Debbie Jahn, his sister. Behind them both is a team of employees and volunteers, some who work during the day helping run the hay and train rides, a day maze, a pumpkin patch and the shopping shack.
The haunted corn maze is open from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets, which are $15 on Thursdays and $20 on Fridays and Saturdays, are only available for purchase at the entrance to the maze. Cash and cards are accepted for payment.
Wynn started the haunted corn maze 12 years ago. Each year the maze has evolved, the theme of the scares corresponding to the shape of the maze itself. This year, the maze was cut into the face of Pennywise from the movie ‘IT’.
“This year (the theme) was designed by my daughter-in-law, then I helped her to turn it into an actual maze drawing so we can cut it correctly,” Wynn said.
“Sometimes, if the corn gets much taller than we’d like it to be… that would put us in a position where we have to run it down with a Honda and use flags to mark when to turn when cutting. But the plan is to always cut it younger to avoid all of that,” Wynn said.
Other employees like Greg (otherwise known simply as ‘Santa’) work during the Halloween season as a hay ride driver by day and haunted corn maze security by night.
“My favorite part is watching people come out halfway because they are too scared to continue,” Greg said.
One thing the staff of Melon Shack agrees on is making sure the experience is enjoyable to everyone.
Wynn said, “I like to think we have intelligent haunts.”
Can’t have the haunt without the haunters– Jahn works with the actors, including hiring, training and managing. According to Jahn, there were 130 applications for actors this season, a few returning haunters as well as many new applicants.
“I like to go (in the maze) when there’s people in front and behind me. Lets me check on how my haunters are doing,” Jahn said.
Alongside our photojournalist, we had the chance to go through the maze ourselves to get a feel for the kind of scares visitors are getting themselves into.
As people with minimal live-action horror experience, this maze left us breathless.
With hearts beating at surprises around every corner, fog filling nostrils and some children exiting halfway, our three ratings average to a solid 8/10 chainsaw blades on the scary scale.
For more information and contact options, check out the Melon Shack official website.
“I love watching families make a tradition out of it, coming year after year, some coming every weekend, we try to mix it up every week so they aren’t getting hit with the same thing every week, but they don’t seem to mind even if we don’t change it, some are very adamant about that,” Wynn said.
