Decoded Deep Dive: Ominous Descent and Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail

Just off I-4 in Plant City is an original fear park hosted by two independent haunt companies: Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail and Ominous Descent. These companies have joined forces to create a unique Halloween attraction that is well worth the visit. The fear park includes three haunted houses, and for an additional charge, guests can participate in a laser tag game and escape room challenge. I was invited to experience all the attractions at this fear park, and I’m so excited to share my thoughts with you!

Common Area

Even before entering the haunted houses, there’s plenty of opportunity to get into the Halloween spirit. Scaractors roam the area freely, doling out screams and taking selfies upon request. There’s also a gory photo opportunity for those able to stomach it! ​

Haunted Houses

Each of the three haunted houses includes incredibly detailed sets and a combination of indoor and outdoor scenes. The “indoor” scenes take place in temporary structures created for the event, which means that many of the rooms do not have real flooring. I love this effect, because the uneven feel of the ground increases the potential for distraction and a great scare!

Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail Provides High Quality and Socially-Distant Scares!

These mazes are long. Each house took about ten minutes to walk through, which is double the amount of time it takes to complete a Halloween Horror Nights house.  They all have an individual feel and theme, with different special effects and enhancements to tell the story. But don’t worry; you won’t find any spoilers here.

The Harvester

This house’s story is about a farm mysteriously surviving in a famished land. When examined, it’s found that their success is definitely due to some questionable activities – not the least of which includes murderous scarecrows.

I enjoyed all of the houses, but I have to admit that this one was my least favorite. However, there were some really cools aspects that I wasn’t expecting. While all of the haunts included several structures that guests traveled between, this one had especially dark, small paths between each building. Each building was so dark that it was difficult to tell what was waiting for you until you entered. Of course, any good scarecrow maze must include a cornfield, and this cornfield was super narrow. It bordered on claustrophobic (at least for me) – which made the whole experience more intense.

Reaper’s Haunting

In this house, guests walk through a funeral home threatened with closure after some mysterious and terrifying occurrences. This evening, however, the home is being used for the funeral of Sir Henry’s bride. Will Mr. Harris, the funeral director, be able to prove his ability to successfully operate the home with this final opportunity?

A haunted house set in a funeral home is going to be super creepy, but the best part of this house was the child actors. I don’t think I’ve ever seen children in a haunt before, and I loved it! They were everywhere in this house and scaring from all directions! All of the kids put on a great performance and really enhanced this house’s creep factor. Great job, kids!

The Breed

The Breed is about a pair of married cousins, the Wards, with an incest-filled ancestry. The couple has three children, twin boys and their beautiful little girl, Clara. The family is mistreated by their community to the point that they are suspected of having kidnapped Clara and raising her as their own daughter. When Clara disappears, the Wards descend into madness, taking out their rage on anyone who dares get too close.

This was definitely my favorite house. There was better lighting than the other two houses – and for good reason – as this was the goriest house of the evening. The Wards are furious at everyone and everything, and the resulting carnage is on full display!

Besides the three houses, Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail/Ominous Descent Fear Park includes an escape room experience and laser tag game.

Vanished Escape Room

The Vanished Escape Room’s story is actually linked to The Breed haunted house. You are trying to find out what happened to Clara – the Ward’s missing daughter. You have five minutes to solve the puzzle and escape the room. While this is a much shorter time frame than other games, at $5 you can’t beat the price. The clues, while not too easy, did follow a logical progression – which I appreciate. It’s difficult, but not impossible to escape within the five minutes.

Sabotage Laser Tag

Guests are divided into two teams. The object is to “tag” the other team as much as possible without getting tagged yourself. Sounds familiar, right? Well, there’s a catch – a third team! A sabotaging clown is roaming the arena looking to score points against both teams and maybe a few scares as well! I wasn’t able to actually play the game since I was by myself, but I did get to watch one. It looked like a lot of fun, and the clown was certainly a fun twist!

If you’re looking for your next Halloween event, quality scares and a full night’s worth of entertainment make Ominous Descent/Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail a great option. ​I had an awesome time, and I’m already looking forward to next year!

Special Tips: 

• Wear closed toed shoes. You’ll be walking on grass and sand for the majority of the night. I wore sandals and was constantly trying to empty them.
• Wear bug spray. I am still nursing mosquito bites from the event.
• Eat dinner before you arrive. There aren’t many food options available (who can eat when they’re terrified anyway), so make sure you’re well fed.
• Consider purchasing a Front of the Line accessible ticket. Ominous Descent and Sir Henry’s “pulse” parties through the house. This means you’re getting individual attention from the scaractors, but it also means that your wait might be longer than you expect. Front of the Line passes will significantly decrease your wait time and ensure you have enough opportunity to visit all the houses.
• The Fear Park also offers a “Common Area” ticket for those not willing to miss a night out but too scared to conquer the houses. At only $10, this is a great option for your more timid friends!