When the 2011 Fear Finder hit the streets some 13 years ago, one of the attractions that immediately jumped off of the page was Chelsea Feargrounds. No need to accept my word for it, consider the full-page advertisement, pictured below.
It wasn’t the first time that the Chelsea Fairgrounds had played host to a haunted attraction, previously Pigman’s Lair had also called it home. In my opinion, it’s always a welcome sight when a new haunt gives fresh life to an old location, and Chelsea Feargrounds rolled into town with more than a little fanfare. Consider this piece of marketing found in the back of the Fear Finder:
“FEAR Grounds is produced by Reanimation Services who have built props for some of the best amusement parks and haunted houses in the world, such as Disney, Oceans Park, Hollywood Wax Museum, Netherworld, and many more.“
Indeed, my group and I were greatly entertained during our visit, and found the whole operation to be one of high production value. It was something of a shock when the attraction disappeared following the conclusion of the 2011 season.
I had hoped to return in 2012, but no iteration of Chelsea Feargrounds materialized then or in the years since. It’s reasonable to assume that production costs outpaced ticket sales, but in an industry as fly-by-night as the world of haunted attractions, we can’t be certain that other factors did not contribute to its disappearance.
The link below contains the 2011 review for Chelsea Feargrounds, which was part of an excellent night of adventures that included stops at Krazy Hilda’s Barn of Doom and The Boneyard — sadly, neither of those haunts are in operation any longer either.
Thrills & Chills Dominate Hilda’s, Feargrounds, and The Boneyard!
