New for this year, Dark Harvest: Shady Pines Asylum is the product of a team up between Dark Harvest (formerly The Fleshyard) and Pirates Cave Productions. I took a chance on driving 40 minutes away by myself to attend this haunt, and they made it worth it! Located in a prime spot right off the 91 freeway on Imperial Highway, it has its own (limited) free parking lot, which was extra appreciated since I came alone.
Shady Pines Asylum is quietly nestled just outside of the national forest. Its rustic design and walking trails through the forest provide a comforting aesthetic for guests to recover and receive therapy. It’s that time again when once a year, investors are allowed to tour the facility. Dr. Bodkin, with his new Aspiration Therapy, has made great strides in our cancer serum research because of your investments. With your additional support, we hope to bring that product to market by the end of the year. We are also excited to show you our newly renovated west wing. Be sure and make your appointment now as spots fill up quickly.
My initial thoughts when I arrived were that it seemed to have come a long way from my only previous visit to The Fleshyard, now boasting great photo-opp-friendly signage and a gorgeously detailed entryway facade. We entered the building into the asylum waiting room to be checked in for our tour. Unfortunately for the front desk nurse, the patients had other plans! Without giving too much away, the rest of the experience had me sneaking my way through the winding asylum as I ducked and dodged unruly (and surprisingly bloodthirsty) patients. I escaped through the mineshaft to safety by the skin of my teeth.
This is an excellent long experience with many exciting interactive moments — all at a fair price point! My favorite scene was the rickety elevator that felt like it would snap at any second, sending us plummeting to our doom. The scareactors were having a glorious time harassing everyone and showing off their improv chops. With the actors, technical effects, set design, and length combined, this haunt felt elevated in a way that you would expect from some of the bigger-budget theme park mazes or other longstanding pros.
After surviving my visit to the asylum, I was able to make my way inside to the control room and meet with Dave Larson from Pirates Cave Productions. We chatted about the technical elements of some of the rooms and the previous years of his Pirates Cave home haunt. He even let me shoot the air blasters at some of the guests! Now I see why haunters keep putting their blood, sweat, and tears into these events. It’s a lot of fun to scare people!
Dark Harvest: Shady Pines Asylum is open for 2 more nights in Anaheim, CA. Tickets and more details can be found HERE.
