Explore a Sinister Cornfield in Eastern Jefferson County this Halloween to Discover the Terrifying Secret of Cobb’s Haunt!
A cornfield at night is a scary place. The rows of corn muffle the sounds of the outside world, and you’re alone in a rustic place in the heartland of America, far from the comfort of the city. The moon looks bigger and the stars shine brighter here in this remote field at 6516 Echo Trail in Eastern Jefferson County. What was that sound? Was it just the corn stalks rustling in the wind, or was it something else?
This is The Phantom of the Ville coming to you from a place they call Sunny Acres Farm most of the year, but just like Camp Crystal Lake is also known as “Camp Blood,” Sunny Acres has another name. From late September through late October, on weekends during the darkest nights, it’s known as Cobb’s Haunt. A family owned farm since 1964, the land itself is rich with haunted history dating back to the pre-Civil War era and is home to numerous ghost stories.
This week I sat down with Cobb’s Haunt’s owner/operator, Samantha McNay, to talk about some of the real ghosts haunting Sunny Acres Farm and her plans for the massive cornfield maze on the property this Halloween season. McNay first became interested in the haunted attraction industry working as an actor in a couple of past local haunts, Castle of Carnage, which was once located in the parking lot of the Expo 5, and the USS Frightliner, which was once docked next to the Belle of Louisville and now resides at the bottom of the Ohio River. That particular ghost ship now rests with Davy Jones’ Locker.
“This is our fifth year of operation,” says McNay, “and this year we’re taking it to a whole new level.” Good weather and plenty of rain have given birth to a tall crop this year. “The stalks are anywhere from 12 feet to 16 feet at the highest levels,” she says, “and we’ve cut a maze that’s approximately .83 of a mile, or a full mile if you count the torch lit walk to the field.”
“It takes 25 minutes to walk through the maze in daylight,” McNay states. “But at night it takes 30 to 35 minutes, or longer if you take a few wrong turns.” McNay describes the way the maze was designed this year as the “chicken with its head cut off” technique. “It goes all over the place,” she says.
Cobb’s Haunt is open during the day for a non-scary experience for kids, but when the sun goes down, the freaks come out. You’ll find zombies, undead scarecrows and dueling chainsaw maniacs lurking behind the rows this year. “We’re also working on a couple of new ideas,” teases McNay. “We’re working on attacking people from above. You might find some creepy characters hanging from the trees.”
McNay also says they’ve added a “Saw” scene this year involving multiple doors where you’ll be forced to “choose your fate.” She also says “The Grudge” was an influence on one of the new scenes this year.
Samantha McNay knows something about the supernatural. She claims that the main house on the farm itself is haunted. “You’ll hear footsteps walking through the house at night when no one else is there. The attic door opens and closes by itself. The dog growls at something no one else can see, and he follows whatever it is around the house, growling at it. Blankets are constantly pulled from anyone sleeping in the house.” Apparently, the family is so accustomed to these strange experiences that they aren’t bothered by them anymore.
Even the twisting, turning drive to Cobb’s Haunt can be a spooky experience. “There’s a creek that runs along the back of the property,” says McNay, “and a thick fog bank rises on the old road that runs along the creek even when it’s not foggy outside.”
“There’s also a family cemetery on the site right next the cornfield. The graves date back to the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. There have been lots of stories and ghostly sightings around the whole area dating as far back as I can remember.”
Only two miles down the road, you’ll find the legendary Pope Lick railroad trestle and all the local legends that come with it. Cobb’s Haunt is located in the dead center of the spooky vortex of strange phenomenon in that part of town. So beware! I’ll be back soon with another sneak peek at a brand new haunted attraction in a completely different, but still creepy part of town.
