Sinister.

Massive.

Beautiful.

A true "haunted house".

Those are some of the terms that fans of Knott's Scary Farm's Halloween Haunt will use to describe 13 Axe Murder Manor for years and years to come.  Located behind Mystery Lodge, 13 Axe won over the hearts and scared the bejesus out of Haunt goers for years before taking its final bow during the 2008 season at Knott's.

The huge footprint of this maze made for some fantastic elements - as well as some issues that the attraction struggled with for its tenure at Knott's Scary Farm.  The single most memorable impression this maze surely left on fans and guests alike was its stunning facade.

Following in the footsteps of The Asylum, 13 Axe Murder Manor took the Knott's Haunt maze facade to a whole new level.  As guests wound their way into the maze, they were suddenly face-to-face with what appeared to be a full-size house, looming in the fog-shrouded night sky.  It was a visual warning to abandon all hope as you entered here... and it kept that threat secure with winding halls and chilling scenes filled with awesome Haunt monster talent, from the entry foyer all the way to the dining room and back to the barn, which served as a makeshift human BBQ shack.

Those designers, artists and construction crews that lent their talents to 13 Axe Murder Manor as well over the years need to be commended for their efforts.  Everything about 13 Axe was massive in scale - and so a huge kudos to the men and women that breathed "life" into the Manor each year, prepping it to once again, open its doors at Halloween.  You created a masterpiece that likely will remain an icon of Haunt for generations to come.  It is to your artistic skills and know-how that we take pause to applaud and celebrate.

Theme Park Adventure gave a Screamy Award nod to 13 Axe for its brilliant soundtrack as well during its time at Halloween Haunt.  From its foreboding musical tracks to unique items such as swaying chandeliers, singing children and of course, someone being hacked to death with a butcher's knife... the soundtrack that was 13 Axe truly was a genius mix of large-scale proportions as well.  It was a great one, and we will never forget the sound efforts that went into this maze.

And now, those that breathed "death" into 13 Axe...

The men and women that were part of the monster crew (and Blackouts) did a hell of a job night after night, year after year.  This maze was huge in scale, as we have written so many times before - yet, the talent that worked it seemed up for the challenge most of the time, and they almost consistently kicked ass on any given night at any given time.

13 Axe Murder Manor gave us yet another female fraternity at Haunt, the Brides.  Following in the footsteps of the Vampire Brides from the various vamp mazes and the Blue-Haired Girls from Blood Bayou, the 13 Axe Brides created another femme fatale clique that thrilled guests each season; they now take their special place in the history books of Haunt as well.  Mucho props to the Brides over the years.

The girls in the playroom of the maze also cannot go without mention, as their awful, dark giggles and singing really gave 13 Axe a very spooky and... ugly feeling as well.  The only thing creepier than little girls singing in a dark room is a group of little girls singing while rocking back and forth holding knives and grinning as you pass by.  An amazing visual that Theme Park Adventure has loved as well in this maze since its debut in 2005.

One of the single most elaborate mazes in Haunt history, 13 Axe Murder Manor wasn't without its issues.  While its sheer size gained in much buzz, it also gave birth to the phrase "The Burlap Mile", in reference to the back end of the maze being little more than a long walkway of wooden frames and hanging burlap.  Much detail was spend on the "house" portion of the maze - hard core Haunt fans always wished that designers had filled in the blanks toward the end of the maze a bit better each year.

Also a constant struggle not for just 13 Axe, but every maze that has filled this location... there never quite seems to be enough talent to fill the back end of the maze.  On nights when talent was on the thin side, The Burlap Mile became painfully boring and long.  Blood Bayou also had this issue.  Hopefully, whatever Haunt designers replace 13 Axe with this year will be over-staffed to make up for those that are sure to quit after the first week or so of Haunt and to ensure a strong level of talent remains consistent throughout the maze.  If that issue can finally be resolved, we will all be happy campers.

Another part of 13 Axe's legacy is an incident that took place a couple years back.  At the entrance of the maze, stood a faux staircase that went up to the "second floor" of the manor.  Of course, this was not really the case, and a young guest found this out the hard way by running up the stairs and suddenly crashing through to the scene below.  Thus, the tongue-in-cheek name, "13 Foot-Fall Manor".

Good times.

So we bid farewell to a fantastic maze; an honest classic.  While it wasn't at Haunt as long as other mazes have been throughout the years, it left one hell of a mark on all of us and will always be remembered with great fondness.  Anyone and everyone that has been associated with this icon over the years should feel proud - you were a part of one of the greats.

Violent, terrifying, dark and horrible.  Knott's Halloween Haunt was a better Scary Farm for giving us all the Axe.

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