Haunted Hollow Hills Hayride, a scary-good time in the Greenbrier Valley

By Matthew Young, RealWV

LEWISBURG, W,Va. – Hidden amongst the Route 60 hollers of the Greenbrier Valley – nestled snugly between Jim’s Drive In and the interstate – are the fabled “Haunted Hollow Hills.”

Once considered to be the epicenter of all things paranormal in the Mountain State, the area is now home to the West Virginia Renaissance Festival. Every June, the Renaissance Festival transports visitors to a world of medieval fantasy – complete with jousting, fairies, mermaids, and yummy Scotch eggs. However, what few realize is that the old Midland Trail lies in wait just below their feet, and it holds every bit as much spooky history and ghoulish fun as it ever has. 

“There’s lot of ghosts,” says Taso Stavrakis. 

Taso and his partner, Dawn Kieninger, are the proprietors of the Renaissance Festival. But every autumn, as the air begins to chill and the sky darkens earlier by the day, the couple trades medieval fantasy for family-friendly ghosts and goblins.

The Haunted Hollow Hills Hayride runs every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 26, and delivers just the right amount of scary good times for all your little monsters. With hayrides beginning at 5 p.m., the sun is still high enough to protect even the scardiest of cats. And at only $5 per person, Haunted Hollow Hills makes for an affordable night out for the whole family.

While a “haunted attraction” has always been part of the plan for Dawn and Taso, the idea grew legs during the height of the COVID pandemic.

“In 2020, Dawn came up with the hayride,” Taso tells us. “We had a handful of workers stuck up here because of COVID, and there was nothing else going on in town. Everything was shut down, and Dawn felt bad for the kids because they had no Halloween activities to do.”

Now, four years removed from the pandemic, the Haunted Hollow Hills Hayride has become a highly-anticipated annual event for Halloween lovers of all ages. In addition to the approximately 15-minute hayride – a portion of which travels over the original Midland Trail – Haunted Hollow Hills features carnival games, the Castle Kitchen food truck, and a massive haunted maze. 

“It’s really something to be able to have our hayride on the old Midland Trail,” Dawn said. “It runs all through here, and it’s overflowing with history.”

The Haunted Hollow Hills Hayride is located on the grounds of the West Virginia Renaissance Festival, at 23439 Midland Trail East, in Lewisburg. Operating hours are from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 26. Hayride and admission to the haunted maze are $5 each per person.