In 2009, owner and founder Richard Sernulka of Plant City established Pemberton Haunted Acres as a small, free backyard Halloween haunt for neighbors and friends. A skilled craftsman and a trained welder, Richard immersed himself in the scare industry. Throughout the year, he’d travel the country, seeking out new props, themes and stories, often building his own macabre fiends.
“My son is the sole creator of our haunted attraction,” said his mother, Connie Sernulka. “So many people come from all over the state each year to see what scares he has created. He has been asked numerous times to share how he comes up with new frights every year, but he keeps his ideas to himself because he wants to keep what we do at Pemberton Haunted Acres for our community.”
By 2024, Richard’s backyard creation was attracting thousands of visitors from across Florida to their neighborhood subdivision. Their custom-built scare house and growing attraction required a new home. Fortunately, the owner of a nearby cattle ranch and fellow thrill seeker recognized his creative potential. Thus began his partnership with Rocking V Ranch in Plant City.
“The owner gave us a portion of his property to use for my son’s attraction; all he asked in return was that we sell his locally sourced hamburgers at our concession stand,” Connie said. “This is the perfect place to host our haunted acres, and it also give us the opportunity to expand each season.”
The Pemberton Haunted Acres attraction features a 5,000-square-foot haunted house packed with meticulously detailed fright rooms and talented scare actors who deliver heart pounding experiences. The unfriendly backwoods dwellers greet visitors in Hillbilly Mayhem, follow them along an ancient trail deep in the Backwoods Bayou and create havoc as scarecrows rise from their wooden crosses in Krow’s Revenge. This entirely original haunted house delivers scares unlike any other.
“Pemberton Haunted Acres is not for the faint of heart or small children,” Connie said. “My son puts a lot of effort into making every scare look very real, and we have amazing actors that are fantastic at scaring our guests.”
The Sernulkas appreciate all of their guests and the community for helping create Pemberton Haunted Acres.
“A lot of the props that are in the haunted acres have been donated by friends and family,” Sernulka said. “Our guests love seeing how my son has used their donated items in the haunted acres.”
If you would like to learn more about Pemberton Haunted Acres or to purchase tickets to the attraction, you can visit its website at www.pembertonhauntedacres.com or call 813-727-5451. The haunted acres are located at 4802 W. Knights Griffin Rd. in Plant City. The haunted acres are open every weekend from now through Sunday, November 2. Appropriate footwear, rain gear and bug spray are recommended, and guests should expect off-road walking and uneven surfaces.
You must be logged in to post a comment.