A Frightening Family Affair: 35 Years of Double M Haunted Hayrides

BALLSTON SPA — Family-run businesses usually evoke fond thoughts of kids learning a trade from their forefathers, carrying on traditions that would otherwise be lost to time. Add to this wholesome image an undead outlaw, a demented clown, and a homicidal nurse and you’ll have a better picture of what the Martin family has been working on for the past 35 years.

Leo Martin is the current owner of Double M Haunted Hayrides and he’s been developing his talent for terrifying locals since he was 19 years old, when his parents first got involved with a haunted hayrides franchise based in Syracuse in the early 90s. Now, Leo hopes that his 22-year-old son may one day take the reins.

“He loves this,” Martin said of his boy. “He was born and raised in it.” 

Martin’s wife Jennifer is also involved, helping to run the entire operation. “I can’t do it without her,” he said.

As the decades have unfurled, Double M’s terror-inducing attractions have grown in both size and scale: 50 employees eventually became 140, the hayride trail has expanded exponentially, and one haunted house was joined by six more. Plus, there are now vendors selling everything from haunted character paintings to carved foam pumpkins to apple cider donuts (courtesy of Lakeside Farms). Joining the festivities this year is a smoking, blinking “deadly drink.”

None of that should distract from the main attraction, however. Martin has been perfecting haunted hayrides for decades and he knows what separates a top-tier ride from a mediocre one.

“It’s all about the total immersiveness,” Martin said. “Some hayrides might not incorporate woods and, to me, you can’t have a good hayride without going through the woods. It’s a natural backdrop. It adds so much to it. We have sound systems on our wagon with music in the background that helps tell the story. It’s how well your actors are trained and how well you flow traffic and get people in and out. It’s a whole thing, not just one element or the other.”

The logistical and creative process for planning these haunted attractions begins in March, when Martin sits down with his staff to assess last year’s operation, come up with characters, and brainstorm new ideas. Trade shows are another source of inspiration.

“The haunted industry as a whole is much bigger than people think it is,” Martin said. “In St. Louis in March, there’s a huge haunted trade show and there are companies that build animation and props that also have a lot to do with ideas and how you do haunts.”

Martin’s favorite original creation is Scary Harry, a ghost cowboy that has become Double M’s signature character and helps connect the business’ seasonal haunted hayrides with its year-round Western store that sells a wide selection of boots and apparel.

Double M Haunted Hayrides is open for Halloween, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 1. Buy a ticket online…if you dare.