Haunted Monster Truck Ride Review: Halloween at Showcase of Citrus
Written by Jaimz Dillman
Looking for a Halloween experience that’s a little more “BOO!” and a little less “OH GOD, WHY IS THERE A CHAINSAW?!”?
Then point your GPS toward Clermont and Showcase of Citrus.
The Haunted Monster Truck Ride is a great middle ground for families with kids who have graduated from the super cutesy Halloween offerings but aren’t quite ready for the blood, gore, and intensity of Central Florida’s more hardcore haunted attractions.
But here’s my biggest tip: don’t just show up for the ride. Get there early and make an afternoon of it.
Showcase of Citrus is a 2,500-acre working citrus ranch and attraction with plenty to keep you busy before the sun goes down. You can see and feed animals, explore the property, shop the Old Time Country Store, grab food and drinks, and take advantage of the fall festivities. The ranch’s animal lineup includes zebras, Watusi, kangaroos, camels, exotic and native birds, and plenty more.
During the Halloween season, Pumpkin Ponderosa gives you another excuse to stick around. Pick out a pumpkin, wander through the fall setup, and, most importantly, get those pumpkin patch photo ops!
We sampled the Candy Apple Mocktail, which was a fun fall treat, and if you’re hungry, my picks are the bratwurst and key lime pie. Because apparently you can have both Oktoberfest and Florida Keys energy at the same pumpkin patch. Once you get a chance to wander the space, you’ll see “mashup” is the main theme of Showcase of Citrus.
Then comes the main event.
Once the sun goes down, enormous customized monster truck style vehicles take you into the darkness for a roughly 20 minute Halloween adventure, with scareactors appearing along the route.
And I have to give a special shoutout to our guide, Jack.
This man was animated, energetic, and clearly having a blast doing his job. You can tell when someone is just going through the motions and when someone genuinely loves entertaining people. Jack absolutely falls into the second category.
The scareactors are a combination of Showcase employees and volunteers, and the overall vibe is definitely approachable Halloween rather than extreme horror.
That’s what makes this attraction work.
If your little monsters are starting to say, “We’re too old for the cute Halloween stuff!” but aren’t quite ready for chainsaws and gore, this is a fun next step. It’s spooky, it’s entertaining, and it lets younger haunt fans dip their toes into the world of Halloween attractions without throwing them straight into the deep end.
And honestly, there’s something wonderfully Florida about climbing into a gigantic monster truck and heading into a dark citrus grove to see what creature pops out next.
So get there early, feed some animals, grab a drink, eat some food, hit the pumpkin patch for photos, and then, when the sun goes down, climb aboard and let the monsters come out.
It’s a pretty great Halloween compromise between “Look at the cute pumpkins!” and “WHY IS THAT MAN CHASING US WITH AN AXE?!”
The Haunted Monster Truck Ride takes place on select nights during the Halloween season. Check the official ticket site for current dates, available tour times, and pricing, as times and availability can change.
Haunted Monster Truck Ride tickets and tour information:https://tickets.showcaseofcitrus.com/monster-truck-adventure-tour
Showcase of Citrus 15051 Frank Jarrell Rd.Clermont, FL 34714 Open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Pro tip: Arrive well before your scheduled ride so you have time to enjoy the animals, food, drinks, and pumpkin patch. The official site recommends arriving at least 30 minutes before your tour time.
