Maze Bulletin 2013 - Historic Rural Hill

Rural Hill's
Amazing Maize Maze
Special Bulletin - September/October 2014
office@ruralhill.net
www.ruralhill.net
704-875-3113
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THE MAZE IS OPEN NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 2nd!
The 2014 Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze is now open! One of
the largest in the southeast, the giant seven acre corn maze
features over two miles of interconnecting paths. You can also
tackle the Maze after the sun goes down as Rural Hill’s Family
Friendly Flashlight Mazes will be held on Friday and Saturday
nights.
The Amazing Maize Maze challenges your skills as you look for
mailboxes containing map clues as well as “Kernels of
Knowledge” throughout the maze within a maze designed by the
American Maze Company. With Rural Hill volunteers and staff
available to help when needed, the Amazing Maize Maze is
designed to be navigated in 1-2 hours.
Visitors can also explore Rural Hill’s 265 acres and historic site,
take a hayride around the farm, play a round of corn-hole, play
in mini-mazes, picnic, hike the trails, pick out a pumpkin, and
much more!
Each year the Amazing Maize Maze is cut into a seasonal theme.
The corn is planted in July and the design is hand drawn. The
paths are marked and picked when the corn is between 6 and 12
inches tall. It takes a crew of 10 about 40 hours! While it is one
giant labyrinth, it is actually a Maze within a Maze within a Maze
with several levels to complete in order to advance. You may
enter and exit the levels several times and not even know it.
That is just part of the fun in one of the most challenging mazes
in the Southeast!
The Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze is an imaginative use of a
corn field so comfortable shoes are suggested. Water stations are
on site and visitors are permitted to bring in their own food and
beverages. Vendors will be onsite with snacks, ice cream, soft
drinks and water available for purchase. Hayrides and
additional children’s activities are available for a small
charge on select days. Additional experiences include Living
History demonstrations in open-hearth cooking,
blacksmithing, and cabin building. Special events include
the American Revolution Encampment, Huntersville
Halloween, and Antique Tractor Show. Read on for details!
Full event details at
www.ruralhill.net
Fall Food Truck Rally &
Flashlight Maze Kick-Off
September 26
Family Friendly Flashlight Mazes at the Amazing
Maize Maze begin September 26 in conjuction with
the Fall Food Truck Rally. The Rally will be held from
5:30 – 9:30 PM with live music and participating
food trucks from around the greater Charlotte area.
Every Friday and Saturday night the Amazing Maize
Maze will host the crowd favorite Flashlight Mazes.
Tickets are available for the Flashlight Maze
beginning at 6 PM and will be sold to everyone in
line by 9 PM. Bring your own flashlight!
At the Fall Food truck Rally each truck will sell
and set their prices for food and beverages.
Craft beer will be for sale from Highland
Brewing and wine from Shelton Vineyards, as
well as Midas Spring Water. Parking for the Food
Truck Rally and first night of the Flashlight Maze
will be $5 per car. Each car will receive a
coupon for $5 for the Amazing Maize Maze!
THE RURAL HILL AMAZING MAIZE MAZE
From Start to Finish in Eight Easy Steps!
Step One: Purchase tickets from our friendly staff.
Step Two: Graduate from maze school.
One of Rural Hill’s excellent staff members will host a brief orientation to the farm and
maze with you and your group. Be sure to listen carefully as they tell you how to
navigate through the seven acre puzzle. After they’re done, be sure to ask questions if
anything is still unclear.
Step Three: Grab a maze flag for your group.
Each group must carry a flag into the maze. It is important that you keep this
flag with you at all times, in the event that you need assistance, it is often the
only way for us to see where you are. If you have small children who would
like to help, special kid’s flags are available.
Step Four: Start looking for mail boxes.
There are twelve mailboxes. Each box contains a map piece. This mailbox contains piece
seven, which you will tape on the number seven space on your gameboard. As you find
more mailboxes you will slowly build your map and find the way out. PIECES
WILL NOT ALWAYS BE FOUND IN NUMERICAL ORDER.
Step Five: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Feel like you’ve been walking in circles? You probably have been. Maze staff
are located inside the maze, at the exit bridge, and tower to help you out. We
can give you as much or as little help as you need. Need a break? Just ask and
we can get you from your position to the exit quickly and conveniently.
Step Six: Keep it up!
Each mailbox you find will get you one step closer to having the solution to our game
and finding the way out. Be sure to look at the map frequently, especially when you’ve
attached a new piece. The number that matches the mailbox you’re at is where you are
in the maze. Don’t forget to use your pencils - they will “draw out” the solution!
Step Seven: You found all the map pieces!
CONGRATULATIONS! Now that you can trace your steps throughout the map,
find your way out to the exit and over the Victory Bridge. Remember those
pencils, they can help tremendously. *You may have found the exit of the
maze without all the map pieces. You are always welcome to go back in and
find the rest if you’d like.
Step Eight: You made it out!
Great news! Be sure to check out all you’ve been through from atop the bridge as you
cross over and head out of the maze. Be sure to hand in your flag, make any shoutouts on the loudspeaker, and pose for those victory pictures. Now head on out for food,
hayrides, and more fun; You’ve earned it!
EXPLANATION OF THE GAME BOARD
Getting Started: The Game Board
Each group will receive a game board at the ticket tent, as well as a
pencil. This game board contains a lot of interesting and useful
information, as well as a few fun activities for your group to enjoy later.
The twelve blank spaces will be where you tape your map pieces once
you get inside the maze. REMEMBER: always hold your gameboard with
the top of the board facing the WESTERN tree line. This is the tree line
directly across the field when you first enter the maze. Note the in and
out arrows at the bottom of your game board’s map- you will go IN
beside the bridge. You will come OUT across the top of the Victory
Bridge.
In the Thick of it: Making Progress
One of the most common mistakes people make is to look for the map
pieces in consecutive order. As shown here, you may find a map piece
at any time, and walk through several other grid sections before finding
something. You may see a mailbox that contains map pieces through a
hedge but not be able to walk to it for another 30 minutes. The maze
has been constructed in levels (more on that later) - you have to make
certain turns in a certain order to progress further into the maze. If you
find yourself back at the same point more than twice, try asking for
help. The confusion is all part of the fun, but we don’t want you to get
discouraged.
The Completed Map: A Beautiful Thing, But You’re
Not Done Yet
Congratulations, you’ve found all twelve pieces of the map and affixed
them to your game board in the correct order! Now it is up to you and
your group to use those pencils and draw your way out. It’s not as hard
as it looks; remember that all the mailboxes and map pieces
correspond, map piece number seven shows the exact location of
mailbox seven. If you find a mailbox, then you’ll know where you are in
the field at that particular moment. Remembering to hold the map
facing the correct direction, in no time you and your group will have
walked your way OVER the top of the Victory Bridge in style
and speed!
One More Thing: Levels? What Levels???
You may remember earlier when we mentioned that the maze had been
constructed in levels. This map has been modified to show you those
levels. Here, we start on the green level, progress to the yellow level,
then to orange, and lastly to red. Sound easy? Note that there is only
one path into each level, marked here by white circles. In the maze
itself these levels and paths are not marked in anyway. You may enter
and exit these levels several times and never know it. That’s just part of
the fun in one of the most challenging mazes in the Southeast!
NOTE: The images here are from 2010’s Conestoga Wagon
Maze and do not match this year’s design
Homeschool Days
October 6 & 20
Homeschool students, parents, and teachers will enjoy Rural Hill’s most popular educational
program throughout the day and learn of eighteenth century life for the younger generations by
interacting with History’s Kids.
Education Director Zac Vinson will take you and your students back in history when Rural Hill
was first settled by Major John Davidson and his family. Learn about life in a two room cabin
and see fire building and primitive cooking demonstrations. The program and the interaction
with History’s Kids will rotate hourly for three full sessions.
Cost for the event is $8 per student and adults are free. Regular Amazing Maize Maze
admissions apply. Advance registration for Homeschool Days is required. See details at
www.ruralhill.net.
Antique Tractor Show
October 18 & 19
Fall fun at Rural Hill continues with the Antique Tractor Show.
The Stumptown Tractor Club of Huntersville will provide the
display of tractors for all to enjoy. See a full display and “Power
on Parade” including antique tractors, hit and miss engines,
steam engines, kiddie tractor pull, and more.
Admission to the Tractor Show is FREE, while regular
admission rates apply for the Amazing Maize Maze.
Event Details at
www.ruralhill.net
Halloween Fun
October 25
Join us from 12 to 3 PM for Halloween Fun
including games, arts & craft vendors, moon
bounce, pumpkin patch, face painting, live
music, food, costume contest & much more!
Admission is free for Halloween Fun, and
regular rates for the Maize Maze apply.
This event is presented by the Town of
Huntersville Parks & Recreation.
American Revolution Encampment
November 1 & 2
From 10 AM to 4 PM on November 1 & 2, experience Living history
as the Hesse Kessel Jaeger Korps and Rural Hill docents present
the American Revolution Encampment. Enjoy a day of musket
demonstrations, weaving and spinning, open hearth cooking,
blacksmithing, garden tours, encampment tours, battle drills and
more. Admission is free and open to all.
The Hesse Kassel Jaeger Korps is an educational non-profit
organization dedicated to educating the public about the American
Revolutionary time period and the contributions of Germanic
peoples and the Hessian Forces to the Birth of our country.
Founded in 1995, the group was designed to provide
information about the Jägers and camp life during the
American Revolution, 1776 - 1783. With the group based in
South Carolina and members coming from throughout the
southeastern US, the unit primarily portrayal is based on
events of the Southern Campaign of 1780 and 1781.
Rural Hill's
Amazing Maize Maze
www.ruralhill.net
· Open through November 2 - Fri., Sat. & Sun. 10 AM-5 PM.
· Family Friendly Flashlight Mazes every Fri. & Sat. Flashlight
Mazes open at 6 PM; Ticket sales stop at 9 PM. BRING YOUR OWN
FLASHLIGHT!
· Day Maze Tickets: $11 for ages 13+, $7.50 for youth ages 5-12,
and ages 4 and under are free.
· Flashlight Maze Tickets: $16 for ages 13+, $11 for youth ages 512, and ages 4 and under are free.
· The Maze is open through the week by appointment for school
and corporate groups.
Tickets may be purchased in advance
online or at the gate
Historic Rural Hill
For more than 250 years in history...Rural Hill is located at 4431 Neck
Road (off Beatties Ford Road) in Huntersville, 28078. The former
homestead of Major John and Violet Davidson, the 265 acre site is
maintained and promoted by Rural Hill, Inc. and features annual events
such as the Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games,
the Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze and the Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials.
Rural Hill, Inc. is a non-profit organization supported through membership
and donations, and with proceeds from its events utilized for the
preservation of historic Rural Hill and its education efforts. For more
information on events or for financial support accepted securely online,
please visit www.ruralhill.net.