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October is here! The leaves are changing colors, and the kids are getting ready for Halloween. While Haunted Houses may not be suitable for young children, they are a fun activity to get out of the house this “Spooky Season.” Luckily, The Oprah Magazine shares a list of “10 of the Scariest Haunted Houses in America.”
The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride
Topping off the list is The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride. The attraction is located at 1835 Middletown Rd., Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania 19342. According to their website, the admission price is $40 for an adult combo and $20 for a child combo. Additionally, there is a VIP pass available for $75. Also, group rates are available.
According to the haunt’s Facebook page, “The Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride has been voted the #1 haunt in the country.” Furthermore, the haunt appears on the Travel Channel. Remarkably, nearly 75k people have checked in at the haunt. Overall, the haunt rates at 4.5 out of 5 stars according to 847 Facebook reviews.
The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride feature animatronic props, actors, and digital FX. The Oprah Magazine outlines that the haunt has been “dazzling visitors for almost 30 years.” Additionally, The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride requires masks and temperature checks.
Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses
Also located in the Northeast is the Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses. Given such a long name, fans also call this haunt H5. Plugin 778 Broadway – Route 9W, Ulster Park, New York 12487 to find this haunt. Ranked the number one haunt of America by Haunt World Magazine, their Facebook Page details that the haunt is a “frightening hayride through 45 acres of upstate New York.” Like The Bates Motel Haunt, the Travel Channel features H5 on “Emeril’s Halloween Special” and the Travel Channel.
Tickets are available for purchase. However, H5 recommends that you pay close attention to the schedule. They are taking COVID-19 precautions very seriously and are queuing the rides. Consequently, H5 recommends an arrival of 20 minutes before your scheduled ride.
Field of Screams
Like the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride, Field of Screams is located in Pennsylvania at 191 College Avenue, Mountville, Pennsylvania 17554. However, unlike other haunted houses, Field of Screams offers four themed attractions. The haunts are The Frightmare Asylum, Den of Darkness, Nocturnal Wasteland, and the Haunted Hayride. Oprah Mag suggests that they sound less scary; however, they recommend watching this season’s trailer.
In light of COVID-19 safety precautions, the Field of Screams operates at reduced capacity, have timed admissions, and requires masks for entry. Tickets are available for purchase online. According to Oprah Mag, the price for general admission per attraction is $16 per attraction or $35 for all four attractions. Additionally, the haunt advises that “prices are subject to change during and throughout the 2020 season at any time.”
Excitingly, The Field of Screams bares the honor of many features, including the Travel Channel, the Howard Stern Show, Time Magazine, and Newsweek. Remarkably, the Field of Screams rates #1 by USA Today.
The Dent Schoolhouse
Alleged based on a true story, thrill-seekers can tour the once public school, Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school opened in 1894 and closed in the 1950s. Legend has it the school closed after a janitor named Charlie was suspected of foul play involving children that went missing. Consequently, Dent School House offers ghost tours Wednesdays in October.
Luckily for visitors, unless otherwise mentioned, general admission, fast pass admission, and front of the line pass gives patrons access to The Dent Schoolhouse and Queen City Slaughter Yard. Additionally, tickets are available for purchase online. Visit The Dent Schoolhouse and Queen City Slaughter Yard at 5963 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45248.
The 13th Floor
Quite the hike away from the other listed haunted houses, The 13th Floor is located in Denver, Colorado at 3400 East 52nd Avenue. Depending on the date, admission can range from $19.99 to $32.99. Tickets are available for purchase online.
Remarkably, accolades for this haunt include features on USA Today, ABC News, Discovery Channel, and Huffington Post. According to The 13th Floor’s website and USA Today, this haunt is “Top 5 Most Terrifying Haunted Houses in the U.S.A.” Assumably, this haunt is so terrifying that their website hosts the label that the event may be too intense for children 12 & under.
For the 2020 spooky season, The 13th Floor Entertainment Group will host three limited-capacity attractions. In Dead End District, visitors tour an abandoned town “with lingering residents you don’t want to run into.” Seemingly with a flair for the dramatic and bit of nostalgia, Creature Feature stars Hollywood-esque vampires, mummies, and werewolves. The third attraction is a haunted mirror called Deadly Reflections. To top it all off, the haunt hosts an outdoor Shriekeasy Bar.
Cutting Edge Haunted House
Remarkably, Fort Worth, Texas’ Cutting Edge Haunted House, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest walk-through haunted attraction. Their website has the following warning: “Beware: You’ll receive ELECTRICAL SHOCKS. The floors are uneven; the slides are fast and dark; you WILL be enveloped by creeping fog and vapors.”
The admission price isn’t listed, but the haunt is surely spooky. This is because it is named for the property’s former function- a meatpacking plant.
Kersey Valley Spookywoods
Taking it back to the eastern United States, the Kersey Valley Spookywoods is located at 1615 Kersey Valley Rd., Archdale, NC 27263. Their Facebook page explains the history of the haunted house best. The haunted attraction was created back in 1985. At the time, the founder, Tony Wohgemuth, was 15 years old. Started as a dare, there was a scare involving a family of ghosts. Remarkably, the rest is history. Over the past thirty years, the haunted house has grown to encompass a “year-round team of artists and builders with a passion for creating fresh new experiences each fall.”
The price of admission to this haunted house starts at $30.20, and tickets are available online. Additionally, their website features a video explaining the safety measures they’ve taken for COVID-19.
13th Gate Haunted House
Heading back south, The 13th Gate is located at 832 Saint Philip St., Baton Rouge, Louisana 70802. Remarkably, this haunt covers 40,000 square feet of what’s Oprah Magazine describes as “ultra-realistic sets and scenarios.” Even more exciting than that, the 13th Gate is home to an outdoor graveyard with resident zombies and an abandoned asylum.
The haunt’s Facebook page goes into more detail about what to expect from the attraction. They share, “guests frequently wonder between screams whether what they are experiencing is real or not.” Additionally, they say, “the attraction features a real snake-infested Louisiana swamp, nightly voodoo shows, claustrophobic cellars, hidden subterranean passages, and a prehistoric ice cave.” However, the haunted house changes from year to year.
Additional changes this year include a virtual queue. With this added safety measure in place, visitors are notified about when they may wait in a small line to enter the attraction. Furthermore, this haunt requires a mask, and social distancing measures are in place. Tickets are $30 or $60 for VIP
Haunted Overload
For the ninth haunted house attraction on the list, Halloween haunts enthusiasts will have to travel all the way back to the northeast. Haunted Overload is located in Lee, New Hampshire, on Routh 155. According to their Facebook page, Haunted Overload is consistently voted one of the top 13 haunted attractions in the country. Seemingly, they attribute their success to “giving the customer the ultimate Halloween experience and an affordable price.” With that in mind, the cost of admission during the day is $7, and at night time it is $27.
Other information of note is, Haunted Overload recommends not bringing “younger or sensitive children” to this event. The attraction advises that “while artistically done is extremely scary and parental discretion is advised.” Additionally, Haunted Overload notes that the event is occurs in nearly all New England weather conditions, and asks patrons to dress appropriately.
Netherworld Haunted House
Last but not least, located in Stone Mountain, Georgia, on 1313 Netherworld Way, is the Netherworld Haunted House. Of note, this haunt’s address was previously 2076 West Park Place Blvd. Remarkably, this haunted house is repeatedly voted among the top haunted houses in America by sources such as USA Today, DeadCentral.com, Fangoria, and AOL. Prestigiously, in 2015 Netherworld was named the #1 Haunted House of All-Time by Hauntworld.com.
This year tickets include entry to Halloween Nightmares and Cyborg Shock. With coronavirus precautions in place, all tickets are date and time-specific. Additionally, capacity is minimal. Reserved Time General admission tickets are available for $35, and Reserved Time SpeedPass admission tickets are $55.
Additional COVID safety precautions for Netherworld Haunted House are that they require masks for staff and guests. Also, Netherworld Haunted House requires touchless temperature screenings for staff and guests. Seemingly, having thought of it all, there are hand sanitizer/washing stations.
It is comforting to know that haunted houses across America are taking precautions during these unprecedented times during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, The Destination Seeker created a map should you choose to go on an American Haunted House Road Trip!
Check back with The Destination Seeker for more fun things to do this spooky season!
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